Sure they did, just as people refer to various versions as iPhone 4G. It's either shorthand or just not knowing the proper nomenclature. You also hear people refer to the iPod Touch as an iTouch and refer to non-Apple products as iPods, iPhones and iPads.
Never heard anyone refer to an iPhone 4G either, maybe I'm not hanging around enough illiterate people. iTouch I've heard, but I'd say that's just a shortening of the product name, and certainly not a confusion of the versioning, so it's besides the point. 4G if it is used is quite possibly a reference to LTE by someone in the know, so possibly also besides the point.
This is an almost completely manufactured issue, that if it does exist at all is a rare in the extreme, and in those rare instances at most creates a slight air of confusion about Apple's products that pales in comparison to the confusion around other manufacturers (i.e. AppleZilla's post above).
Pedantic nerds, nerdy pedants, and out-of-work brand consultants are the only ones who care.
The S is honest, and there's no choice but to be honest because the S model has the same form factor as the previous year. The S product doesn't LOOK new.
Remember most people have two-year contracts. Knowing the next year's model is not "all that" compared to what you have is comforting. If you buy an S, you wait for the next S. The people who want the latest bling buy the integer release, while the people who like the product to "mature" or whatever get on the S cycle.
Never heard anyone refer to an iPhone 4G either, maybe I'm not hanging around enough illiterate people. iTouch I've heard, but I'd say that's just a shortening of the product name, and certainly not a confusion of the versioning, so it's besides the point. 4G if it is used is quite possibly a reference to LTE by someone in the know, so possibly also besides the point.
This is an almost completely manufactured issue, that if it does exist at all is a rare in the extreme, and in those rare instances at most creates a slight air of confusion about Apple's products that pales in comparison to the confusion around other manufacturers (i.e. AppleZilla's post above).
Pedantic nerds, nerdy pedants, and out-of-work brand consultants are the only ones who care.
Move. On.
1) Clearly Apple cares since they have decided to use various additives to their branding with each revision. It's quite foolish to say that Apple's marketing are just "pedantic nerds, nerdy pedants, and out-of-work brand consultants." Seriously?!
2) Just this morning at Starbucks I heard someone refer to their iPhone as their Apple. If you've never heard someone use a incorrect product or brand name it's likely you're not paying attention. Even Blackberry users often refer to the company as Blackberry — which it is now for obvious reasons — but many wouldn't know whom you refer if you had sad Research in Motion.
Completely agree with this guy. Who wants to buy a 3 year old phone? iphone 4 anyone? Is the MBP called MBP 6S?
Change model lineup to:
IPHONE: cheapest body, smallest screen, slowest but still an iPhone ( this is the cheap iphone the global phone to sell in india, etc.)
IPHONE S nicest body, great screen, fastest, best camera
IPHONE XL: big honking screen for big handed people, similar feature set, specs of iPhone S
This doesn't work because a phone you buy one day could be named something else the next. Fluctuating branding of a specific product is rarely a good idea.
This guy makes a good point, but there is also a danger of diluting enthusiasm with too many numbered releases. A new iPhone number currently generates excitement because people know it means a phone that is entirely new. Start calling the "S" models new numbers, and people will start yawning when they hear about an iPhone 27.
1) Clearly Apple cares since they have decided to use various additives to their branding with each revision. It's quite foolish to say that Apple's marketing are just "pedantic nerds, nerdy pedants, and out-of-work brand consultants." Seriously?!
I really don't think Apple give a hoot about people getting confused about the generation of their old phones. They care about them getting confused about their new phones, which is why they've settled for a simple N, NS, N+1, N+1S system. It makes sense now, it just doesn't make sense if you check the history. Apple doesn't care about the history, only the aforementioned do.
2) Just this morning at Starbucks I heard someone refer to their iPhone as their Apple. If you've never heard someone use a incorrect product or brand name it's likely you're not paying attention. Even Blackberry users often refer to the company as Blackberry — which it is now for obvious reasons — but many wouldn't know whom you refer if you had sad Research in Motion.
