Oh, okay...I remember you! Thanks! I was trying so hard to remember back to the old AI and Michael Gray just didn't ring any bells at all. I was wondering who you were.
I don't think advertising and good taste cancel each other out. I don't ever think Apple would embark on a campaign of local car dealer quality.
But just a tighter, more focused and higher-in-frequency effort might be called for.
It just seems odd that a company (and I've said this half a gazillion times over the past year or two) with such amazing products, both hardware AND software, seems to be so unconcerned with getting the word out.
I'd like to see Apple produce some commercials NOT geared toward us, the already "indoctrinated".
How many people who are not Mac users know about AirPort and how cool it could be, especially in a multi-Mac household?
And OS X? For this to be the biggest news and "next generation operating system", they sure don't seem to be moving fast to trumpet it to the masses.
I only get upset and frustrated because Apple states goals like "increasing marketshare" with these new stores.
But honestly, if people don't KNOW about these new stores...
All these grand openings lately...the only people standing in line and showing up for the big day are Mac users and fans.
Some guy with a Compaq isn't going to wake up at 4am to go stand in line. He probably won't even go there period if he doesn't even know one exists!
Don't get me wrong: I too like a classy, less-is-more, understated approach to marketing and advertising. And in Apple's case, the products could (and should) speak for themselves. But Apple HAS to do a little on THEIR end to ensure that the average Joe out there is indeed aware of what they have to offer.
Sitting outside the Glendale Apple store a few months ago, waiting on a buddy to finish a big transaction, SO many people walked by, glanced over and just kept on walking: young, old, male, female, couples, families, black, white, Asian, Latino, etc.
Honestly, I saw maybe two or three people look over, stop in their tracks and head over, just to see what it was. One of them didn't even finish and make it inside the store. It was as if they said "Macs? Nahhhh...what good are they to me?" and just kept on walking.
The other? They went in and seemed halfway impressed by the stuff (although, I'm sure before it was over the price tags deflated some of that newfound interest...).
I don't know. I'm not a marketing genius. And by all appearances, neither is Apple.
Regarding my other post about Apple-branded merchandise, Apple's stance here is almost unforgiveable. As Belle said, they're already doing this in Cupertino, at the headquarters store.
So does that mean only people from Cupertino are cool enough or worthy to get this stuff?
To me, this is a total no-brainer. If Apple is doing it at their company store, what possible reason could they have for not doing it at their very own retail stores? Do they not realize people would not love to show the world their allegiance and loyalty to their computing platform of choice?
And don't forget the extra revenue. Sure, it takes a bunch of T-shirts and coffee mugs to equal a dual processor G4 and a Cinema Display, but is that reason enough NOT to do it?
No.
Every little bit helps...and the free advertising and exposure probably couldn't be measured in dollars.
Look at it like this: all these loyal, borderline fanatical Apple fans/users who show up for these grand openings and who frequent these stores on a semi-regular basis. That's got to easily equal THOUSANDS of walking billboards throughout the country.
The four times I've been to Glendale, I would've been more than happy to drop $25-100 EACH TIME for a cool shirt, hat, mousepad, mug, etc. and I know I'm not the only one.
Hell, I could even imagine that on slow days, sales of stuff like this might make up for a computer not being sold. It would almost be a guaranteed cash cow!
And I just don't know why they don't do it.
And I'm not talking about that rainbow logo overpriced bullcrap at redlightrunner.com. I'm talking Jobs-era, current aquified iGoodies!
Apple needs to realize they have a following and a user base like no other computer/tech company. I don't think there's this huge clamor for people to buy Compaq baseball hats or Gateway or Microsoft T-shirts or keychains.
But Apple? It's a whole different ballgame. I don't have (nor do I want) any Sony, JVC, Aiwa, Iomega or Gibson clothing or trinkets, even though I own and love their stuff.
But if I could buy a cool Apple T-shirt or ballcap or keychain or whatever, man I'd wear it and use them every chance I got.
That white little logo decal on the back of my car just isn't enough anymore!
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