iTunes Windows Ad Campaign

[MacRumors]

With Apple being on the verge of announcing (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/10/20031009122405.shtml) their iTunes Music Store for Windows, Apple appears to be stepping up their advertising and has already introduced a new iPod TV Ad (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/10/20031009004039.shtml), which debuted on Wednesday.

According to new reliable reports, Apple is planning for both print and television advertisements for the upcoming iTunes Music Store for Windows. These new ads are targeted around the holidays. This may be a part of a larger campaign, as a CNet report had previously hinted (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/10/20031004094414.shtml) that Apple was planning a "major consumer advertising campaign" in the same timeframe.

[tazznb]

Now people with the not-so-great OSes can play iTunes, too

[slowtreme]

It's about time for a "major consumer advertising campaign"

A price reduction would be nice too ;)

[Zech Marquis]

I like the new ipod ads, and this will only bring more good press and money for Apple. Now, remember that M$ said that WMp9 is coming out for OS X a few weeks back? Itunes for Windows, WMP9 for X, hmmm...

[dstorey]

wonder if it will be in same style as the iPod ads or completely different.

[Doctor Q]

Does Apple ever use radio ads? I don't think I've ever heard any.

[eclipse525]

Let's just hope this version of iTunes is Rock Solid or we'll never here the end of it. Hold on to your seats folks!!!!


~e

[arn]

So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

There's alway "crazy mix-em-ups".

[bertagert]

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn Hot nude girls singing and dancing with the ipod?

[DeusOmnis]

Originally posted by bertagert
Hot nude girls singing and dancing with the ipod?

Hell. Yeah.

[Flowbee]

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

People working out?

[jMc]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
Does Apple ever use radio ads? I don't think I've ever heard any.

I don't about the US, but they definitely do in the UK. When the first 3G iPods were released xfm (the only station I listen to - so can't say about others) was crawling with them... Apple man reeling off different musical styles or something and waxing lyrical about how much music you could carry with you...

There must be a repository of radio ads on the web somewhere, I'll go look...

jx

edit: here ya go - iPod radio ads (http://www.apple.com/uk/hardware/ads/radio/)

[chewbaccapits]

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

People using the supposed periphals???

[VicMacs]

Originally posted by Zech Marquis
I like the new ipod ads, and this will only bring more good press and money for Apple. Now, remember that M$ said that WMp9 is coming out for OS X a few weeks back? Itunes for Windows, WMP9 for X, hmmm...

stop nightmaring... can you imagine a apple/windows player? would be a first... it would be like sleeping with the devil...

[Safeguy]

Originally posted by VicMacs
stop nightmaring... can you imagine a apple/windows player? would be a first... it would be like sleeping with the devil...

interesting . . . now that would make a great new commercial.

[iBot]

On Tuesday, I was in the Apple Store at the Grove in Los Angeles and a shooting crew was taping an Apple commerical (despite the clutter of big lights, a bunch of video gear and a half-dozen crew members, the store remained open to customers). There were four or five real-looking people standing by to be interviewed sitting on the cool plexiglass stairs leading up to the Apple theater/Genius Bar. I stayed to watch only one of the interviews. The director (his Apple nametag read "Bill") sat on a wooden box, with a camerman just behind his right shoulder, and asked a series of prompting questions of a young hipster-looking dude who was clearly not a professional actor:

Director: "What makes Apple different?"

Young Hipster-Looking Dude: "PCs are just machines. Apple is a lifestyle."

Director: "How would you sum up Apple in one word."

Young Hipster-Looking Dude: [holds up iPod] Ipod.

Camera Guy: Could you tip the iPod more toward the camera?

....

Director: Anything else you'd like to add?

Young Hipster-Looking Dude: Um....

Crew Member Offscreen: "It just works."

Young Hipster-Looking Dude: "It just works."

[SiliconAddict]

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

The polka? Don't you dare tell me that's dancing!! :p

[pepeleuepe]

I live in good old South Central LA and I've noticed a stepped up apple ipod adverstising campaign all around the area. Especially big poster ads on the sides of bus stops. Apple has to be up to something. Could just be coincidence, but I doubt it.

[crossed-over]

How much is iTunes for Windows gonna cost? Or is it gonna be a free download? Anybody know?

