Twas the Night Before iPad
Apple iPad
On the eve of iPad, the buzz is everywhere. Once again, Apple has managed to make themselves the topic of discussion. Every newspaper, magazine, blog, and website seems to have some sort of opinion on the iPad.
This week’s episode of Modern Family (a very funny show) even featured a major story line that included the iPad. Not just a mention, but a major, intrinsic part of the story. The iPad got some of the best product placement ever known to television.
Sure, it’s a great display of awesome or “insanely great” technology, but it’s much more than that. It’s a demonstration of how well Apple can connect with their target audience. This is a brilliant marketing story unfolding in real time.
Apple is one of those rare companies that creates a culture that they feed with well-timed and well-conceived products. They know their audience, which happens to include the media. And they play to them.
Many books have been written about Steve Jobs, the marketing of the Macintosh, the iPhone, and soon the iPad. But these are real-time chronicles. What will be interesting is the hindsight perspective that we have 10, 15, 20 years from now. It’s a brilliant marketing case study that will help us understand why we were mesmerized and powerless to the siren call of Apple’s product line.
Sure, other companies are out there trying to steal the spotlight from Apple. But people aren’t that stupid. Apple has positioned itself as a trustworthy company that people just…well…like. It’s like a wedding, and the guests adore the beautiful bride. Even if she happens to be a tablet computer.
In the meantime, I look forward to reading the breathless first reviews from people who stand in line all night to get the first iPads. It’s all good cheery fun that dovetails with the improving economy and the coming of Spring.
And, at least for a little while, it’s nice to be part of the Apple geek club.
LINKS: Not necessarily endorsements:
- Product and marketing lessons from Apple
- What 1984 Macintosh marketing reveals about iPad
- Steve Jobs: Lessons from a Marketing Genius
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