Comments on: Apple ads: a disturbance in the force http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/ A watchful eye on technology & marketing Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:00:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: sarumbear http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4836 sarumbear Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:44:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4836  Just one question: Do you own an Apple product and had arrange for genius bar meeting about it? It seems to me that you have not.  Just one question: Do you own an Apple product and had arrange for genius bar meeting about it?

It seems to me that you have not.

]]> By: sarumbear http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4816 sarumbear Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:17:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4816 Indeed that is what I meant but not for the same reason as you. I think the ads "weren't clever as we come to expect from Apple when it communicates with us" because there is nothing clever to tell any more. Apple cannot find anything to say other than "Macs are easy to use once you know how", which is the central message of these ads. Macbooks are copied by the market (at least cosmetically) and desktop computer market has disappeared. OS X is now almost unusable by power users and media creators, who either switched to Windows or proper Linux. What else could have they said about Macs: You can use with your fingers as well like you can with an iPad for a third of the cost? We are witnessing the demise of the Mac and that is why the mighty Apple is faltering. Apple's is acting like a once proud father would when his child has lost the winning touch. But, I agree, Macs will stay with us for a while. Because of the size and efficiency of Apple, even an unsuccessful product can bring in money for them and that is the bottom line. Indeed that is what I meant but not for the same reason as you.

I think the ads “weren’t clever as we come to expect from Apple when it communicates with us” because there is nothing clever to tell any more. Apple cannot find anything to say other than “Macs are easy to use once you know how”, which is the central message of these ads.

Macbooks are copied by the market (at least cosmetically) and desktop computer market has disappeared. OS X is now almost unusable by power users and media creators, who either switched to Windows or proper Linux. What else could have they said about Macs: You can use with your fingers as well like you can with an iPad for a third of the cost?

We are witnessing the demise of the Mac and that is why the mighty Apple is faltering. Apple’s is acting like a once proud father would when his child has lost the winning touch.

But, I agree, Macs will stay with us for a while. Because of the size and efficiency of Apple, even an unsuccessful product can bring in money for them and that is the bottom line.

]]> By: ksegall http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4810 ksegall Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:01:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4810 Your last line probably meant that it isn't smart of Apple to be advertising Macs as computers. But your use of "clever" is exactly my problem with the new batch of ads. They weren't clever as we come to expect from Apple when it communicates with us. Had the ads been funny and provocative (like Mac vs. PC was), they would have positively affected those in the market for a computer, and they would also have contributed to the overall Apple brand. But alas... Your last line probably meant that it isn’t smart of Apple to be advertising Macs as computers. But your use of “clever” is exactly my problem with the new batch of ads. They weren’t clever as we come to expect from Apple when it communicates with us. Had the ads been funny and provocative (like Mac vs. PC was), they would have positively affected those in the market for a computer, and they would also have contributed to the overall Apple brand. But alas…

]]> By: sarumbear http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4809 sarumbear Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:51:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4809 Yes, they still do a ton of money from computer sales, but a huge chunk of it comes from laptop sales; mobile computer again. I think the reason why the last ads are not good is because Apple does not have anything decent to say for the Mac, as a computer. Whereas, they have loads to say for their mobile products. I still think advertising Macs as just computers is not clever. Then again, who am I to argue with you my friend. :-) Yes, they still do a ton of money from computer sales, but a huge chunk of it comes from laptop sales; mobile computer again.

I think the reason why the last ads are not good is because Apple does not have anything decent to say for the Mac, as a computer. Whereas, they have loads to say for their mobile products.

I still think advertising Macs as just computers is not clever. Then again, who am I to argue with you my friend. :-)

]]> By: ksegall http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4808 ksegall Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:56:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4808 Since Apple's resurgence, it has raised its market share in computers from a puny 1-2% to over 10%. Given the number of computers sold in this world, that represents a very big chunk of change. Computers may not be the biggest part of Apple's profits anymore, but thanks to Apple's profit margins it makes far more money in computers than the PC companies do. Last report I saw, Apple's share of the total profits generated by computer sales is greater than all the PC companies combined. HP has to sell seven PCs to equal the profit Apple makes by selling one (http://bit.ly/NnB1zM). So... the answer to your question is that Apple advertises computers because it still makes a ton of money in this market — and its sales are still growing, having outpaced PC growth for something like 24 quarters now. Sales grew especially well during the years that they ran the Mac vs. PC campaign — which demonstrates the value of running good ads vs. the ones they just ran. Since Apple’s resurgence, it has raised its market share in computers from a puny 1-2% to over 10%. Given the number of computers sold in this world, that represents a very big chunk of change. Computers may not be the biggest part of Apple’s profits anymore, but thanks to Apple’s profit margins it makes far more money in computers than the PC companies do. Last report I saw, Apple’s share of the total profits generated by computer sales is greater than all the PC companies combined. HP has to sell seven PCs to equal the profit Apple makes by selling one (http://bit.ly/NnB1zM).

