What does Apple get from all this hype?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Now I'm sure Steve thinks he's got the 5 golden tickets and the holy grail to show us on Monday, but even will all the confidence in the world, why bother? Why not keep quiet?



I'm as excited about the keynote as the next guy, but when I see the hype on apple's site, I'm wondering what's the point? If Steve shows us the next revolution then great, the hype is fulfilled, but if he doesn't, he'll be slammed. We've all made this point, i know.



My question I ask you is this? Why hype? Not why hype at all, but why hype before hand? Are they trying to drive the stock price up for a buyout to be announced Monday? Does that even make sense. Do they think they'll get more press? Most of the press is anti-mac anyway, why set them up for a segway style "uhm... i guess that's cool..."?



If the response is good, then hype all you want afterwards and whoop de do! If it's not, no more hurt feelings than usual. Also, isn't the element of surprise lost now? Frankly, a week ago I would have been impressed by a lot less. Now I'll be bummed out with anything less than amazement.



??? I don't have the answer ???



[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: PerfectlyNormalBeast ]</p>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,457member
    Given all of this attention don't you think the crowd watching the keynote is going to be a lot larger than normal? I know a lot of non-Mac people who are signing in to apple.com each morning to read the slogan, and who are planning to watch the keynote. That kind of attention, if rewarded with a really cool product introduction, turns into more potential buyers and thus more marketshare.



    If they deliver.
  • Reply 2 of 16
    If it's all that cool, you think the big launch matters all that much? I mean... a litte sure, but if it's that cool, the word will get out.



    I know people who have bought iPods because they've seen me with mine in a coffee shop. That's the kind of advertising Apple thrives on. If it's that cool, it will spread virally. There's some advantage to having a bigger infected population to begin with, but how much, and is it worth the risk?



    I'd much prefer the keynote where steve hits us from leftfield. At this point, the best he can do is live up to the hype. It just not how I would have done it, no matter what I had hiding. It's one thing if you're hyping a movie like LOTR or SW, where you want as big an opening weekend as you can to get people pumped, but electronics are sold differently. Most consumers don't care how many are sold in the first 10 minutes, they want to see something that wows them. The hype now doesn't seem to add too much to that.



    Are there any other possible reasons other than to get more people to watch? Anyone?
  • Reply 3 of 16
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,457member
    Maybe Apple wants to sell as many as possible in the first 10 minutes? Some products sell better if you hype the heck out of them, and encourage the impulse buy. Especially true for flashy/stylish products which might be a little short on depth. Or maybe they want to get as much market penetration as possible before other companies start copying them?
  • Reply 4 of 16
    Maybe market penetration is the answer, I like Programmer's style! Who wants a copy cat?
  • Reply 5 of 16
    obvously the 95% of the world who doesn't own macs...
  • Reply 6 of 16
    [quote]Originally posted by PerfectlyNormalBeast:

    <strong> Are they trying to drive the stock price up for a buyout to be announced Monday? Does that even make sense.</strong><hr></blockquote>





    Actually, this does make sense. Not that Apple is being bought, but that Apple is buying. Avid and Palm have been rumored for some time... with Avid being the current favorite. Perhaps even the Moto chip division or at least the PPC division - which has been rumored to be for sale. Apple would want the hype to drive up the share price, so that when the deal is announced, the stock will only fall to a little below where it was a few weeks ago, instead of 5 pts below that... get it?



    Apple will announce new desktops, new iMacs, new software, and maybe a new digital device like a camera. These products will be impressive, with one of them being a big surprise and seeming to be a show stopper. Then, Steve will say, "Oh, and one more thing... we are buying Avid/Palm/Moto's PPC division" and the crowd will go nuts, the hype will be fulfilled with the new products + the acquisition, and the stock price will fall - but only back to December's price instead of falling 5 pts below that mark, which will make the deal cheaper for Apple.



    Tada! There's your Keynote.
  • Reply 7 of 16
    I think it all basically stems from the fact that the rumor sites completely drove up expectations for the last Macworld, and Apple was unable to live up to them, causing everyone to think that Apple was letting them down.



    So, Apple instead of trying to keep a low profile, is raising their profile. They realize that they can't control the hype, but they can at least guide it, so that when the big day comes, it will be their own expectations they have created, and not the rumor mill.



    If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.



    You have to admit, that they evenmanaged to blunt the iWalk hoax by taking the hype in-house.



    SdC
  • Reply 8 of 16
    [quote]Originally posted by suckfuldotcom:

    <strong>I think it all basically stems from the fact that the rumor sites completely drove up expectations for the last Macworld, and Apple was unable to live up to them, causing everyone to think that Apple was letting them down.



    So, Apple instead of trying to keep a low profile, is raising their profile. They realize that they can't control the hype, but they can at least guide it, so that when the big day comes, it will be their own expectations they have created, and not the rumor mill.



