So you think radio is a competitive business?
Apple is in a war with Samsung, and it’s a bloody one. Sure, it’s about volume (in radio parlance, ratings), but it’s even more about the cool factor. And in that dimension, Apple has a challenge on its hands with the Galaxy S4 handsets.
This is a similar challenge that radio stations face every day – how to “own” a hill and how to communicate leadership.
Radio often chooses a positioning statement (“Favorites of the ‘80s, ‘90s, & Today”) along with the superlative (“We’re #1”). But that’s not how you effectively reach the minds and hearts of consumers.
That’s why a look at how the big boys do it can oftentimes be instructive and insightful.
Here’s one of Apple’s new commercials for iPhone (a :60 commercial by the way, because you need that length to tell a great story). In that time frame, they communicate ownership of music and the smartphone space, but they do it in a way that radio brands rarely attempt.
Go ahead and watch it, and then let’s consider the implications.
>EMAIL RECIPIENTS: CLICK HERE TO WATCH APPLE COMMERCIAL<
So what’s happening here?
- Music passion – Without hearing what these people are listening to, we feel that music is a part of their lives. And so by extension if the iPhone. Radio likes to say that it communicates energy and color “in between the records,” but this spot exudes passion quietly, cleanly, and authentically.
- Real people tell the story – There are no statistics nor is there a breakdown of all the key features in the iPhone (how many songs it holds, how easy it is to use). This isn’t about stats and metrics (how many songs in a row or commercial-free minutes). It’s about how much makes you feel.
- Young people – They’re at the center of this commercial because Apple realizes how vital they are to their brand. If you lose your youth core, you’ve lost the foundation of your media audience – today and tomorrow. We saw how important Gen Z is to media brands in Techsurvey9 – a fact that Apple understands better than perhaps any other brand.
- Use of sound – We never hear the songs these people are listening to, but instead, the subtle background noise of where they are says a lot about taking music with you wherever you go (portability) and the role it plays in your life.
There’s also no fear of cannibalization. It shouldn’t be lost on us that while Apple is touting its iPhone as the premier way to listen to music, their iPod product is suffering. We saw this clearly in TS9. Look what’s happening on this Media Usage Pyramid inset to each of their gadgets, with percentage change from last year on the right side:
Apple doesn’t care. They recognize the battle at hand, and are rapidly moving to compete for the most important turf – smartphone ownership.
So when Apple says “More people enjoy their music on the iPhone than any other phone,” it’s believable.
Passion, storytelling, youth, ownership, audio.
Wonder how they’ll market iRadio?
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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If you parse the ad, its a very appealing, personal way of saying “we’re #1!”.
Somewhere soon after Steve Jobs got too sick to be involved in Apple, their new products lost their cool factor. The iPhone has become the standard issue “chick phone”. Not that tons of guys don’t have them, they do, but Apple isn’t ahead of the curve anymore – in fact, they’ve become (pun intended) “The Phone Company”. That’s a wonderful position to have and own, but its very different from being the one that introduced the iPod, iPhone and iPad – three very cool game changing devices for people in less than 10 years.
For all of those who have forgotten what people think of “The Phone Company”, or are too young to have experienced it:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7msbu_saturday-night-live-ernestine_fun#.UbHfVHUU8lo
It will be interesting to see how Apple navigates these waters and what their next move is – super cool or super something else.
Great observations, Bob. In this new war, Apple has to focus on winning the phone war. But they have the market pretty well cornered on cool gadgets – from iPhone to iPod to iPad….and those Macs. Thanks for the “phone company” perspective.
This is a great example Fred, thanks for sharing it.
I was disappointed to see Apple do something they typically don’t do – tag a hackneyed self-centered slogan onto an otherwise beautiful USER focused ad.
I was right there – feeling all the emotions they wanted me to feel. I even associated those emotions with Apple.
Then, just as we’re about to finish with a warm embrace, Apple reaches out and hands me their business card.
cringe.
They didn’t need to TELL me they were the most used Phone. I already FELT IT. And I felt it not because they manipulated reality to conform to their corporate worldview – but because it actually LOOKS and FEELS like my world.
I already SEE & FEEL it every time I walk down Market Street or take public transit. Ubiquitous White Ear Buds on people of all ages and ethnicities. They were making me feel joy about that. Why ruin the vibe with a self centered slogan?
I can only guess that somewhere in some committee meeting at Apple or the Ad agency someone became very afraid that the ad wasn’t selling features and product shots and comparison charts and discounts at “these fine retailers”!
They then sold that fear to everyone else and demanded a crude self centered positioning statement be slapped on the end to make sure “no one misses the point”.
Of course the price of making sure that no one “misses the point” – is that no one misses the REAL point of the Ad.
And that was APPLE needs to tell US that THEY are “Number One!”
And while I agree that nothing up to that point in the ad even resembles typical Radio “Branding” – the last :05 had Radio’s tattered old self-centered branding play-book written all over it.
Be extra careful using people’s emotions. They swing wildly in every direction.
Jeff, I KNEW that someone would mention the tag. It takes me back to sitting around a production suite, arguing back and forth with various groups about whether the commercial would be just fine on its own without that institutional tag. Is it overkill? I would love to hear from others. Thanks for starting the conversation.