As long as you're buying an Apple I doubt Mac care what you think the company is called. And what exactly would they do about it anyway, mount a "We are Apple" ad campaign? Pointless.
I really don't think Apple give a hoot about people getting confused about the generation of their old phones. They care about them getting confused about their new phones, which is why they've settled for a simple N, NS, N+1, N+1S system. It makes sense now, it just doesn't make sense if you check the history. Apple doesn't care about the history, only the aforementioned do.
As long as you're buying an Apple I doubt Mac care what you think the company is called. And what exactly would they do about it anyway, mount a "We are Apple" ad campaign? Pointless.
This is all silly. A great deal of money goes into marketing. This means brands and trademarks not being copied by others and even keeping highly popular brands from being genericized. Saying they only care about the purchase is a fallacious argument. If you can't see that brand recognition matters then explain why there are so many lawsuits across all industries trying to protect their branding?
This is all silly. A great deal of money goes into marketing. This means brands and trademarks not being copied by others and even keeping highly popular brands from being genericized. Saying they only care about the purchase is a fallacious argument. If you can't see that brand recognition matters then explain why there are so many lawsuits across all industries trying to protect their branding?
So iPhone should sue Apple for confusing their brand? And Apple should sue Mac?
As long as the recognition is favourable and coming to one of Apples products they really don't care about incidental confusions. You knew exactly what the guy using an "Apple" phone meant didn't you? The store goon will as well so the sale will go through. They're selling devices just fine, even if the odd idiot doesn't remember what it's called.
Of course brand recognition is important, but to stop potential iPhone customers from buying Galaxy S3s, not to ensure those customers are intimately aware of precise naming conventions.
So iPhone should sue Apple for confusing their brand? And Apple should sue Mac?
As long as the recognition is favourable and coming to one of Apples products they really don't care about incidental confusions. You knew exactly what the guy using an "Apple" phone meant didn't you? The store goon will as well so the sale will go through. They're selling devices just fine, even if the odd idiot doesn't remember what it's called.
Of course brand recognition is important, but to stop potential iPhone customers from buying Galaxy S3s, not to ensure those customers are intimately aware of precise naming conventions.
None of your comments make any sense. If you are still talking about the original point you may want to try again.
Consistency is probably the most important thing in something like the brand/model number. The phones' paradigm of alternating a new number with that number "S" works fine now because everyone's accustomed to it, and "S" has meant, consistently: no new form factor but improved functionality (primarily). The "S" label even seems like a model/brand Apple is committed to, the way they're designing the packaging. People do say, "I'll wait for the 'S'," (usually if they had bought the previous "S"). But in the case of iPad, where Apple just discarded any discernable labeling logic, none of this appears to matter, maybe because there's almost no competition. People are more or less comfortable saying "the latest iPad" or "the previous model", and people clearly don't care, they just snatch them right up.
Is this on purpose? I honestly can't tell, given the rest of your comment.
I'm starting to think it wasn't on purpose.
Of course it was all intentional. I was making a point - everyone who buys an iPhone or Mac knows the brand, whether they call them Apple or Mac, and whether they call the product an iPhone or an Apple. Brand awareness is about making people aware of your company and/or products, not about the subtleties of product naming and fascistic technical correctness about terms. Again, Apple don't care if people spell it "MAC", or go to "The Mac Store", or talk on their "Apple phone" or play with their "iTouch". As long as they're in the ballpark and they've identified the product with one of Apple's trademarks, Apple are perfectly comfortable with it. This applies 10x to people calling the iPhone 3G the iPhone 3. Apple have genuine things to put their attention to, so they leave getting worked up over these trivialities to people with more time on their hands.
Not sure why you went to the trouble of posting the advert which I referenced, but thanks. They ran that horrendous campaign in 1984 for sales reps to put across a message to retailers. At that time comparatively few people knew about the company or its products, but with the mindshare they currently enjoy they'll probably never feel they have to do anything like that again (unless they hit the road hard or if they launch in North Korea). They certainly don't feel that now. You get it?
None of your comments make any sense. If you are still talking about the original point you may want to try again.
They make perfect sense. Try reading them again, or feel free to ask me for clarification on any particular passage that you're having difficulty with.
