Apple's biggest problem

[Blue Velvet]

Looking good...

OK-would you agree that there must be some way to get the functionality aspect across and still make it look sexy? I agree with you about the elitist approach. Not good. People don't like to feel they're being demeaned.

Functionality is a means to an end... iLife is a highly photogenic starting point and inspirational too. Liberating...

The iPod ads are so memorable because they're simple. They don't show the equipment, the buttons, the downloading... they show funky people having fun.

You have to strip a product to its essentials. iPods are about music... your music. On something that looks fab. It's not about file formats or the geeky details...

Do you remember the original 1999 G3 iMac ads? Just music, simple, effective...

Mind you, I'm really talking about the Minis, iMacs etc. If you're selling G5s & Powerbooks you'd have to adopt a different approach, something more restrained...

Here's some Apple TV campaigns from the past...

Enjoy

 

[ChrisH3677]

Yes, the biggest misconception is speed.

Like the guy at work said to me, "What is a 1.25Ghz G4 equal to in Intel".

Not knowing this makes people uncomfortable when buying.

 

[leekohler]

Functionality is a means to an end... iLife is a highly photogenic starting point and inspirational too. Liberating...

The iPod ads are so memorable because they're simple. They don't show the equipment, the buttons, the downloading... they show funky people having fun.

You have to strip a product to its essentials. iPods are about music... your music. On something that looks fab. It's not about file formats or the geeky details...

Do you remember the original 1999 G3 iMac ads? Just music, simple, effective...

Mind you, I'm really talking about the Minis, iMacs etc. If you're selling G5s & Powerbooks you'd have to adopt a different approach, something more restrained...

Here's some Apple TV campaigns from the past...

Enjoy

OK, maybe I get you-so maybe you show someone taking a snapshot with a digital camera and uploading it to an iMac or Mini, in a very fun, loose, free manner without addressing the geeky stuff. Just doing it-Boom! The photo is on screen. What do you think?

 

[Blue Velvet]

OK, maybe I get you-so maybe you show someone taking a snapshot with a digital camera and uploading it to an iMac or Mini, in a very fun, loose, free manner without addressing the geeky stuff. Just doing it-Boom! The photo is on screen. What do you think?

Exactly. Good TV advertising is about winning hearts, not minds.

 

[leekohler]

Exactly. Good TV advertising is about winning hearts, not minds.

Well, there you go. I got my functionality in there.

 

[rkphoto]

Stick it in front of a camera and it looks like a box albeit a pretty one...

The austere cool BMW approach wouldn't work, it's too elitest and aspirational...

Look how Honda have approached their car advertisements. Make it warm, fun, human, personal... interesting.

All you need to look to are the Apple ads of the late 90's. In 1998- 2000 there were no better ads than the ones Apple produced for the first several revisions of the iMac and the early iBooks. You don't need U2, the computers were the rock stars. They looked cool and most importantly they looked like something you had to have (like the iPod today). They just need to diversify their advertising to include the rest of the product line because their design has only gotten better, their software has only gotten better, and their compatability with PC's has only gotten better. They should be scooping up marketshare left and right.

The simpler, the better.

 

[Platform]

There is always some level of ignorance may it be Windows, Linux, Irix, Mac OS, etc....

A certain level of TV ads, Yes. Its called iPod commercials.

Telling people that Mac OS X, is better via a TV ad will only bring up the elitist argument and $$$.

But now apple has the mini, so they can't really use the $$$ argument that much anymore

 

[absolut_mac]

I think that the 'Think Different' campaign was one of the most obscure, wilfully elitest campaigns I have ever seen. What exactly was that supposed to tell the average consumer?

It was supposed to tell everybody just that, Think Different!

Unfortunately, I think that they forgot about the other half of the campaign - why one should *think different*.

Oh well, maybe next time Apple will get it right

 

[rkphoto]

Having just been thinking about Apple's current (lack of) advertising while reading this thread, I came across this old campaign that Apple did with Matt Groening (of "Simpsons" fame) in 1989. Thought some of you might think it was interesting given our recent discussion.

http://homepage.mac.com/mbishop/PhotoAlbum30.html

Sadly this ad was aimed squarely at me as I was a Junior in College the year it came out (it's making me feel pretty old).

Enjoy!
rk

 

[jaromski]

I agree. Here's their ad.....

Open with iPod silhouette dancer and some loud music that comes to a screeching halt. Live person says, OK, everyone has and loves their iPod. have you checked out the other cool things Apple makes?

Take it from there.

I think you are onto something. I have a modified idea of your ipod ad.

Starts out, iPod silhouette dancer like normal, loud music, then it stops and it shows a Windows BSOD. The iPod dancer gets all pissed off and storms out to get a Mac Mini....

Or something along those lines. Showing how much easier, cleaner, and better the Mac Mini syncs into the iPod than the Windows crap.

-jaromski

 

[xsedrinam]

Exactly. Good TV advertising is about winning hearts, not minds.

Somehow though, "Love Different" just doesn't quite say it
X

 

[puckhead193]

I agree, they need to advertize the "power" of tiger so that people will learn how advanced it is. They should bring back the famous superbowl ad from the 80's and instead of end with the release of the Macintosh, it should be the release of tiger....

 

[ClarkeB]

I think for Tiger they should refer to it as OS 10 Tiger so you don't get some dumb "I-Pod" user going into a computer store saying something like "Hey, I need a computer that runs the new OS X...or is it XP...I dunno...XP I think" and then they get home with the fisher price of OSs.

 

[Fredstar]

I think one of the best adverts Apple ever did, the only one i have seen on tv here in the UK (bar the ipod ads), was the imac ad in the shop window. I was about 14 at the time and it really made me think 'wow' what a computer, if i had the cash i would have bought it. They don't need a crammed ad with all Tiger's features, they should just somehow have a connected ipod style to a Mac ad with the imac as their centre piece, simplicity is the key. They need it to show that Apple make ipods, which are wikid, and make the most gorgeous computers.
Apple can't just rely on retail unless they start to bring out loads of retail stores across the world, i am talking thousands not the hundreds they have atm. People need to be educated that Macintosh's do exist and then drop by a local (emphasis on local) store and take a look and test drive it. Here in the UK the Regent Street store has had a HUGE effect on the London population and has informed a lot of pc users and switched many, one only has to go to the store and see just how busy it is, and that is every day of the week.
This is great, the loyalty of the mac users is great, the ipod 'halo-effect' is great, Tiger will be the most advanced Os by far...all we need now is some tv advertising to inform peeps.

 

[mikebatho]

MAC DELIVERY.

I was told my custon built G5 would take up to 6 weeks to arrive at the Apple Centre Manchester, as I ordered it just after Christmas, when the assembly factories were only getting ready to open after the holidays.

It arrived in just 5 days, and when I went to collect it, I was waiting around for my ride home with it, and they made me a cup of tea.

I know some people have had a less than speedy delivery process, but I couldn't fault the service up here in Manchester.

 

[corywoolf]

same damn thread every week!

This thread is almost created every week. Bottom line:

Apple has probably already considered drastic changes to the marketing. But "if it aint broke, don't fix it."

Apple will probably have a week or two of a Tiger commercial airing displaying the computer line up and a short screen shot of dashboard on say a new powermac G5. Actually it will probably be kept more simple and just show a tiger running and then zoom out of a cinema display and show a siloutte (if i could spell) of person using the computer.