Apple planning Mac-focused TV ad campaign?
Apple?s television commercials currently feature only its iPod digital music player, but forthcoming ad spots will likely add a Mac focus, aiding the so-called iPod "halo effect."
These sentiments come from Merrill Lynch analyst, Steve Milunovich, who recently sat down for a one-on-one with Apple Chief Financial Officer, Peter Oppenheimer. However, Milunovich offered no further details.
Following the meeting, the Wall Street analyst said Apple doesn?t appear concerned about a cell phone threat to the iPod.
"Management argued that iPod will remain the best way to manage and listen to music with MP3 capability in handsets more complementary than a replacement," Milunovich wrote in a report. "The negatives of music on a handset include a worse user interface and limited battery life."
He quoted Oppenheimer, who ?doesn?t foresee problems working with carriers,? implying that negotiating shared economics wouldn?t be a deal killer.
Milunovich also stands behind recent video iPod rumors voiced by several analysts, saying he expects wireless and video capability in iPods for the holidays. "Our guess is that iPod will run short video clips, such as Britney Spears gyrating while 'Toxic' plays," he said.
As first reported in an AppleInsider write-up of recent meeting between UBS Investment Research and Apple's exec team, Milunovich also noted that Apple's share of flash-player market surged an additional 15% in March to approximately 60%.
Oppinheimer told Milunovich that Apple remained supply-constrained on the iPod shuffle into March, meaning that analysts will be keeping a close eye on the company's yet-to-be-released April shuffle sales as being another indicator of the new player's potential.
Merrill Lynch reiterates a "Buy" rating on Apple stock with a price objective of $51 per share.
These sentiments come from Merrill Lynch analyst, Steve Milunovich, who recently sat down for a one-on-one with Apple Chief Financial Officer, Peter Oppenheimer. However, Milunovich offered no further details.
Following the meeting, the Wall Street analyst said Apple doesn?t appear concerned about a cell phone threat to the iPod.
"Management argued that iPod will remain the best way to manage and listen to music with MP3 capability in handsets more complementary than a replacement," Milunovich wrote in a report. "The negatives of music on a handset include a worse user interface and limited battery life."
He quoted Oppenheimer, who ?doesn?t foresee problems working with carriers,? implying that negotiating shared economics wouldn?t be a deal killer.
Milunovich also stands behind recent video iPod rumors voiced by several analysts, saying he expects wireless and video capability in iPods for the holidays. "Our guess is that iPod will run short video clips, such as Britney Spears gyrating while 'Toxic' plays," he said.
As first reported in an AppleInsider write-up of recent meeting between UBS Investment Research and Apple's exec team, Milunovich also noted that Apple's share of flash-player market surged an additional 15% in March to approximately 60%.
Oppinheimer told Milunovich that Apple remained supply-constrained on the iPod shuffle into March, meaning that analysts will be keeping a close eye on the company's yet-to-be-released April shuffle sales as being another indicator of the new player's potential.
Merrill Lynch reiterates a "Buy" rating on Apple stock with a price objective of $51 per share.
Comments
Originally posted by ipodandimac
i heard this news elsewhere too. this is good.
Might the imposible come to be and they actually advertise Moc OS X Specifically?
No probably iMac commercials. They never did run a G5 iMac commercial.
A bit more sober perhaps. Actually show what can be done with a Mac?
The Shuffle has shown to be another nay-sayer breaker. In four months it's gone from nothing to 60% of the market.
So much for displays on inexpensive models.
Originally posted by melgross
I hope they do proper commercials. Not the "Gee Whiz" type they've done before, like the G5 blowing out the side of a house.
A bit more sober perhaps. Actually show what can be done with a Mac?
The Shuffle has shown to be another nay-sayer breaker. In four months it's gone from nothing to 60% of the market.
So much for displays on inexpensive models.
Originally posted by MajorMatt
I dont understand the concept, an ad advertising the mac? I dont get it. Will someone explain?
I don't understand your not getting it. What do you not understand?
Was that a joke?
Originally posted by melgross
Was that a joke?
I'll answer for him: yes.
Originally posted by Davey
I'll answer for him: yes.
Good first post!
Think that'll convey the variety of Apple offerings and capabilities while underscoring the good old "for the rest of us" idea?
Originally posted by melgross
I hope they do proper commercials. Not the "Gee Whiz" type they've done before, like the G5 blowing out the side of a house.
One of the more interesting reads on advertising I've come across lately discussed VW's apparent move away from the feel-good/fun/"conceptual" ads they were doing for along time to more recent feature/spec-oriented blasé fare. Here's the article.
According to Alan Pafenbach, creative director at Arnold Worldwide (Volkswagen's ad agency for the past 10 years), the key here is "product cycle." At the beginning of any product cycle, when the product is first introduced, the ads tend to be emotional showstoppers...
...But a year or two down the road?after this type of buyer is already driving around in the car and giving it a nickname and affixing "I Love My VW" bumper stickers?you need to start winning over a new type of buyer. People who buy with their heads instead of their hearts. Ads aimed at these folks will tout the car's more practical benefits.
This would seem to me to be as true for computers as cars, and a good approach. Captivate first, infomercial later.
