i want an iPhone
Friday, June 29, 2007
But not as bad as some, apparently. In NYC, people were lining up as early as Monday morning for the Friday debut of the iPhone in stores. I understand the anticipation, the excitement, and the sheer want of having a new gadget, but it makes me wonder: How can someone sit outside on a New York City street for 5 whole days? Never mind that this week, there were thunderstorms coupled with hot and unbearably humid weather. I hope the iPhone meets these people’s expectations. The propensity of it not meeting expectations, of course, is unlikely. Read any review on the phone, and you will find yourself in the mind of a child in a candy story. CNET reviewers, New York Times’ David Pogue, and Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg all hail the phone to be the greatest thing since sliced bread – or maybe the iPod – while glossing over some of the limitations AT&T, its sole service provider, creates. The utter mania the iPhone has generated reminds me of a time before anything “i”. It all began with iMacs, which came onto the scene when computers were purely functional and void of any artistic characteristics. Its cuteness led us to look at our desktops as decoration or “computer couture”, as my fiancé, the IT guy, calls it. Then came the iPod, which completely revolutionized the way we experience music and so reason would suggest that the iPhone possesses huge potential. The success of Apple’s technologies is of course two fold. It was not only due to great design, but also to fantastic marketing. The build-up for the products is managed just right, the news touches upon all the desired messages and the advertising is right on point. I couldn’t have imagined the iPod experience better than it is portrayed in its ads and the Mac vs. PC commercials created the personalities we will forever attribute to the brands. But while Apple is the frontrunner, articles on the wireless industry reveal a grim reality. Take Marty Graham’s article in Wired. In it, Marty talks to seemingly clueless wireless service providers about their thoughts on the needs and wants of their customers. Brian Finnerty, Director of Device Development for Sprint Nextel, said: "What do customers want? We have no idea. As an industry, we're like robots -- we go toward the light and we pile up on it." What a sad state of affairs. Thank iGod for Apple. Labels: advertising, Apple, buzz, Marketing, Public Relations
posted by Gina Bolotinsky
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2 Comments:
So why does everyone have to wait until the oddball hour of 6 p.m. to get their precious phone? Steve Jobs says democracy demands that it be so.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/16974
When I went out to visit a gallery for one of my clients, I stumbled upon the iPhone queue in Greene Street. I was fascinated. Some of these anticipating iPhone lovers were waiting just for the feeling of 'wanting'. Others were getting paid to wait. A third group was waiting for several good causes. They had to buy one or more iPhones, to sell them later on auction. The profit would be donated to good causes. That's smart PR. PR-pro's and bloggers -like me- interviewed and recorded the iPhone 'campers'. This PR-stunt has been composed really carefully. PR stunts that encourage others to buzz - that's beyond smart.
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