One of the largest technology companies on this planet is Apple.
They are the creators of many of the products we use in our everyday
lives such as the iPod and the iPhone. Whenever Apple releases a new
product, they have a lot of market hype. Every technology blog has to
report on Apple's latest product. They were the ones who made having a
lowercase "i" infront of a product name cool. On top of this, I notice a
large traffic increase whenever a new Apple product has been released.
Apple's Macs are far from the worlds most popular computers, this title
goes to Dell. But for some reason, every time a new Apple product is
released there is more hype surrounding it than any other product.
People wait in nerve wracking anticipation when Steve Jobs hosts another keynote and journalists from around the world wait to be one of the first to hear about Apple's latest product. Whenever Apple does release a new product, you want to buy it. often it has its limitations but you still want to buy it. It just looks so cool. You merely have to a take a trip to your local Apple store to experience this feeling. But what is the reason for people's fascination with Apple, so much so that no matter what product Apple releases, you can guarantee a line will stretch for miles and it will be sold out in every store within a couple of days.
Take a look at the iPhone 4. It has had a few issues such as introducing video calling which is so limited that it is almost useless, and the dreaded antenna problems. By the time these issues had been found, many people in the US had already bought them and were upset over the antenna issue. You would think that on its worldwide release, the new iPhone's sales will suffer incredibly. This was not the case though, just take a look at the headline on The Sydney Morning Herald on the day of release:
"iPhone 4 Sold Out Around the Country"
"A Stronger than Expected Reception for iPhone 4"
As you can see, the antenna problems bothered no one. The phone was still selling like hotcakes. Apple's fan base is so dedicated that they are willing to accept Apple's band-aid solution in order to get their hand on the next big thing. Then, we look at the iPad. So many other companies have tried and failed in releasing their own version of the tablet. Often, more powerful but less user friendly than the iPad. Apple on the other hand managed to create a whole new segment of the market and convince people to buy a device they previously didn't need. Instead of telling people to replace their laptop, they should use the iPad to complement their laptop. On top of this, they managed to get above their expected sales and have basically made the tablet the next must have device. Something which other companies have been trying to do since the year 2000. They managed to bust the myth that e-readers must have an e-ink screen in order to compete. Despite the critics of the product, it sold more than anyone expected.
So what gives Apple this degree of control over their consumers? How can they convince someone to buy a product they don't really need and get them to buy something which has a lot less features than a cheaper alternative?
Well, there is no simple answer to this but I am going to give it a go. Apple's dominance of the market started with the release of the iPod in 2001. They had changed the market completely with a simple, easy to use media player providing a better alternative than most players out there in that day and age.
Then they released a second generation model and expanded the line to fit new market segments. This made it the most popular mp3 player in the world and as you moved on to newer generations, more followed the iPod trend because of its coolness. Everyone had to have one and through this, people feel the need to upgrade to newer models and become first time owners of the iPod. From this, Apple got their loyal fan base with people always wanting a new model of iPod coming out much like people anticipate the release of a new operating system.
Once someone has an iPod, they are likely to stick with the iPod and when a new model comes out, rather than consider an alternative, they will buy another iPod. Then, with the release of the iPhone, they combined the phone with the iPod and a completely revolutionary interface. People had been dreaming of having an iPod like interface on their phone, something which was easy to sue and brought the iPod to popularity in the first place. This is probably what boosted the sales of the iPhone in the first place. Then as each subsequent version came out, people felt the need to upgrade. This consumerism is what led to Apple developing a following behind the iPhone.
Apple's Mac was selling nowhere near as much as the iPod and so Apple took this opportunity, with a large following behind Apple and many people with iTunes on their computers, to convince people to go the whole hog and convert to a Mac. They reinvented it and made it support Windows. This left no excuse for anyone not to switch to Mac. As its popularity grew, they made it cool to own one. So through the aesthetics of the product, Apple has managed to win fans of its products. They get people to associate the Apple logo with quality devices and something which will make you look cool to be seen with. Through this brand recognition, they have made the younger generation look at Macs differently.
They want to buy one to show their friends. How many times have seen someone with an iPhone and asked them if you can play around with it? Or when you go to the shops, how many times have you rushed to have a go on the iPad? This is how Apple's marketing technique works. They have no need to advertise on TV, it is all done through the logo and Apple stores. They have made their product appeal to the younger generation and the older people who want to feel younger. When Apple introduces their own product, it will be even more popular because people just look at it and buy it because of the Apple logo.
