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'Think Different' Campaign Creator Suggests Apple Needs to Step up its Advertising Game to Counter Samsung

dragje

dragje

macrumors 6502a
May 16, 2012
874
681
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
karpich1 said:
Don't get me wrong, right now I'm using an iPhone 5. It's nice and doesn't do anything poorly. It feels solid, the battery is great, and the UI is polished. But Apple need to do more of SOMETHING... either innovate, update, or at least advertise. Because right now Android is doing more of all 3.

I used a Samsung Galaxy S3 for a few months before I had to use the iPhone 5 due to work... and wow. Apple really needs to step up their game. The Android stuff has some great UI elements in there, some nice features, and all-in-all a great phone.

I'm NOT saying Androids are better/worse than iPhones since it's so subjective. And from a physical manufacturing standpoint I think the iPhone is still better (sturdier, better battery, etc). But Google has bridged the OS gap in some places and surpassed Apple in others. Add to that they're doing more advertising

For a while, Apple was THE smart phone out there. The early Android stuff didn't really compare: the G1 was OK but lacked. The original Nexus was neat but still not there. So Apple was king.

But now... Apple needs to do more. From a UI standpoint they haven't made many huge changes since the original iPhone. The interface is still the same... a touch-screen version of some other smart phone UI's from that era. Icons that you can't just place anywhere... no movement on the screen... other neat things the Android allows apps to do.

The only major UI elements Apple added since release were really Banner-alerts and folders. Sure they upped the hardware a few times... but Retina isn't that high higher DPI than the Galaxy S3. So besides sturdy construction the only real hardware advantage the iPhone has is battery life.

And sure, to some people that's enough. The like the simple UI for various reasons. Personally, my favorite iPhone advantage is the scroll-wheel UI piece in the iPhone vs the +/- in the Android. And even with the Galaxy I didn't have Live Wallpaper enabled often.




In summary: Apple needs to do "more." Either they need to do some great UI updates, add some cool feature / apps, or they need to advertise it more. Because so long as Google is doing more in all 3... they will eventually leave Apple in the dust.
Click to expand...


So true! Add on, the reason why Apple is loosing ground here, especially in Europe is just because of what's written here above + the cost of the devises like the iPhone and iPad. I also like those products myself, but Apple didn't come up with significant new aspects and no game changers a all.

Wth all the cash Apple has, why not doin a stunt? They can give iCloud for free with 30 gig or lower the prices of their devises drasticly and above all, stop being an arrogant player because they are simply loosing ground and that will not stop unless some drastic changes are been made.

First change, bring out that Mac Pro they "promised"....
 
Drunken Master

Drunken Master

macrumors 65816
Jul 19, 2011
1,060
0
Michael Scrip said:
Actually... no.

John Hodgman was a PC... Justin Long was a Mac.

They were computers that were personified... they weren't talking about their users.

When John Hodgman got a virus... it was a computer virus. Not a human virus.

Again... the actors were portraying computers.

It said it right there in the beginning of each commercial: "Hi... I'm a Mac... and I'm a PC..."

It never said "I'm a Mac USER..."
Click to expand...

I liked those ads but you're parroting a delusional bit of revisionist history here.

They were an attack and I'm fine with that.
 
F

fertilized-egg

macrumors 68020
Dec 18, 2009
2,109
57
I WAS the one said:
Personally I love how Apple IGNORE those Samsung Ads.

Example:

Samsumg ad: We do this, we do that! We have power we are cooler check this out!!! Can I hear an AMEN!!! Chorus: AMEN!!!

Apple: this is what we got... Cool huh?
Click to expand...

I somewhat agree. Apple no longer is the lovable underdog and instead is the evil empire everyone loves to hates. They really have no reason to legitimize attacks on them.

If anything, Samsung's rise is a headache for other Android makers first, Apple second. I'm sure those working for the mobile division of LG, Sony, HTC, etc, are pulling hair out trying to figure out how to compete against a company that uses the same base software but has an enormously larger ad budget and a huge publicity - arguably the Apple lawsuit was a big boost in this area.
 
