Really interesting news this morning from PSFK, announcing that Will.i.Am has become Intel’s Director of Creative Innovation. Its quite a bold move from Intel and potentially a strange one from Will.i.Am, but like the collaborations we have seen between Victoria Beckham and Range Rover, Josh Rubin and Gap, it lays down markers for our industry.
I think the collaboration between Will.i.am and Intel isn’t as big an impact as VB and Range Rover, but may have the same effect. For the creative crowd, music musos, and designers this could be seen to be a worthwile collaboration, but the developer base that use Intel chips may be wondering what the f is going on. Potentially, they might believe a collaboration with MIT may have been better, someone that can add real value to the development of technology rather than its creative uses.
Whatever people’s opinion its got me questioning where is the value? What value will Intel get out of Will.i.am apart from simple column inches. Yes, he is certainly popular on Twitter, but until we understand the genuine value a tweet brings what does this actually mean. I could kind of understand this if it was a move from Apple, or Microsoft, but Intel build chips. Chips which drive machines. Machines which produce creative. It seems a bit of a stretch for Will.i.am to be this person for Intel, so where is the value? how will a musician aid creativity within tablets or phones?
Collaborations are clearly becoming a much more interesting and visible area. However, until we really understand the actual value of this person to our business from a sales perspective, then we have to constantly ask, what value does it bring?
Don’t get me wrong though I love Will.i.am, but what the f was that “had the time of my life” single all about?!
