When is a Nexus not a Nexus?

I was mightily disturbed to receive an email from Google apparently telling me I had purchased a Nexus One phone. Had I been hacked? Had my credit-card details been used to buy a phone? Were Google sending me one for free?

Hello! Your new Nexus One phone has many cool and useful features. Learn more by clicking on the links to watch brief YouTube videos directly on your phone:

• Take pictures with your 5mpx camera and view them in your 3D Media Gallery. Learn more
• Get transcribed voicemails and cheap international calling with Google Voice. Learn more
• Sync your contacts, Facebook and email accounts with QuickContact. Learn more
• Get cool applications and games on Android Market. Learn more

You can find all these videos and more on the Nexus One playlist at youtube.com/googlenexusone. Enjoy! The Android Team at Google Google, Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043

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We sent you this one-time welcome message because you recently purchased an Android-powered phone

What's Going On?

Take a look at the bottom of the mail again...

We sent you this one-time welcome message because you recently purchased an Android-powered phone

I haven't recently purchased a new phone. I've had Android phones since early last year. What is different is that I recently hacked my HTC Hero and installed SenseHero 2.1. A modification which allows the ageing HTC Hero to run the very latest Android software.

What has obviously happened is that Google has seen me sign in to a "new" Android 2.1 phone and assumed that I've recently got a Nexus.

When You Assume...

There is a dangerous assumption - reflected in the email - that "phone with OS Z = phone with name Y". At a stroke, Google have confused their users and diluted their brand name(s).

Welcoming new or returning users is definitely a good move. But unless your communications are correctly targeted and accurate, you risk alienating rather than engaging.