Other companies have not built up the same reputation for their brand. They have not put in the time and effort into making their product look good and still have excellent build quality. This makes Apple the only company which has done this, making them unique and this is why people are so fascinated by Apple and their products.
People wait in nerve wracking anticipation when Steve Jobs hosts another keynote and journalists from around the world wait to be one of the first to hear about Apple's latest product. Whenever Apple does release a new product, you want to buy it. often it has its limitations but you still want to buy it. It just looks so cool. You merely have to a take a trip to your local Apple store to experience this feeling. But what is the reason for people's fascination with Apple, so much so that no matter what product Apple releases, you can guarantee a line will stretch for miles and it will be sold out in every store within a couple of days.
Take a look at the iPhone 4. It has had a few issues such as introducing video calling which is so limited that it is almost useless, and the dreaded antenna problems. By the time these issues had been found, many people in the US had already bought them and were upset over the antenna issue. You would think that on its worldwide release, the new iPhone's sales will suffer incredibly. This was not the case though, just take a look at the headline on The Sydney Morning Herald on the day of release:
"iPhone 4 Sold Out Around the Country"
"A Stronger than Expected Reception for iPhone 4"
As you can see, the antenna problems bothered no one. The phone was still selling like hotcakes. Apple's fan base is so dedicated that they are willing to accept Apple's band-aid solution in order to get their hand on the next big thing. Then, we look at the iPad. So many other companies have tried and failed in releasing their own version of the tablet. Often, more powerful but less user friendly than the iPad. Apple on the other hand managed to create a whole new segment of the market and convince people to buy a device they previously didn't need. Instead of telling people to replace their laptop, they should use the iPad to complement their laptop. On top of this, they managed to get above their expected sales and have basically made the tablet the next must have device. Something which other companies have been trying to do since the year 2000. They managed to bust the myth that e-readers must have an e-ink screen in order to compete. Despite the critics of the product, it sold more than anyone expected.
So what gives Apple this degree of control over their consumers? How can they convince someone to buy a product they don't really need and get them to buy something which has a lot less features than a cheaper alternative?
Well, there is no simple answer to this but I am going to give it a go. Apple's dominance of the market started with the release of the iPod in 2001. They had changed the market completely with a simple, easy to use media player providing a better alternative than most players out there in that day and age.
Then they released a second generation model and expanded the line to fit new market segments. This made it the most popular mp3 player in the world and as you moved on to newer generations, more followed the iPod trend because of its coolness. Everyone had to have one and through this, people feel the need to upgrade to newer models and become first time owners of the iPod. From this, Apple got their loyal fan base with people always wanting a new model of iPod coming out much like people anticipate the release of a new operating system.
Once someone has an iPod, they are likely to stick with the iPod and when a new model comes out, rather than consider an alternative, they will buy another iPod. Then, with the release of the iPhone, they combined the phone with the iPod and a completely revolutionary interface. People had been dreaming of having an iPod like interface on their phone, something which was easy to sue and brought the iPod to popularity in the first place. This is probably what boosted the sales of the iPhone in the first place. Then as each subsequent version came out, people felt the need to upgrade. This consumerism is what led to Apple developing a following behind the iPhone.
Apple's Mac was selling nowhere near as much as the iPod and so Apple took this opportunity, with a large following behind Apple and many people with iTunes on their computers, to convince people to go the whole hog and convert to a Mac. They reinvented it and made it support Windows. This left no excuse for anyone not to switch to Mac. As its popularity grew, they made it cool to own one. So through the aesthetics of the product, Apple has managed to win fans of its products. They get people to associate the Apple logo with quality devices and something which will make you look cool to be seen with. Through this brand recognition, they have made the younger generation look at Macs differently.
They want to buy one to show their friends. How many times have seen someone with an iPhone and asked them if you can play around with it? Or when you go to the shops, how many times have you rushed to have a go on the iPad? This is how Apple's marketing technique works. They have no need to advertise on TV, it is all done through the logo and Apple stores. They have made their product appeal to the younger generation and the older people who want to feel younger. When Apple introduces their own product, it will be even more popular because people just look at it and buy it because of the Apple logo.
Other companies have not built up the same reputation for their brand. They have not put in the time and effort into making their product look good and still have excellent build quality. This makes Apple the only company which has done this, making them unique and this is why people are so fascinated by Apple and their products.
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