Blog, Marketing, Product Reviews
Yes it’s here – the apple of everyone’s eye yesterday and today, is Apple’s new iPhone 5S and 5c. And once again, Apple gets an gold star for creating strong marketing buzz and panting anticipation in the mobile device marketplace. Radio, TV, or Internet – news media outlets across the globe are all busy buzzing around Apples latest technological appendage and its new iOS7. Just when you think they’ve outdone themselves with the iPhone 4S operating system and the introduction of Siri, they one up (if not ten) themselves. So let’s look at the multifaceted dimensions of the Apple’s winning marketing strategies.
Marketing the Technology and Software: Apple refuses to be put in a pile of seconds (fruit picking term), knowing their consumer base well and leading this campaign with the technological improvements. Offering a synchronized and integrated user experience across all features, the new iOS7 takes multitasking to a whole new level! Techies and mobile junkies are going to love the new A7 64-bit chip, making the device’s CPU and graphics 2x faster than the iPhone 5. For the snappy Instagram’er, the iOS 7 is designed with multiple enhancements to take advantage of the best photo ops. They even upgraded Siri – I wonder if she sounds like Beyonce?
Marketing the Esthetics – Apple has gone above and beyond in marketing the beautiful color options, as well as, the structural elements. Almost all media outlets have spoken about the product and technology, and as well, the beautiful color options and sleek design. As soon as you log into Apple’s site, you are hit with this on-screen color explosion that causes one to pause. I did – it was just that engaging! What you also see is a link to the key-note speaker which after just a few seconds – you can tell that the company is hearing its consumer groups. Much fun also, is this video, where you get the whole life cycle of the product in a comprehensible, down-to-earth manner.
Marketing the Security: Although the Fall may be Macintosh picking season, Apple has seemingly found a solution to its own Apple picking problem and it’s WOW’ing the digital marketplace. Thievery of its iPhones, commonly referred to as “Apple Picking,” has been a big problem over the years for this mobile technology powerhouse. So Apple has implemented Touch ID, a new fingerprint authentication feature (also known as biometric coding) into the iPhone 5S, making it less appealing and almost worthless to those with sticky fingers. They get my thumbs up, knowing that a fingerprint can also approve purchases from iTunes or the App Store.
Marketing the Price Points: The bean counters have taken notice and Apple is now marketing to everyone – siding with consumers who want the product but are limited economically. Who can beat the 4-inch Retina display, 8-megapixel rear camera (front facing too) and A6 processor with 16GB for only $99? This is smart marketing for all those on limited budgets and feeling the economic pinch. As for those who want Gold Member status, you’ll love the sleek gold tone version that’s just a month’s worth of Starbucks runs. Apple has done a great job marketing both mobile phone options simultaneously, to widen the net for capturing potential and faithful consumers with a strong economical hook. Thanks Apple for advancing mobile technology once gain and giving us better technology for less.
Marketing to the Following: By offering 2 options, Apple captures not only its faithful following who could care less about the price, but also those who haven’t bitten the iPhone apple just yet. Despite the global recession, historically Apple has made no apologies for their high-end products. However, offering a cheaper alternative, one could surmise that the time and sales reports may be reflecting an undeniable truth. Build it better, offer it cheaper and more will come. Kudos to them for acknowledging this and casting a wider net beyond just their faithful following to the soon-to-be’s.
So, as you can see, Apple is strongly considering its consumer’s input and is addressing those needs esthetically and technologically. It’s obvious that they have the fingers on the pulse of their marketplace and following. They continue to be pioneers and leaders, again setting a gold standard in strong, strategic planning and successful implementation.
2012 Olympics, All Posts, Branding, Content & Copywriting, Marketing, Web Design
Google and Yahoo have always been on different paths in the quest for being king of the hill among search engines. But as I went to each site looking for Olympic updates & information, I noticed a glaringly obvious difference between the Gold & the Bronze when it came to their homepage content strategy for the 2012 London Games. As the two giants regularly tussle for domination of their sectors, is the competition fierce for the web visitors and advertising dollars during the games? As it’s been pointed out on several occasions, Yahoo has (or “is” based on opinion) a big branded advertising business and isn’t shy about it. Google is all search – you get no advertising on its homepage whatsoever. One could say that Yahoo’s homepage creates a schizophrenic type atmosphere and Google chooses to reflect why people go to any search engine at all – to simply search. Each has a diametrical perspective; which may or may not be shared by minimalistic loving web surfers or those who want to know everything every moment of every day.
