Quote:
Originally Posted by
moustache 
Bad meaning good in this case.
You can't judge or equate the success of these ads by your own "expert" experience. You have worked 12 years at one brand, and you don't have the experience of 12 years at the company who you think you know what the hell is going on, where they are heading, and what future they want to build from today.
You don't work for Apple. People who call themselves experts always never get it right. Especially the ones that envy of having a job at the company they only wish they worked at and try to step on the same people (Phil Schiller) that work in the same position at a job which you would never ever get.
There are a majority of people that have switched to Apple, or that are planning to switch but still not sure. These are the people that can "emotionally" be connected with these new ads.
Ever since I have been a Mac user, I have had at least one person every week asking me about switching from PC and how they are unsure whether they can use a Mac given their whole digital life has only been on a PC. Especially after the iPhone and iPad has been released, its been a lot more closer to "should I make the jump?" Also from many friends who have switched and starting out. Its usually these people that ask Mac users for help. Now they have retail store staff to assist. I have started to make screencasts for my parents who live on the other side of the globe on how to solve specific Mac issues, and they visit the Apple Store to ask geniuses there every weekend.
These ads are all aimed at the older generation.
Apple realizes the younger generation have switched and its time to target the rest.
Good post!
I would add that there are members of every generation who are just not technology driven -- they are aware of technology, but they don't arrange their lives around it. Doctors, Lawyers, Executives, Construction Workers, Athletes, Welders...
These people often see the need for a computer to address specific tasks to simplify their lives -- but have no interest in becoming computerists (experts, techies). This has less to do with age, IQ, education, ability than how these people view the world around them.
Dr. "G", was writing a scientific book and was well respected in his field. He bought his computer from us and went through all our training.
Dr. "G" lived in Santa Cruz, and every few months he would make the difficult trip over the mountains to our Sunnyvale Store. He would pull out a stack of 3x5 index cards -- each card had a question or described a problem he was having. The stack was usually 1/2-1 inch thick. So, Dr. "G" would start with the top card, ask his question, note the answer, then place the card on the bottom of the deck... repeat. Often he would cycle through the stack several times to be sure that all the issues were resolved.
Dr. "G" was brilliant! Dr. "G" was a customer of mine! Dr. "G" never understood computers! Dr. "G" was able to get the job done using a computer!
My friend Sheena Melwani is a singer, composer songwriter. Sheena is very active on Twitter and used to have weekly LiveCasts. On one particular LiveCast, Sheena was chiding her father:
Sheena: "Why don't you follow me on Twitter?".
Dad: "Because, I am not that interested in what you are doing all the time!"
Or, My Dad, when I was showing him how to do something on his Apple ][:
"I don't want to know how it works -- I just want it to work [enter address labels]"
My Dad had a very inquisitive mind, was a self-taught automotive/electronics engineer with several patents and inventions under his belt. He could design and build a Stereo & Speakers that made the bay window pulsate and a candy dish jump off the coffee table [true story] -- but Dad had absolutely no Interest in how computers worked -- he just wanted to enter and print address labels.
Or my Late wife Lucy. Lucy had no interest in technology... Lucy was interested in people. We were surrounded by computers and computer geeks, but the most Lucy ever did with computers was a little word-process (writing letters) or checking/entering orders with our suppliers (1980s, before the web) using specialized systems.
Here's the best part... Lucy, the non-techie people person managed the best damn computer stores in Silicon valley.
Anther example are the many corporate executives that brought their iPhones and iPads [and a few Macs] into the office and told IT: "Make this work on our network." These executives have bigger fish to fry than learning the intricacies of every tool they use -- they are interested in results -- I want to use an iPhone (iPad, Mac) -- make it work for me.
My point is that the world is filled with people who are not (and never will be) "computerists" -- but they do need computers as part of their lives... And they need them to work as advertised, be repaired as needed (inexpensively and quickly) and, periodically, learn how to make the computer do something new [to them]. These people may not have IT or "Geek" friends out there to help them.
What I'm describing is service after sale! Most people who own, or are considering buying a computer tool are interested in making it do what they want [my Dad's Address labels] -- not how it does it.
Some large number of the 90% plus of non-Mac computer users out there have little, or no, way to make their computers do what they want.
These Genius ads are addressed to these people (say, 70% of the 90% ~= 60%) and those who have no computer at all.
This is a capability/service that Apple has -- and the competition has nothing...nothing! This is a tremendous opportunity for Apple -- the consumerization of consumer PCs.