    If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.



    You have to admit, that they evenmanaged to blunt the iWalk hoax by taking the hype in-house.



    SdC</strong><hr></blockquote>



    That makes no sense. Apple can't live up to the hype, so it creates more hype and higher expectations?
  • Reply 9 of 16
    I don't think adding to the hype is going to help prevent people from being dissapointed, or really do much for apple at all.



    It might get more people to watch the keynote, which might sell more product. Still there's such a risk of pulling a segway.



    I think Apple is better off beating expectations than they are raising them, then just meeting them. And meeting them is a best case scenario.



    Of course, Apple could be laying it all on the line and "going for broke" so to speak. Maybe they're tossing in all the chips...



    Their poker face sure sucks though.
  • Reply 10 of 16
    The thing about whether or not they live up to hype is all about controlling the message.



    When the biggest hype at the last MWExpo was put out by others, Apple looked foolish by compison.



    When the biggest hype is put out by themselves, the can deliver their [insert products here] and say, "Look, we lived up to the hype," and explain why.



    It's about controlling the message. Fighting fire with fire, etc.



    The art of spin isn't about what is right, it's about what is believable. No matter what Aple unveils Monday, they can say that they lived up to the message, because the message is intentionally vague.



    But if the denizens of the web are driving the message, then Apple has to live up to "Apple G12 with orgasmotron X", and 'only' brings out an iMAc with a cool new form, then the perception is that Apple didn't live up to it.



    It's not the amount of hype that matters, it's the control of the hype.



    Finally, the last bonus is that the rumor mills are in a frenzy, conjuring up sorts of silliness. Apple can, after the fact, say, "See, the rumor sites are whack!" discrediting them even further.



    It's why Clinton wanted an impeachment trial to go to the Senate, because he knew that, afterwards, he can say, "See, it was just a partisan fight, not anything real."



    Spin, spin, spin.



    SdC
  • Reply 11 of 16
    [quote]Originally posted by suckfuldotcom:

    <strong>No matter what Aple unveils Monday, they can say that they lived up to the message, because the message is intentionally vague.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    They can say whatever they want. The audience will be the judge about whether they live up to the hype. If I don't like what I see in the keynote, there isn't much Steve is going to say afterwards to make me say, "Oh... I see! I'm happy now!" The anti-mac journalists will be even harsher than I will. If i'm bummed, I can at least turn up the volume on my iPod.



    Apple has built up expectations. No question about it. If what they show isn't fan-fscking-tastic, there will be dissapointment.



    If Apple never said anything, then people might be ok with just DDR ram, iPhoto and a LCD iMac. Something beyond that would be icing on the cake.
  • Reply 12 of 16
    Apple has built up expectations, but very vague ones. Then they will tell us that they lived up to the hype.



    Sure, there will be critics, but the fact of the matter is that most Apple users DON'T read rumor sites, and will believe what Apple spins. Do you really think the mainstream news can tell a good product from a bad one? They'll just parrot the buzzwords, and press releases that Apple puts out, as well as get their in-house tech guy to say it's pretty cool.



    The second rule of advertising: Target the Demographic. Target the Demographic. Target the Demographic.



    The corrollary: if an ad doesn't appeal to you, it probably wasn't directed at you. Chances are, people will be overwhelmed. The AI posse is hardly a representative sample of people.



    Just because the cranky few of us and some tech 'reporters' (a term I use loosely) might disagree doesn't mean that the vast majority of the straight press will fall off the message.



    SdC
  • Reply 13 of 16
    [quote]Originally posted by suckfuldotcom:

    <strong>

    But if the denizens of the web are driving the message, then Apple has to live up to "Apple G12 with orgasmotron X", and 'only' brings out an iMAc with a cool new form, then the perception is that Apple didn't live up to it.

    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Well, all I know is that if it doesn't have an orgasmatron I'm going to be pissed.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    adam11adam11 Posts: 163member
    I love the look of woody's face when he comes out from hiding in the orgasmatron.



    Cheers

    adam
  • Reply 15 of 16
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,457member
    [quote]Originally posted by Macintosh:

    <strong>I like Programmer's style! Who wants a copy cat?</strong><hr></blockquote>





    Is this a good thing?
  • Reply 16 of 16
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    Apple want as many people as possible to know that tomorrow is official Apple day, they want as many as possible to withness it live and they want everyone to be able to answer the question "where were you when Apple released the iMacII"when asked a year from now.



    If they succeed it will be the official consumer desk top of the LCD revolution. People will not know that others have them (and have had them for a while). If they want to buy a new computer they will not want a CRT ("Thats sooo last century") and the only LCD computer that springs to mind will be the iMac II because they saw it when it was released and because Jobs (that liar) will give the impression that iMac was the first consumer desk top with a LCD.



    That, basically, is Apples plan.



    __________________







    [ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Anders ]</p>
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