Who Competes with Apple?
I gotta say this first: I am so not a Mac-head. Have you seen those new Apple ads on TV? If you haven't, I guess you don't watch TV. And I can respect that. But this particular ad campaign makes me wonder who Apple is competing against.
In summary, Apple's ads use a conversation between two characters. One is a stuffy old executive, and he's the PC. The other person is a fresh-faced, "designer-looking" guy. And they banter about who's better, and of course the Mac appears to be far superior. The thing is, the criteria given are fallacies. Even though they're done with a wink and a nod, they're still untrue. I realise that this sounds like sour grapes, but it's a fascinating and frustrating issue for a communications guy. And it's an interesting battle to start -- if any PC company has any marketing brains, this is a battle. The timing is interesting, too. Can I have your permission to briefly examine why?
Apple is the one company left that makes both the hardware and the software. So now they've made this offensive, and the battle they'll be fighting will be one against competitors on all fronts. (One front might be virus coders as part of Apple's claim is that they are immune to them. If I wrote virusses, and liked making headlines, there'd be no better time than now to focus on the Mac.) This campaign may well stoke the fires of competition within the whole computer industry. From all the high-volume PC manufacturers, to the software makers. And interesting timing, because on one hand Microsoft in on the verge of releasing the next Windows version, and on the other Apple has just made their operating system the most Windows-compatible it's ever been. This whole new campaign smells like fear and concession from where I am.
And it forcefully reminds me why I hate Macs: they trade on non-existent mystique. Unquestionably, Apple designers put more flair in their products. How they appear and work physically is more intricate and stylish than any other computer maker. But can design alone sell anything? Well, yes it can -- to designers. To anyone else, the cost of infusing the computer with desirous cool isn't worth the bottom line. They are just computers after all. And, as a creative type myself, I'm more interested in making cool things than looking cool. Sorry, Apple.
The truth is that Macs are no better, and they cost more. The extras are nice when they add. But do they add enough to justify the extra expense? Ummm, nope. I kinda think that this campaign's only strength will be mobilise the Mac-evangelists to upgrade just one more time...
In summary, Apple's ads use a conversation between two characters. One is a stuffy old executive, and he's the PC. The other person is a fresh-faced, "designer-looking" guy. And they banter about who's better, and of course the Mac appears to be far superior. The thing is, the criteria given are fallacies. Even though they're done with a wink and a nod, they're still untrue. I realise that this sounds like sour grapes, but it's a fascinating and frustrating issue for a communications guy. And it's an interesting battle to start -- if any PC company has any marketing brains, this is a battle. The timing is interesting, too. Can I have your permission to briefly examine why?
Apple is the one company left that makes both the hardware and the software. So now they've made this offensive, and the battle they'll be fighting will be one against competitors on all fronts. (One front might be virus coders as part of Apple's claim is that they are immune to them. If I wrote virusses, and liked making headlines, there'd be no better time than now to focus on the Mac.) This campaign may well stoke the fires of competition within the whole computer industry. From all the high-volume PC manufacturers, to the software makers. And interesting timing, because on one hand Microsoft in on the verge of releasing the next Windows version, and on the other Apple has just made their operating system the most Windows-compatible it's ever been. This whole new campaign smells like fear and concession from where I am.
And it forcefully reminds me why I hate Macs: they trade on non-existent mystique. Unquestionably, Apple designers put more flair in their products. How they appear and work physically is more intricate and stylish than any other computer maker. But can design alone sell anything? Well, yes it can -- to designers. To anyone else, the cost of infusing the computer with desirous cool isn't worth the bottom line. They are just computers after all. And, as a creative type myself, I'm more interested in making cool things than looking cool. Sorry, Apple.
The truth is that Macs are no better, and they cost more. The extras are nice when they add. But do they add enough to justify the extra expense? Ummm, nope. I kinda think that this campaign's only strength will be mobilise the Mac-evangelists to upgrade just one more time...
Labels: opinion
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