Originally posted by Guartho
Maybe an arc around a desk. In the shot the people, computer, and software they're using changes continuouly as well as extra crap attached to the computer. If they use the 20 inch iMac and the 20 inch display positioned the same, everything around the screen can change while the screen stays in the same place drawing our focus to it. We'll see all the desktops. Then, at the end it'll change to the portable line while the user/s get up and move to the couch.
Think that'll convey the variety of Apple offerings and capabilities while underscoring the good old "for the rest of us" idea?
Nice
I remember a couple of months ago somewhere on AI someone posted their own TV ad for the Mac mini. Maybe Apple should have a competition for their customers to come up with ads and give cool stuff as prizes - Grand Prize: A top-spec PowerMac with a 30" Cinema Display and a bunch of software
This would show what can be done by anyone with a Mac. Maybe a little ticker running across the bottom of the screen with the details of who made it, what system they used, what software etc.
Apparently it was something Gates said to Jobs.
Originally posted by BuonRotto
One of the more interesting reads on advertising I've come across lately discussed VW's apparent move away from the feel-good/fun/"conceptual" ads they were doing for along time to more recent feature/spec-oriented blasé fare. Here's the article.
This would seem to me to be as true for computers as cars, and a good approach. Captivate first, infomercial later.
They had to change because VW's sales are in the toilet.
Originally posted by hugodrax
if the forget all the benchmark BS and just showoff the cool things such as expose, multimedia etc.. It will sell.
Benchmarks don't make good commercials, period. I've never understood people who spout off "Apple should advertise with real-world info, like how quickly you can burn a DVD in iMovie or something". Yeah, that will draw them in. "With OS X.4, you can burn a DVD in 4.5 minutes, get 150FPS in Quake III, and run the Cinebench 2003 test suite to a score of 621. Get a Mac people!".
As for showing off 'cool' things. Exactly how is showing off Expose going to sell computers. There's no way to sell it where it doesn't sound like a bad magic show. "Look at Bill. He's got a screen full of windows. Now, when he presses F9, all the windows disappear! Press F9 again, they appear! Now watch. He hits F10, and they all become really small windows!"
And multimedia? Please. All computers do multimedia. You can do movie making, photo cataloging, music playing, on any computer. And its hard to emphasize some supposed advantage over a Windows computer. Hell, if MS put out commercials, you'd all be saying "But my mac does that, why would I want to go to windows?"
Finally, how many commercials from computer companies and MS/Software companies actually give you any idea why their computers are better (hell, most of dell's commercials seem more inclined to tell you they're cheap and tech support in India is always available). Commercials for Windows have always been short on info, long on flying people. And the last set of Office commercials I recall basically involved people tackling each other because they apparently use Office and it makes everyone goofy.
Oh, and VW is the top-selling automaker in China.
Originally posted by Louzer
Benchmarks don't make good commercials, period. I've never understood people who spout off "Apple should advertise with real-world info, like how quickly you can burn a DVD in iMovie or something". Yeah, that will draw them in. "With OS X.4, you can burn a DVD in 4.5 minutes, get 150FPS in Quake III, and run the Cinebench 2003 test suite to a score of 621. Get a Mac people!".
As for showing off 'cool' things. Exactly how is showing off Expose going to sell computers. There's no way to sell it where it doesn't sound like a bad magic show. "Look at Bill. He's got a screen full of windows. Now, when he presses F9, all the windows disappear! Press F9 again, they appear! Now watch. He hits F10, and they all become really small windows!"
And multimedia? Please. All computers do multimedia. You can do movie making, photo cataloging, music playing, on any computer. And its hard to emphasize some supposed advantage over a Windows computer. Hell, if MS put out commercials, you'd all be saying "But my mac does that, why would I want to go to windows?"
Finally, how many commercials from computer companies and MS/Software companies actually give you any idea why their computers are better (hell, most of dell's commercials seem more inclined to tell you they're cheap and tech support in India is always available). Commercials for Windows have always been short on info, long on flying people. And the last set of Office commercials I recall basically involved people tackling each other because they apparently use Office and it makes everyone goofy.
Oh, and VW is the top-selling automaker in China.
Best selling foreign car.
And wow! What a sophisticated public there!
You do have to show what the computer can do to a certain extent. PC's are all the same so they don't do that. They try to make it cool, like the Dell guy. Or stupid, like Gateways stampeding idiots. Hp has "Invent".
Apple should show how easy things are. Despite what you say, even the reviewers in the PC magazines say that OS X is the best OS, and that iLife the best software package.
Apple should show what comes packaged with the machine. Most PC people I know think that they have to go right out and spend hundreds of bucks to get started. That's one reason they don't switch.
Apple should show them that for most people, all you need is in the box.
Originally posted by melgross
Apple should show what comes packaged with the machine. Most PC people I know think that they have to go right out and spend hundreds of bucks to get started. That's one reason they don't switch.[/B]
Wow. I thought that was just the PC-centric people I know that thought that
People are scared. Scared of terrorists, scared of the economy going down, scared of the Internet, scared of their computer doing something weird and random.
Apple's take: "Feel safe and secure, buy a mac".
No need to give benchmarks, no need to show expose (all those windows flying around the screen will just scare grandma), just do something stylish that gives people a warm and safe feeling.