Actually, don't. This conversation is half past boring. Carry on caring about immaterial nonsense if you like.
Again, Apple don't care if people spell it "MAC", or go to "The Mac Store", or talk on their "Apple phone" or play with their "iTouch".
They specifically do care about those things. They have documents on their website that outline all the guidelines for such things.
As long as they're in the ballpark and they've identified the product with one of Apple's trademarks
Well, none of those are Apple's trademarks, so…
This applies 10x to people calling the iPhone 3G the iPhone 3. Apple have genuine things to put their attention to, so they leave getting worked up over these trivialities to people with more time on their hands.
The "triviality" known as "Having to lie to a customer about support for their device because you don't have a clue which one they actually have since they're too stupid to call it the right name", you mean?
They specifically do care about those things. They have documents on their website that outline all the guidelines for such things.
Apple cares that ITS employees use the proper names. But if a customer says he has an iPhone, they are not going to berate the man and refuse to help him until he says the actual name. Notice the iDevices just have the base iDevice name and not 3/4/4S after them.
Brand awareness is about making people aware of your company and/or products, not about the subtleties of product naming and fascistic technical correctness about terms. Again, Apple don't care if people spell it "MAC", or go to "The Mac Store", or talk on their "Apple phone" or play with their "iTouch". As long as they're in the ballpark and they've identified the product with one of Apple's trademarks, Apple are perfectly comfortable with it. This applies 10x to people calling the iPhone 3G the iPhone 3. Apple have genuine things to put their attention to, so they leave getting worked up over these trivialities to people with more time on their hands.
Not so. Every detail, including the naming system, is very important. Brand architecture and naming are key elements of brand strategy. If you are not convinced read any one of a thousand books on the subject.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Sure they did, just as people refer to various versions as iPhone 4G. It's either shorthand or just not knowing the proper nomenclature. You also hear people refer to the iPod Touch as an iTouch and refer to non-Apple products as iPods, iPhones and iPads.
Never heard anyone refer to an iPhone 4G either, maybe I'm not hanging around enough illiterate people. iTouch I've heard, but I'd say that's just a shortening of the product name, and certainly not a confusion of the versioning, so it's besides the point. 4G if it is used is quite possibly a reference to LTE by someone in the know, so possibly also besides the point.
This is an almost completely manufactured issue, that if it does exist at all is a rare in the extreme, and in those rare instances at most creates a slight air of confusion about Apple's products that pales in comparison to the confusion around other manufacturers (i.e. AppleZilla's post above).
Pedantic nerds, nerdy pedants, and out-of-work brand consultants are the only ones who care.
Move. On.
Remember most people have two-year contracts. Knowing the next year's model is not "all that" compared to what you have is comforting. If you buy an S, you wait for the next S. The people who want the latest bling buy the integer release, while the people who like the product to "mature" or whatever get on the S cycle.
Change model lineup to:
IPHONE: cheapest body, smallest screen, slowest but still an iPhone ( this is the cheap iphone the global phone to sell in india, etc.)
IPHONE S nicest body, great screen, fastest, best camera
IPHONE XL: big honking screen for big handed people, similar feature set, specs of iPhone S
1) Clearly Apple cares since they have decided to use various additives to their branding with each revision. It's quite foolish to say that Apple's marketing are just "pedantic nerds, nerdy pedants, and out-of-work brand consultants." Seriously?!
2) Just this morning at Starbucks I heard someone refer to their iPhone as their Apple. If you've never heard someone use a incorrect product or brand name it's likely you're not paying attention. Even Blackberry users often refer to the company as Blackberry — which it is now for obvious reasons — but many wouldn't know whom you refer if you had sad Research in Motion.
This doesn't work because a phone you buy one day could be named something else the next. Fluctuating branding of a specific product is rarely a good idea.
Who? Apparently a lot more than those who want the SG3.
As long as you're buying an Apple I doubt Mac care what you think the company is called. And what exactly would they do about it anyway, mount a "We are Apple" ad campaign? Pointless.
