Is the Apple Marketing Strategy for iPhone TV Ads Effective?
Emotion is the key to persuasion. Is that a secret? Probably not. But it seems like a hidden truth. Or camouflaged. Certainly, Leo Burnett understands what is needed, though. Certainly something we should learn how to apply well. The Apple marketing strategy certainly has.
The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships.
– Leo Burnett
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Apple does what it does so well that there are whole websites out there devoted to nothing but Apple products and Apple marketing. Even high-end journalistic publications like The Atlantic write endlessly about the company, dissecting what it does and how it does it.
I have to admit. I am a big fan of Apple. We have done several analyses of Samsung’s smartphone products.
So it is time to evaluate an Apple ad and marketing strategy. A great competition going on here with two of the world’s heavyweights. Are they great products? Yep, no doubt. Both are even better advertising campaigns.
Have you seen the recent Apple iPhone5 TV ad?
If not, you should invest 1 minute now and check it out. It will prove beneficial in reviewing our ad analysis.
Let’s examine this commercial and what contributes to its strengths and weaknesses. And its ability to influence or persuade.
Marketing or advertising, you need to create information that your customers find interesting and worth talking about and remembering. At the end of this article, please comment on whether this advertisement achieves this goal. Let this community know what you think.
Let’s evaluate whether we believe this is such an effective advertising campaign and why:
Apple marketing strategy … define your positioning
Your frame of reference. Make comparisons to your competitors if you can. Apple certainly knows who its major competitor is … and it is subtly taking on Galaxy in this campaign and this ad. A good move we believe, as there is nothing to be gained by hammering such a great competitor too directly or too hard.
If you have a product that truly discriminates you from your competition, build your messages on these. Give your customers reasons to select you. New features to this phone … technology is moving at warp speed, isn’t it?
But not so many compared to Galaxy products. So don’t push. A simple conclusion about a number of customers will suffice. It is here that they are very subtly taking on Galaxy without saying it. Good strategy.
You can also implement this winning Apple strategy by creating more case studies. Nielsen research on consumer trust in marketing shows that 92% of consumers trust recommendations they get from friends and family, while 70% of shoppers trust opinions from other consumers that are published online, such as reviews.
Be relevant to your target market
Keep in mind that one message does not fit all. It starts with knowing your target market. Here the target markets are families and young people and they are featured prominently in all of the ads. Most of the messages, and there are many good ones, are written for the family members and sharing.
Interesting information, well presented, showing emotion, always holds attention, yes? Keep in mind that people don’t watch ads … they watch what interests them. Your ad messages must be interesting to your target communities.
This message certainly grabs and holds attention based on emotion, superb visuals, and a great soundtrack. Letting the visuals totally carry the messages.
Simple messages
Superb visuals and visuals so simple that you quickly grasp them and don’t lose interest. Keep in mind that pictures are far more valuable than words. And the music has a way to keep you tied in. Creating customer interest does get any simpler than this, does it? A very simple, yet entertaining design, don’t you think? And the real message at the end that is very soft not selling.
Make your ad a component
Always make your ad part of an integrated marketing campaign. There are a series of similar ads in this campaign … all geared to address the iPhone5 value to target customers. All follow the same theme … simply shine a light on the value of the product. Great visuals. Entertaining music. Little talking. Definitely no selling. Taking a page from the Galaxy marketing strategy.
Apple Marketing Strategy … consider the end state values
Customers and particularly the target customers are looking for new technology features. No reason to buy without these and the marketing strategy certainly is addressing this end state in our opinion. The most important value points.
Influence and persuasion
There is no better means of influence or persuasion than emotion. Hands down the best, in our opinion. This commercial focuses on emotional appeal in grand fashion. It is the secret of this commercial’s success.
The bottom line
Remember, it is not what advertising does with the consumer; it is what the consumer does after viewing the advertisement.
We believe the Apple marketing strategy is a winner. Simple, yet interesting. Not selling. What do you think?
Does this commercial persuade you?
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Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