Michael Scrip

Michael Scrip

macrumors 604
Mar 4, 2011
7,929
12,480
NC
samcraig said:
Who really cares? Personally I'd rather not wait in line or have a shipping delay. And that's not a comment on Apple. It's just that when I'm ready to make a purchase - I don't want to have to wait in a line or be told my item is on backorder.

I think Samsung cares more about profits and marketshare more than if there's a line outside a best buy or other retailer to get one of their phones. That sort of press is short lived.

After launch week - how often to you see mentions of a long line to buy a product? Exactly.
Click to expand...

Exactly!

I never understood why Samsung made fun of Apple's lines. They only happen during a product launch.

One day a year... to be specific.

The other 364 days during the year people are buying them too.
 
T

tongxinshe

macrumors 65816
Feb 24, 2008
1,064
651
gotluck said:
I felt attacked as a pc user in the mac vs pc ads. Please we've been over this... :rolleyes:

I'm a soo uncool and soo unhip pc man.
Click to expand...

The “Mac vs. PC” ad was not attacking PC, but instead mostly defending Mac from the then widely spreader prejudice against Mac OS.
 
X

XtraSmiley

macrumors regular
Sep 16, 2006
106
1
fertilized-egg said:
I somewhat agree. Apple no longer is the lovable underdog and instead is the evil empire everyone loves to hates. They really have no reason to legitimize attacks on them.

If anything, Samsung's rise is a headache for other Android makers first, Apple second. I'm sure those working for the mobile division of LG, Sony, HTC, etc, are pulling hair out trying to figure out how to compete against a company that uses the same base software but has an enormously larger ad budget and a huge publicity - arguably the Apple lawsuit was a big boost in this area.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. I don't mind Android, but still think the way Google handles their market is to fragmented to make sense to the average user. They are just not sure what phone does what at this point, and Samsung is there to swoop in and collect the pieces.
 
Michael Scrip

Michael Scrip

macrumors 604
Mar 4, 2011
7,929
12,480
NC
Drunken Master said:
I liked those ads but you're parroting a delusional bit of revisionist history here.

They were an attack and I'm fine with that.
Click to expand...

Revisionist history?

"I am a PC... I get computer viruses..."

"I am a Mac... I can organize your digital photos with iPhoto..."

In other words... the ads said "I am a computer..."

What exactly is the confusion? :D

As for attack ads... they're usually done by the underdog. The Mac was in 2nd place against the Windows PC. The "Get a Mac" campaign was an attempt to get people to try the Mac.

But Samsung is already the largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world. Why are they attacking anyone?
 
A

alexgowers

macrumors 65816
Jun 3, 2012
1,338
892
Wow an AD guy who is hunting for business disses apple to get a job from them; He's either very stupid or is getting kickbacks from samsung.

It's unfortunate that apple is seen as a big bad company that is expensive and more of a closed system, it's PR has been dreadful etc etc.

But I disagree the Adverts apple make are always right on the money these days and bad when this guy had the contract they actually make bigger mistakes.

Samsung Ads are dreadful and make me hate them even more, they use borrowed AD lingo, music and aesthetics that aren't their own and it all seems disingenuous! I mean come on the only people who are sucked in by the ads are uneducated children who don't have a clue about tech and the history behind apple.

Samsung are a copycat company that started right out of using stolen designs and has never created any product on par with the genius from apple.

For samsung to even suggest apple isn't cool is beyond me.

Samsung can only win on value not quality. That was PC vs Mac from back in the beginning.

We're not again in a david (apple) and goliath (Samsung) race but with the so called 'post PC era'... iOS vs Android. In the long term apple's innovation will be eaten up by successive copycat design of samsung but those of us who know better will stick with the company throughout knowning products deserve to be designed and created with care.

No amount of nasty samsung ADs will change my mind based on what they class as cool or the in thing.
 