Now it may just simply be “tomato v. tomahto” – all up to the users choice of flavor. Let’s see where these two rivals stand on the content podium for the 2012 Olympic Games looking at just this one, but VERY TELLING facet – the homepage. For this year’s Olympics, you can almost see the tumbleweed across Google’s homepage with nothing more than a clip-artish image above its unapologetic, simplistic search box. Whereas Yahoo completely capitalizes on the opportunity to lavish (and possibly overwhelm) you with up-to-the-minute stats on what sport is broadcasting, which country is leading in medals, and all note & news-worthy headlines from every vantage point of this historical event. 
Could it be that the choice of a clip-artish image was a passive-aggressive “thumbing of the nose” at Yahoo’s voracious need for your attention? If so, Google gets benched on the therapy couch for this one…lol. But before they end up neck and neck for your search engine loyalty, what finds them at the same starting line is the intent of the user. If one chooses to be in the know, then Yahoo wins hands-down because it is in part what they do best. Yahoo hand-holds you every day, all day- showing you what’s hot (and not) and postings about every media event worldwide. They actually look to be a strategic partner with both their advertisers and users alike. So you are ALWAYS in the loop, whether you want to be or not when just searching for let’s say a great vinaigrette recipe.
Die-hard Google fans will say that their fearless leader displays a search engine decorum truly lacking in their competitor and that if people want news, the can get news BUT only when they ask for news. They provide a discriminating à la carte rather than a force feeding approach. At the end of the day, Yahoo hands down is a true entertainment portal capable of satisfying various entertainment and leisure users. For better or for worst, Google isn’t trying to be an entertainment portal, so it doesn’t even come close to competing with Yahoo in this regard.
So as far as the 2012 Search Engine Homepage Olympics are concerned, Yahoo’s neck is a little more laden than its competitor. Now I know that Goolge lovers might say that “everything that glitters isn’t gold”…Well I guess you’re not Yahoo then are you? LOL.
All Posts, Branding, Content & Copywriting, Marketing, Social Media, Web Design
We know that Content is King…yes, yes, yes – we’ve heard that over & over again. But let’s talk about the content strategies being implemented by brands and media leveraging this great sporting event taking place right now. I’m confident it was a full on sprinting event for various brands & powerhouse marketing firms to get their client products or just their in-house writing talent to be considered for this years’ event. Whether submitting product designs or being a head content writer for the television promos or print campaigns, all were gunning for the gold.
Leading the pack of those trailing close behind, Coca-Cola (Coke) has certainly won the coveted spot. I have read that Coke created more than 120 pieces of content for this years’ Olympic Event. But the company’s most brilliant move was capturing Mark Ronson, an English DJ, Grammy award-winning producer, musician and co-founder of Allido Records, to blow away the competition with its “Move to the Beat” campaign for the London 2012 Olympic Games. http://bit.ly/QZoW7L Using the video platform of YouTube, Coca-Cola created an entire series of videos to extend the value of their brand for the Olympics and reach customers in an interactive way. While some companies may still be hesitant to embrace video due to budget or ROI concerns, the forward-thinking marketers of Coca-Cola are diving headfirst.
This campaign has broken the ribbon with their concept of recording the sounds of Olympic sports events and transforming them into music. http://bit.ly/NQMDvF The motivation behind Move to the Beat is to bring teens closer to the Olympic Games while drawing inspiration from London’s musical heritage and connecting the two in a very tangible way. http://bit.ly/MOzd68. Doing so resulted in a cool, interactive corporate sister-website solely dedicated to this Olympic campaign at http://bit.ly/QLBOKf.
Knowing that Social Media would play a key component in their ability to gain worldwide access & participation, they coupled with Facebook on this venture allowing the brand to blast worldwide and engage the masses to create their own music beat! http://on.fb.me/OxDuau
Wow, talk about leveraging Social Media elements with written & video content! I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that team meeting! Just when you realize the enormity of this project & campaign, scrolling through the website you realize that this concept allows all of us NOT IN LONDON to engage outside the normal screaming from the couch or bar stool at the TV, to tap our fingers, dance while cooking or wield our musical talents (novice or expert) TO BE A PART of this historical event. That’s right YOU can create your own beats and let the whole world know you are part of the London 2012 Olympics. Sweet right?
So kudos to the marketeers and content creators at Coca-Cola for taking content creation to another interactive level. And based on the numbers of those Moving to the Beat on this venture, I’d say it’s proven that this campaign was destined for the podium and the #1 spot at that!
