The problem with the new iphone…

is, that I am hardly blogging any more. Well, it’s not really the iphones fault. There is a lot happening right now, which kept me busy. (Bauer Agency Cup – 3.000 mad ad people partying; learning how to play Golf, etc.)

Nevertheless, the iphone is a fantastic product, I can’t take my fingers of it 😉

I will hopefully start blogging more regularly again soon.

The fascinating Word of Mouth effects of the iPhone.

iphone 1 for illustrative purposesIt’s amazing how much unfounded gossip there is about the fact that Steve Jobs might reveal the iphone 2 on June 9th. One of the first „solid“ rumours I saw was at Gizmodo. Since then, new rumours, hints and other gossip has increased.

I subscribed to an RSS Newsfeed of Google News with the keyword iphone. There is so much happening, it’s amazing. If apple had tried to construct a viral or word of mouth campaign around the iphone, they couldn’t have done a better job than the web just did. Or may be they did help spreading the word?

Some more of these clues and assumptions that are spreading around the web are mentioned in an article of Newsweek:

Jobs‘ secretive computer and gadget company, has been quietly positioning millions of units of a mysterious new product—almost certainly the new iPhone—in key markets since March. And yet, incredibly, not one credible image of Apple’s new product has yet been published.

[…] One clue: Jobs began racking up serious mileage on his corporate jet during the company’s final quarter of 2007, as he likely finalized deals with distribution partners in Europe and Asia, and perhaps scrutinized the first 3G iPhone handsets to come from his partners‘ factories. Morgan Stanley’s Kathryn Huberty was the first to spot the enormous jump in Jobs‘ airplane expenses—to $550,000 from $203,000 during the previous quarter.

[…] By May 6, it became clear that AT&T was getting ready for something big, with a blogger publishing an all-hands memo to employees at AT&T stores telling them they couldn’t take vacation time between June 15 and July 12. That news hit amid widespread reports of iPhone shortages in Europe and across the U.S.

Cult of Mac even listed some of the Specs the new iphone should have (some have been rumoring around for quite some time, admittingly, but the info about the size – 22% thinner – is new). A seemingly rather complete list of the current rumors can be found at mobilecrunch, rated with a „Pre-keynote Legitometer“.

With all the clues, hints and gossip around the web, it appears to be like a giant world wide scavenger hunt. The whole setup and effect should be every marketers dream (and every ad agencys dilemma, since less or no advertising will be needed for the launch). Once the product itself carries viral potential, it automatically triggers word of mouth. The iphone is a classic example of this.

PS: if all goes well, I will be owning an iPhone 2 by next week 😉

Learning Marketing from Apple.

Apple’s handling of the iPhone price issue raises many questions about what Apple can get away with unscathed.

A recent PcWorld article is asking whether Apple is the new Microsoft. Will Apple be the new bully on the IT playground?

Don’t look now, but the role of the industry’s biggest bully is increasingly played by Apple, not Microsoft. Here’s a look at how Apple has shoved Microsoft aside as the company with the worst reputation as a monopolist, copycat and a bully.

Here is the best statement:

iTunes for Windows‘ popularity isn’t driven by software product quality. ITunes is the slowest, clunkiest, most nonintuitive application on my system. But I need it because I love my iPods.

That is sooo true!

Of course Apple is far away from being a monopoly, unlike Microsoft is or at least was. But the monopolistic behaviour is similar.

Amazing, but considering the fact that the Apple brand is almost religiously embraced by its fans to an extent that could make the catholic church jealous, we can clearly see what makes Apple so successful:

Fantastic marketing.

While Microsoft always focused on either purchasing small(er) software shops to extend their portfolio or to dictate terms on their partners, Apple focused on marketing. Hey, it also worked for Nike in their battle against Adidas.

It all comes down to a simple rule: People don’t purchase products. People buy ideas, dreams or beliefs. And Apple sells exactly this. Apparently, they were rareley the first to launch certain types of products

Off the Record, a German advertising blog, pointed me to a site called MarketingApple by Steve Chazin, uncovering the secrets to Apple-style-marketing.

There you can find a PDF with „the five secrets of Apple Marketing„:

1. Don’t sell products. People buy what other people have.

2. Never be first to Market. Make something good greater.

3. Empower early adopters. Help your customer help you.

4. Make your message memorable. Boil the story down to its syrupy goodness.

5. Go one step futher. Surprise and delight your customers.

So there will be two good reasons for continuing to watch Apple: the fascinating products and how the fascination is nurtured by Apple Marketing.

This is fanfreaking fabulous!

Steve Jobs has announced the new iPhone. And man, do I want one!! You can check out a transcript of the presentation at engadget, including photos of the new toy. I borrowed some, hope that is alright (let me know when you need them back).

The main thing: the whole phone is a huge touchscreen, except for a homebutton. I mean everything. Even the button lock is unlocked via a move on the touchscreen (one that can’t just happen by accident in your pocket).

You apparently also don’t need a stylus, as you can do everything with your fingers, almost as you are used to it from the clickwheel from the iPod.

All the Buttons you need appear when you need them:

I am absolutely fascinated by this. Of course you can also listen to songs and watch videos with it. Freeking brilliant, really.

So what will it cost?

So how much more than $499 should we price it? We thought long and hard about it… it does so much stuff…” He’s stalling for the drama. Enough Steve! “What should we price it at? For a 4GB model we’re pricing it at $499 — no premium whatsoever.
“We’re going to have an 8GB model for just $599.”

Unfortunately we’ll have to wait until June 2007 until it becomes available. And that’s probably only in the US. When will I be able to get it in Germany?