M

Mystic386

macrumors regular
Nov 18, 2011
162
40
jvmxtra said:
Small group? Really? Do you think 25% slide in stock price is small group?
If such a small group wanted different device, how come apple stock is down 25%? I didn't know small group can make such a big dent. Obviously apple disappoints. In a big way. People like consistency. But doing samething for almost 3 years is not consistency. If people liked consistency so much, iphone 4 would not have sold so much. People need change. People want change. And clearly, apple is doing NOTHING. You will see. IF apple come out w/ iphone 5s, what a DUD their stock is going to become.
Click to expand...

I think you're use of statistics is more than a little misleading. Product demand and sales are increasing. Yes the share price dropped. But it dropped because it did not meet analysts expectations. It exceeded Apple forecasts.

Apple forecasts $$$$ profit.

Analysts know Apple usually understates profit so they state their expected figure of $$$$ + a percentage. (You have to wonder why we have analysts. A school kid can take $$$$ and add a fixed percentage to it.)

Apple exceeds forecast but doesn't make the analyst markup.

Sales are up, profit are up but the market as uneducated as always responds negatively.

The share price change had no connection to what customers want in a product and if I were to suggest otherwise would be a naive, ignorant or mischievous statement.

I think Samsung are doing a stellar job of catching up and taking Apple on. They have the ability and the core products. They still have a way to go but their pace of catch up suggests they will continue to close the gap.
 
iGrip

iGrip

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2010
1,626
0
tuncer said:
Let's face it, Apple is in big, big trouble.
Click to expand...


I can't really agree with that, depending on how you mean it. Apple is a huge, giant company with huge, giant sales. That is NOT going to change any time soon.

It is possible that they have reached the peak and are now in decline. It could even be that some kind of inflection point is nigh.

But Apple is a behemoth, and it will exist as a giant among companies for the foreseeable future.


tuncer said:
I think the March quarter is going to be an absolute disaster and one of the reasons I've sold all my shares in Apple. I've owned it for many years but Apple in 2013 will continue flounder. The iPhone 5S will be a dud and the S4, I believe, will absolutely destroy it.
Click to expand...

The stock may be a different matter. And yeah, the 5S will likely be a yawn, but it will still be one of the best smartphones around, and will continue to be an excellent choice for novice users. They will sell a boatload of them. Maybe not as many as the S4, but why should that even matter?

----------
benspratling said:
Oh, got it. It has a stylus. Yeah, I'd like a stylus, too.
Without detailed consideration during a review, basically what I got from the ad was "Samsung tablet, because: Tim Burton."
Click to expand...

What they were trying to convey was "Samsung is better for business use, and even for the 'creatives'".

----------
GermanyChris said:
They aren't?
Click to expand...

Of course they are. Indeed, they are a step down from people who go on vacation where they can find a bevy of Manufacturer's Outlet Centers.
 
Renzatic

Renzatic

Suspended
Aug 3, 2011
9,561
10,118
Gramps, what the hell am I paying you for?
iGrip said:
I can't really agree with that, depending on how you mean it. Apple is a huge, giant company with huge, giant sales. That is NOT going to change any time soon.

It is possible that they have reached the peak and are now in decline. It could even be that some kind of inflection point is nigh.
Click to expand...

I'd say they've still got at least a couple more years ahead of them before they reach their peak. The mobile market still has plenty of room to grow, and Apple will only grow along with it.

But when they reach their peak, they won't suddenly decline, they'll plateau. Just like MS did when PCs reached their saturation point. For them to decline to the point of APPLE IS DOOMED would take a long string of astounding screw ups over the course of 10-15 years.

We haven't seen any signs of this happening yet. Worst we can say they've done so far is give us some slightly underwhelming updates since the start of the iDevice craze.

edit: oh. Maps. Forgot about Maps.
 
Michael Scrip

Michael Scrip

macrumors 604
Mar 4, 2011
7,929
12,480
NC
tuncer said:
Let's face it, Apple is in big, big trouble.
Click to expand...

