Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
hi everyone!
i need your help. i am currently doing research for my media studies on the ipod, and i need your views! the research question i have got is: Are the techniques that apple use sufficient enough to attract consumers to their products, in this senario, the iPod?'
my answer to this is yes, Apple have delivered a promotional campaign over the years that has generated a large quanity of sales of the ipod.
what do you guys think? your views would be greatly appreciated!
thanks
[519 byte] By [
Johnson121] at [2007-11-11 14:09:08]
# 1 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
Personally, I think that the Apple media campaigns have played only a minor part in the iPod's success. If you search through the analyses that are currently available online, the prevailing sentiments are...
1. Apple's iTunes Store was done so well that folks wanted iPods just to use it.
2. Hands on buzz. If you saw a friend's iPod, you wanted one of your own.
3. Media coverage. The press has covered Apple favorably.
Aceon6 at 2007-11-15 17:56:48 >
# 2 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
I didn't buy an iPod because Apple has cool commercials. I bought one because it works well, is easy to use, and has very few problems. Sure advertising has something to do with it, but it's by no means the full picture.
# 3 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
Clearly by the percentage of customers attracted to the iPod, the answer would be yes, but its not just the advertising that brought customers. The iPod had the distinction of being both very easy to use and very attractive - competing players were missing one or both of these. Its ease of use allowed it to attract a user base that was not extremely computer literate. Its attractiveness combined with cool marketing made it a "hip" piece of gear to wear (and be seen wearing). At that point peer marketing became more significant than the black-on-neon ads (which were starting to get old).
From a purely marketing standpoint, it really is amazing how 'viral' the marketing became. As Aceon6 mentioned, the press even does a lot of the 'marketing' by routinely giving Apple a positive spin. I disagree with him that the advertising wasn't a major factor...the iPod was just a nice little player before that ad campaign, but after the campaign it became "hip".
bdb at 2007-11-15 17:58:58 >
# 4 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
The advertising is definitely a major factor, but as I've said elsewhere, the iPod retains it's "coolness" factor because it is a device that is intuitive and easy to use.
Word of mouth counts for a lot, and a device that wasn't easy to use wouldn't get used as much, people wouldn't carry them around, be seen with them, nor recommend them to others. In short, if the iPod didn't work well, it would very quickly lose it's "cool" factor.
# 5 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
BDB, man.
Though it may not have filtered out to you Windoze weenies, the iPod was 'hip' and cool from the day it was released....
:P
# 6 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
Apple have delivered a promotional campaign over the years that has generated a large quanity of sales of the ipod.
Agree with jhollington, am sure u can find examples of good promo buzz, then the things frizzled out.
It would be more interesting on studies of why some promos just bomb (learn more by mistakes). i.e. Albercombie's shirts, circa early 2000.
# 7 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
Advertising=maintenance. The iPod was cool in the beginning, but now that the are so common apple wants to ensure that it stays in the current mindset of pop culture instead of being the "old reliable" standard. Believe me, Apple wouldn't be spending millions if they knew they didn't need to. Those ads generate sales.
JMG at 2007-11-15 18:02:53 >
# 8 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
Indeed, without regular advertising Apple would slowly let others take over the iPod's position in pop culture. But as to the specific question "Are the techniques that apple use sufficient enough to attract consumers to their products, in this senario, the iPod?" I would say they've done a very good job of it but it's not solely responsible for the iPod's explosive success in recent years. Some key points:
- Having Mr. Jobs come out with periodic Apple/ iPod announcements builds drama (and hype). Clearly this is a very successful tactic to get attention in the media, etc.
- Like 'em or hate 'em, Apple's commercials have inundated us with the iPod as a way to enjoy music, which is a very personal connection. I think their commercials successfully link music, technology, and "personal space" ... something that no other DAP manufacturer (until the Zune) seemed to be able to address.
- How often do you see iPods in the background on a TV show or movie? Not all that often, but I can only see this exposure growing in the future (not that I want to see that though!) In the popular media I mostly see the Apple logo on laptops, probably 10:1 over any other computer manufacturer. Having a DAP referenced or viewed in a show or movie is a natural extension to that ... and only a matter of time before the iPod finds more "face time" on the small and large screen in a subtle (or not so subtle) way.
# 9 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
they just put music - >dance-> and ipod in your head all the time...!
# 10 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
- Having Mr. Jobs come out with periodic Apple/ iPod announcements builds drama (and hype). Clearly this is a very successful tactic to get attention in the media, etc.It only is what it is because of the hype machine that exists outside of Apple.
bdb at 2007-11-15 18:06:04 >
# 11 Re: Your views on the iPod- help me for my research for my exam
whilst Apple do control their advertising strategy to target specific markets to drive sales, i think that as well as the coolness factor, Apple do try to emphasise the ease of use in their promotional material, which appeals to a very different crowd to the young & hip, or savvy technophobes ie the fact that other people have bought Bush, the Queen and the Pope iPods is the kind of marketing that you cannot buy. Older generations can associate to those 'role models' and they have quite a considerable spending power.
Is this something Apple purposely aimed for - doubtful. But I'm sure they are more than happy to be perceived as almost 'universally' appealing across all age groups - chances are that even 'the gramps' have heard of an iPod even if they don't know who Apple is.
just my tuppence worth :)