So… the answer to your question is that Apple advertises computers because it still makes a ton of money in this market — and its sales are still growing, having outpaced PC growth for something like 24 quarters now. Sales grew especially well during the years that they ran the Mac vs. PC campaign — which demonstrates the value of running good ads vs. the ones they just ran.

]]> By: sarumbear http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4807 sarumbear Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:17:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4807 Compare to iOS devices' success in the market, Macs were never anything other than a niche product. Look at the graph in this article. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2153290/apples-ios-takes-double-mac-sales It took just two years for iPad to sell as many Macs were sold in 22 years! Macs are the Bang & Olufsen of the computer world. People who like it will buy it, no matter what. I don't see the point of Apple to continue to spend money on Mac ads. In the past Macs were the only product Apple had, but not any more. Mac is irrelevant now both in sales and in revenue and it is not going to get better. They lost the desktop and won huge in mobile. Why advertise the range that you are not successful? Compare to iOS devices’ success in the market, Macs were never anything other than a niche product. Look at the graph in this article. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2153290/apples-ios-takes-double-mac-sales

It took just two years for iPad to sell as many Macs were sold in 22 years!

Macs are the Bang & Olufsen of the computer world. People who like it will buy it, no matter what. I don’t see the point of Apple to continue to spend money on Mac ads. In the past Macs were the only product Apple had, but not any more. Mac is irrelevant now both in sales and in revenue and it is not going to get better.

They lost the desktop and won huge in mobile. Why advertise the range that you are not successful?

]]> By: WFA67 http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4798 WFA67 Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:26:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4798 At Apple, it seems to me that the person with the final call on advertising should also be someone who really 'gets' what's cool, not just someone who can parrot the word 'incredible' a few dozen times in a presentation. At Apple, it seems to me that the person with the final call on advertising should also be someone who really ‘gets’ what’s cool, not just someone who can parrot the word ‘incredible’ a few dozen times in a presentation.

]]> By: Jessica Darko http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4796 Jessica Darko Thu, 09 Aug 2012 06:50:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4796 The campaign is not that bad.   In fact, it isn't bad at all.  It only seems bad because Apple has such a stellar history of superlative advertising.  It is mediocre.  It will be very interesting to see what they follow it up with.  So far, we're back to iPad advertising, which is safe, and we'll have iPhone advertising after the new announcements I'm sure... probably won't get mac ads until a new campaign can be conceived.... and I suspect this time they will wait until they have something really good. The campaign is not that bad.   In fact, it isn’t bad at all.  It only seems bad because Apple has such a stellar history of superlative advertising.  It is mediocre. 

It will be very interesting to see what they follow it up with.  So far, we’re back to iPad advertising, which is safe, and we’ll have iPhone advertising after the new announcements I’m sure… probably won’t get mac ads until a new campaign can be conceived…. and I suspect this time they will wait until they have something really good.

]]> By: Jessica Darko http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4795 Jessica Darko Thu, 09 Aug 2012 06:48:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4795 Sounds like you've never met an Apple genius.   Sure they are regular employees who have been given advanced training, but they are not smug and they are not condescending. This is something you are projecting onto them, because like most apple haters you can't debate apple's better products so you attack apple users and employees.  The real question is, why would you think anyone would fall for it? Sounds like you’ve never met an Apple genius.   Sure they are regular employees who have been given advanced training, but they are not smug and they are not condescending.

This is something you are projecting onto them, because like most apple haters you can’t debate apple’s better products so you attack apple users and employees. 

The real question is, why would you think anyone would fall for it?

]]> By: Chytin http://kensegall.com/2012/08/apple-ads-a-disturbance-in-the-force/comment-page-1/#comment-4789 Chytin Wed, 08 Aug 2012 22:19:00 +0000 http://kensegall.com/?p=18757#comment-4789 That was a very interesting interview (via Mac Rumors) you did for the museum. I just bought your book on iBook store. Cannot wait to read it. That was a very interesting interview (via Mac Rumors) you did for the museum. I just bought your book on iBook store. Cannot wait to read it.

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