What kind of trouble?

Apple still has this habit of making billions and billions of dollars every QUARTER. And every dollar they make keeps them further from bankruptcy. So they don't have to worry about that.

How many other companies faced this very problem? Palm had to be rescued by HP... and eventually disappeared.

Motorola was in some serious trouble too... and Google swooped in and saved them. We're still waiting to see the result of that.

So if money isn't Apple's trouble... what is?

Do they have to wear the crown of top selling smartphone manufacturer? Right now that award goes to Samsung. But I'm not seeing Apple suffer as a result.

Honestly... there are other companies you should be worried about.
 
M

morpheuzlal

macrumors newbie
Apr 22, 2012
20
0
AQUADock said:
I cringe every time I see a Samsung ad, can't they just advertise their own actual products and not bash others.
Click to expand...

Actually no because Apple joked hundred of times with Microsoft. Its time for Apple not to step up their advertisement but the product`s themselves. Samsung is telling a message, they are here, with a good product. Apple, has to tell...."we made the game, we change the game, cause we are the best creative team".
 
A

albusseverus

macrumors 6502a
Nov 28, 2007
744
154
Wow. An adman calling for more advertising. Knock me over with a feather. Is this a story?

If Samsung stopped grabbing for some of Apple's market in their ads, THAT would be news.
 
user418

user418

macrumors 6502a
Aug 22, 2010
671
13
IMO, the I'm A Mac - I'm A PC ads were brilliant, tastefully done, and got the point across without blatantly attacking the competition.

By the same token some of the Samsung ads are quite good. However, it seems that part of their philosophy is if you say it often enough, in as many ways as possible, people will believe it.
 
O

Obi-Wan Kubrick

macrumors regular
Jun 18, 2007
205
0
Samsung ads remind me of older video game commercials that showed kids looking at the TV instead of gameplay footage.
 
2

2IS

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2011
2,938
433
user418 said:
IMO, the I'm A Mac - I'm A PC ads were brilliant, tastefully done, and got the point across without blatantly attacking the competition.

By the same token some of the Samsung ads are quite good. However, it seems that part of their philosophy is if you say it often enough, in as many ways as possible, people will believe it.
Click to expand...

They were good, but they absolutely without a doubt attacked the competition. Are you kidding me? Youtube the commercials then honestly ask yourself if it wasn't attacking. And if they weren't attacking, what exactly would you call it? A comparison ad???
 
jvmxtra

jvmxtra

macrumors 65816
Sep 21, 2010
1,245
3
Mystic386 said:
Sales are up, profit are up but the market as uneducated as always responds negatively.

The share price change had no connection to what customers want in a product and if I were to suggest otherwise would be a naive, ignorant or mischievous statement.

I think Samsung are doing a stellar job of catching up and taking Apple on. They have the ability and the core products. They still have a way to go but their pace of catch up suggests they will continue to close the gap.
Click to expand...

Why do you think apple stock lost 25%?
Because it couldn't meet someone's expectation? Why do you think apple weren't able to meet it ? There is no question about it. Tide are turning and for apple to just sit there with Same product over and over again it will be watching titanic. You watch. When apple trolls out their iPhone 5s and what happens to stock again. If apple do come out with iPhone 6 with bigger screen you know this company lost direction. No wonder carriers are giving them less respect. You can deny all you want. With Steve gone with CEO with no interest in creating something awesome this ship gonna sink
 
F

ferdinandcc

macrumors member
Jun 8, 2011
43
64
Caloocan City, Philippines
3N16MA said:
Did the "I'm a Mac" campaign represent the user base or the machines themselves? Did "PC" represent Windows, Microsoft, Bill Gates, or the users? Did "Mac" represent OS X, Apple, Steve Jobs, or the users?

Apple never came out and specifically said "this is who Mac and PC represent."
Click to expand...

I believe they came out and specifically said who they represent in each and every ad when the characters announced, "I'm a Mac," "…and I'm a PC."
 
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