This is all silly. A great deal of money goes into marketing. This means brands and trademarks not being copied by others and even keeping highly popular brands from being genericized. Saying they only care about the purchase is a fallacious argument. If you can't see that brand recognition matters then explain why there are so many lawsuits across all industries trying to protect their branding?
As long as the recognition is favourable and coming to one of Apples products they really don't care about incidental confusions. You knew exactly what the guy using an "Apple" phone meant didn't you? The store goon will as well so the sale will go through. They're selling devices just fine, even if the odd idiot doesn't remember what it's called.
Of course brand recognition is important, but to stop potential iPhone customers from buying Galaxy S3s, not to ensure those customers are intimately aware of precise naming conventions.
None of your comments make any sense. If you are still talking about the original point you may want to try again.
Originally Posted by Crowley
As long as you're buying an Apple I doubt Mac care what you think the company is called.
Is this on purpose? I honestly can't tell, given the rest of your comment.
Originally Posted by Crowley
So iPhone should sue Apple for confusing their brand? And Apple should sue Mac?
I'm starting to think it wasn't on purpose.
And what exactly would they do about it anyway, mount a "We are Apple" ad campaign? Pointless.
I hear the same thing constantly.
Referencing something called iPhone 2
Referring to Android phones as iPhones
Referring to iPhone 4 as iPhone 4G
etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Is this on purpose? I honestly can't tell, given the rest of your comment.
I'm starting to think it wasn't on purpose.
Of course it was all intentional. I was making a point - everyone who buys an iPhone or Mac knows the brand, whether they call them Apple or Mac, and whether they call the product an iPhone or an Apple. Brand awareness is about making people aware of your company and/or products, not about the subtleties of product naming and fascistic technical correctness about terms. Again, Apple don't care if people spell it "MAC", or go to "The Mac Store", or talk on their "Apple phone" or play with their "iTouch". As long as they're in the ballpark and they've identified the product with one of Apple's trademarks, Apple are perfectly comfortable with it. This applies 10x to people calling the iPhone 3G the iPhone 3. Apple have genuine things to put their attention to, so they leave getting worked up over these trivialities to people with more time on their hands.
Not sure why you went to the trouble of posting the advert which I referenced, but thanks. They ran that horrendous campaign in 1984 for sales reps to put across a message to retailers. At that time comparatively few people knew about the company or its products, but with the mindshare they currently enjoy they'll probably never feel they have to do anything like that again (unless they hit the road hard or if they launch in North Korea). They certainly don't feel that now. You get it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
None of your comments make any sense. If you are still talking about the original point you may want to try again.
They make perfect sense. Try reading them again, or feel free to ask me for clarification on any particular passage that you're having difficulty with.
Actually, don't. This conversation is half past boring. Carry on caring about immaterial nonsense if you like.
Originally Posted by Crowley
Again, Apple don't care if people spell it "MAC", or go to "The Mac Store", or talk on their "Apple phone" or play with their "iTouch".
They specifically do care about those things. They have documents on their website that outline all the guidelines for such things.
As long as they're in the ballpark and they've identified the product with one of Apple's trademarks
Well, none of those are Apple's trademarks, so…
This applies 10x to people calling the iPhone 3G the iPhone 3. Apple have genuine things to put their attention to, so they leave getting worked up over these trivialities to people with more time on their hands.
The "triviality" known as "Having to lie to a customer about support for their device because you don't have a clue which one they actually have since they're too stupid to call it the right name", you mean?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crowley
Brand awareness is about making people aware of your company and/or products, not about the subtleties of product naming and fascistic technical correctness about terms. Again, Apple don't care if people spell it "MAC", or go to "The Mac Store", or talk on their "Apple phone" or play with their "iTouch". As long as they're in the ballpark and they've identified the product with one of Apple's trademarks, Apple are perfectly comfortable with it. This applies 10x to people calling the iPhone 3G the iPhone 3. Apple have genuine things to put their attention to, so they leave getting worked up over these trivialities to people with more time on their hands.
Not so. Every detail, including the naming system, is very important. Brand architecture and naming are key elements of brand strategy. If you are not convinced read any one of a thousand books on the subject.