[coumerelli]

Originally posted by crossed-over
How much is iTunes for Windows gonna cost? Or is it gonna be a free download? Anybody know?

It's gotta be free! :( :eek: I don't think Apple would want to resemble RealOne in ANY way, shape, or form.

But then again, if you don't buy QT pro you get stuck turning down the upgrade splash all the time. So only Steve knows.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by crossed-over
How much is iTunes for Windows gonna cost? Or is it gonna be a free download? Anybody know?

Gotta be free. The idea is that people will buy songs on the iTMS. Not to mention increased visibility for the Apple name which will lead to greater iPod and computer sales, hopefully.

[paulc]

Think I saw the TV ad at least twice last night while my beloved Yankees were dispatching the Red Sox. Today, I notice a big print version adorning several bus stop shelters in manhattan (NY).

BTW, there are several (nearly) naked ladies jiving in the TV ad. I wouldn't mind jiggling with several of them!

But I DO think they need to maybe rotate it with some more pop sounding tunez; a lot of folks might find it too urban cool (I don't, but I AM urban cool!) and I want them to sell tons of these out in the boonies.

As for the price of the wintel iTunez, it's probably the part of their souls they have NOT sold to the evil monopoly. Hopefully, Jobs can get to double digit marketshare percentage in souls, if not of hardware.

[DGFan]

Yes, this might better go in another thread but this is the latest iTMS Windows thread so here goes....

I was just reading about the Napster launch on another website and hadn't realized until now that, despite the launch party that happened last night, Napster isn't actually opening for business until the 29th.

Hopefully, if Apple can actually go live on the day they announce it (like they did in May) they can actually beat Napster out of the gate by two whole weeks. Frankly I can't believe Napster is going to be any more competition than BuyMusic but it's worth noting.

I like the fundamentals discussed on the forbes.com article here

http://www.forbes.com/2003/10/10/cx_ah_1010napster.html

It is mentioned that they think the break-even point will be over 1 million songs per week. Do people seriously think they will sell that many? Apple isn't even doing that level of business and they are the industry leader right now!

Furthermore, it would be nice if Apple would announce how many songs they currently have. While they launched with 200,000 they have been adding songs to iTMS every tuesday. Yet articles still say that they only have 200,000 songs!

[Lancetx]

Originally posted by DGFan

Furthermore, it would be nice if Apple would announce how many songs they currently have. While they launched with 200,000 they have been adding songs to iTMS every tuesday. Yet articles still say that they only have 200,000 songs!

I agree. With the absolute ton of songs they've added each Tuesday now for the last month (the last 2 weeks have been massive), it's probably approaching 400,000 songs by now. It would be nice to get an official total from Apple next week.

[eclipse525]

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

How about something grandioso!.......

The commerical starts off with two balls of energy(one being Mac the othe being Windows) heading towards each other and then they collide in this spectacular explosion(ala DeathStar) and then create a sort of Genisis(ala Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan).

I'll leave the ending tag line for you guys to come up with???

~e

[plstk]

Did anyone notice this yet? More and more indie labels get added to the iTunes Music Store. First Epitaph, now Kill Rock Stars, Matador, there are probably more. Oh, and by the way, check this thread over at the Matador BBS:
http://www.matadorrecords.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1220 - "iTunes for Windows is coming very shortly".

[BOOMBA]

Originally posted by slowtreme
It's about time for a "major consumer advertising campaign"


I hear that!

Originally posted by slowtreme
A price reduction would be nice too ;)

On songs? iPods? computers?
Or all of the above?

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by DGFan
Frankly I can't believe Napster is going to be any more competition than BuyMusic but it's worth noting.


I agree. Napster is essentially doing a BuyMusic, but with name recognition.

I believe our only credible and strong competition today is MusicMatch's service.



http://www.forbes.com/2003/10/10/cx_ah_1010napster.html

It is mentioned that they think the break-even point will be over 1 million songs per week. Do people seriously think they will sell that many? Apple isn't even doing that level of business and they are the industry leader right now!


Apple has a severely limitted market right now. Can they do 1M/week with Windows and Mac markets, and being the only source for tunes that are directly playable on the player over 50% of us have?

I really do beleive they can.


Furthermore, it would be nice if Apple would announce how many songs they currently have. While they launched with 200,000 they have been adding songs to iTMS every tuesday. Yet articles still say that they only have 200,000 songs!

I agree. An update on that number would be good. Until Apple updates that number, though, one must assume that the actual number is smaller than these up-and-comer numbers (300k, 500k). Of course, it is quite possible we'll get a new and astounding number next Thursday ... But I'd personally prefer a policy of updating that number regularly.

[zamyatin]

Didn't Apple sell one million songs in the first week? Or was it the first ten days? So the initial excitement pushed it above this arbitrary level, and then it probably tapered off a bit.

Right now I'm sure it's growing steadily, but once the Wintel chuckleheads are added, the market will be quite a bit larger (4x, 5x ? We know the Windows marketshare numbers are fabricated, and definitely don't accurately represent home users.) I'd guess Apple will easily pass the million songs per week benchmark.

[spice weasel]

Originally posted by DGFan
Frankly I can't believe Napster is going to be any more competition than BuyMusic but it's worth noting.


I agree. Last night Tech Live (on Tech TV) compared MusicMatch to Napster 2.0 and the review wasn't favorable to Napster. Then Leo Laporte had a call about iTunes for Windows on Call For Help this afternoon and he spent a few minutes commenting on how much he likes iTunes and the Apple music store. The caller was stating that he hopes it is released before Christmas, as Apple has said, and Leo replied that the rumors point to next week. A lot of Windows people watch that show, so I hope the word-of-mouth buzz starts spreading.

By the way, anyone know how many songs AppleRip-Off.com -- er, I mean BuyMusic.com -- has sold? I hope that iTunes for Windows is the nail in that coffin.

[SeaFox]

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

How about ads of people actually using the iTMS on Windows?

Ya'know. Kinda like showing MacOSX in action to advertise it's ease of use?






Naaaahhh, that wouldn't work.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
Does Apple ever use radio ads? I don't think I've ever heard any.

Before the iMac launch in 1998 they did.

Originally posted by arn
So... iPods ads with people Singing. Now with people Dancing.

Anything left?

arn

They could have ads like the ones they have now with the silhouettes, only about 20 of them on the screen at once, sped up, with the colors changing and flashing faster, with rave music.

Originally posted by DGFan
It is mentioned that they think the break-even point will be over 1 million songs per week. Do people seriously think they will sell that many? Apple isn't even doing that level of business and they are the industry leader right now!

It's only available on Mac. Once it's on Windows...look out!

Originally posted by eclipse525
How about something grandioso!.......

The commerical starts off with two balls of energy(one being Mac the othe being Windows) heading towards each other and then they collide in this spectacular explosion(ala DeathStar) and then create a sort of Genisis(ala Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan).

I'll leave the ending tag line for you guys to come up with???

~e

"KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!"

[MrMacMan]

Apple needs to get the word out anyway they can that their product is out, working and offers choices better then the others.

There are so many names, keep increasing, a few will die but a couple are gonna fight to the bitter (and unprofitable) end.

who will last...

[DHagan4755]

They should have the voice over say something along these lines...They need to be blunt.

"Introducing iTunes for Windows featuring the iTunes Music Store. Once you using iTunes for Windows, you will see how much better Apple software is, and finally decide to buy a Mac."

[jimbothegringo]

It is to sad that mac-users in europe still have to wait for a working itunes-store, while win-users in the states get their store instantly together with the release of itunes for windows. Probably i should change my os and my machine then...:(

[Macmaniac]

I just went to Apple's website and they now have 3 different lengths of the iPod commerical, maybe more to come!

[bretm]

Originally posted by zamyatin
Didn't Apple sell one million songs in the first week? Or was it the first ten days? So the initial excitement pushed it above this arbitrary level, and then it probably tapered off a bit.

Right now I'm sure it's growing steadily, but once the Wintel chuckleheads are added, the market will be quite a bit larger (4x, 5x ? We know the Windows marketshare numbers are fabricated, and definitely don't accurately represent home users.) I'd guess Apple will easily pass the million songs per week benchmark.

Since we have 2% of the market right now, that number would be 50x.

[eclipse525]

Originally posted by Macmaniac
I just went to Apple's website and they now have 3 different lengths of the iPod commerical, maybe more to come!


I just checked them out and I honestly thought they were gonna suck BUT in retrospect, they are awesome! "Different" than anything out there on TV. The colors alone will make them unforgettable. Oh yeah, the music kicks ass as well. Very well done. My hats off to their Ad Agency!

~e

[Phil Of Mac]

It's not going to increase 50x, because Mac users are, as a whole, more interested in Apple services than Windows users. 10x would be an optimistic guess.

[new user]

i just got my new and first pb (12 inch) and the music store was one of the feature that i most eager to use. that said, i've stayed pretty current with by cd buying and there were only a few things that i was looking for. but, the music store didn't have those artist/albums yet!

what i don't understand is that why don't labels put as much of their songs and albums on as possible. i can understand if it's apple having problems stocking their digital shelf, but i don't have a clue why the record companies would hold back. where is radiohead, for example. or sleater kinney. the only thing that will happen (once they decide to commit) is that they sell songs/album and make more cash money.

[Phil Of Mac]

Sometimes the bands themselves have enough autonomy to choose whether or not to be on iTMS. Many of them choose not to.

[jefhatfield]

apple is starting to get better with their ads and i am happy they have a holiday lineup of ads for the itunes stuff

i just saw the ipod commercial and i was blown away...simple and direct...other ads in the past may have been simple but they were sometimes confusing

[polyesterlester]

Originally posted by new user
...or sleater kinney.
There are three Sleater-Kinney songs on it (their "Get Up" EP). Not enough though. Kill Rock Stars (just down the road in Olympia) just hasn't added their whole collection yet.

This is totally unrelated, but I heard right after I left the Art Institute of Portland that Janet Weiss, the drummer for Sleater-Kinney also attends there.

I was happy to see that three Cat Power (Matador Records) albums were on the iTMS. You Are Free kicks ass.

[new user]

i know some bands and or record company decides not to, what i want to know is why? isn't the whole point of them making music is to sell music?

and i am strongly inclined to check out the cat power show playing in ny next week. but with that, apple isn't going to get my cat power dollars, i got her albums already. i guess it's only a matter of time before they do get my hard borrowed cash, i buy a lot of music. and feel awfully guilty stealing it.

but why would artists/companies not sell their music? the only thing i can think of is negotiating for better terms, but considering the amount of stuff that is already on the net, isn't it pretty much standardize by now? or is there a hope of a bidding frenzy among all the competing music services out now?

[polyesterlester]

From what I understand, KRS is planning on upping their whole collection to the music store, but aren't finished yet. Instead of contributing all the albums of just a few bands online initially, they put a few albums of a wide variety of bands online. They're not finished yet. Expect to find more albums soon.

If you want to see them hurry up and get more tunes online, email them at:
krs@killrockstars.com

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by new user
i know some bands and or record company decides not to, what i want to know is why? isn't the whole point of them making music is to sell music?

but why would artists/companies not sell their music? the only thing i can think of is negotiating for better terms, but considering the amount of stuff that is already on the net, isn't it pretty much standardize by now? or is there a hope of a bidding frenzy among all the competing music services out now?

I think one group opted out because they only want to sell their music in album form.

[SeaFox]

Originally posted by eclipse525
How about something grandioso!.......

The commerical starts off with two balls of energy(one being Mac the othe being Windows) heading towards each other and then they collide in this spectacular explosion(ala DeathStar) and then create a sort of Genisis(ala Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan).

I'll leave the ending tag line for you guys to come up with???

~e


"...and he said 'Let there be Tunes...' (Apple Logo)"

[zamyatin]

Originally posted by bretm
Since we have 2% of the market right now, that number would be 50x.

I think the unit sales shipments show that Apple computers are just under 4% of new computers sold in the US. How that translates to market share of people *actively using* the OS is very hard to determine. In the case of Windows, point-of-sale terminals, big company office computers used only for one function during the day, and other very specialized machines skew the statistics.

Their shorter lifespans also mean they have to sell more machines each year to make up for those dying prematurely (by the standards of Mac and Linux users, Windows machines die quite early).

Finally, the iTMS and other downloadable music services are not something one would use at the office. Therefore, the relevent market is home users. Macs are much better represented here than in the market at large - I have seen estimates that 20% of computers used in homes are Macs.

How can we get better data? Who knows? But it is commonly known that the data seen in the press is skewed toward MS just because of the assumptions it makes and the way it is collected.

So, after all this, I think iTMS for Windows will increase the market by a huge amount, but nothing so large as an order of magnitude or more.