“The new Mac OS X 10.4 operating system, aka Tiger, puts Apple Computer 18 months ahead of Microsoft and its cohorts, Dell and Hewlett-Packard, in delivering a better computing experience for most mainstream activities,” Forrester Research analysts Ted Schadler and Charles Golvin write for CNET News. “Apple’s improvements in the areas that matter most to consumers–safety, convenience, entertainment and simplicity–are facilitated by its use of open-source software. Alas, most consumers won’t be wowed immediately by innovations like the Spotlight dynamic search or four-way video chat because they aren’t driven to them from the outset. Next time, Apple should use movie-trailer-style promotions and interactive teaching tools to walk consumers through the benefits and features.”
Schadler and Golvin write:
Any consumer product–movie, automobile or operating system–must be promoted to put the benefits front and center in consumers’ minds. To pump up the virtues of its next operating system–and give consumers new reasons to buy a computer–Apple should (and Microsoft must):
• Use television spots and movie-trailer-style promotions to highlight the new benefits.
As Apple has learned with its iPod marketing, integrated marketing campaigns led by television spots can draw in large numbers of consumers. Apple should take this one step further with long-form or movie-trailer-style promotions that walk consumers through the key features and benefits.
• Build interactive teaching tools for each consumer scenario.
Once the operating system is fired up, consumers must also be led by the hand through its features. Apple should build interactive, high-definition and, probably, animated video tools to teach consumers how to use dynamic search or set up a four-way video chat or configure the computer so children will be protected online. Dedicate some of that video processing power to turning the computer into a self-help teaching tool.
Schadler and Golvin also cover a wide range of Mac OS X Tiger’s benefits and features in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple run TV spots for Mac OS X? Wonder how that would work? Movie-trailer-style promotions? Hmm, very interesting idea there. Let’s expand on that concept: Imagine a movie-trailer-length Mac OS X Tiger “show and tell” that runs before the next Pixar film and is also conveniently included on every Pixar DVD. It would be seen by many millions of people who today simply have no idea what Apple offers with Mac OS X. Couldn’t Apple’s CEO call up Pixar’s CEO and make something like that happen?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Mac fans line up for new operating system as passberby asks ‘what is a tiger?’ – April 29, 2005
Apple posts QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action – April 13, 2005
Why doesn’t Apple advertise Mac OS X on TV? – April 12, 2005
Man, can you imagine seeing Tiger on the big screen? That would be awesome showing Spotlight and Dashboard on the big screen before a Pixar movie.
Too bad Apple’s CEO is *really* busy right now. I’m sure he’d love to chat with Pixar’s CEO.
(I’m sure most of you know this, but Steve is the CEO of Apple and Pixar. Just had to make sure everybody gets MDN’s take! :D)
For the life of me I can’t understand why Apple doesn’t advertise ANYTHING they make, besides the iPod. Look at how there was an iPod commercial on all the time and what it did for it. Most people I know have never heard of, for example, GarageBand. They don’t have a clue about it or OS X. Jeez, I hope more analysts start talking about Apple’s lack of TV advertising and maybe Apple will start doing some. Who said that you can’t afford NOT to advertise…was it P.T. Barnum? Anyway, PLEASE ADVERTISE APPLE! Microsoft is going all out with advertising and they don’t even have a product!
Magic word: reaction – as in what would happen if they did advertise.
Magic word: reaction – as in what would happen if they did advertise.
I think that would be a double edged sword for Apple who have never been any good at producing enough to meet public demand. Mind you the least they could do is try it….?!
Yeh-hehesssss. With any luck, Apple’s first movie trailer promo will be debuting with my first film, coming soon to theaters near you. I know, I know — I’ve gotten offers of much more dough from de likes of Microsoft, but you know what they say: If you lie down with dogs, you’ll wake up with fleas! Yeh-heh-hehesssss!!!
Hey, wait a minute-
People might even think it was a new computer system or something
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />!
winmacguy — they seem to be producing enough iPod’s now. I don’t see why they couldn’t keep up with demand from the patcher-switchers.
If they are serious about capitalizing on the success of the iPod, they’re going to have to advertise. Period.
^
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”LOL” style=”border:0;” />
I don’t think you have fleas, Triumph.
“Hi, George Foreman here…”
It’s really frustrating that Apple doesn’t advertise. My husband brought my LCD iMac G4 to work with him a couple weeks ago, and everyone just LOVED it and wanted to know where they can get one. We had to explain to them that it’s no longer for sale. I mean, they didn’t even have any idea that the iMac LCD even existed!
And if Apple creates a TV ad, I really really wish they’d forgo the “cool” part and just make it connect with the masses instead. I hate to say it, but Dell actually does a good job with respect to advertising (although most of their ads border on misrepresentation). Still, Dell manages to get its message across, no matter how far from the truth it may be.
Well the hardware exists.. av.. the iMac ads are ancient.. they just don’t advertise software…
You don’t remember the iMac ads where a guy is walking past a window making faces at the iMac, and it sticks its tongue out at him (the CD drive)
Rush had a five minute session today, where he probably sold 5000 Macs, just by saying how great they are. Also he explained a bit about Tiger. It was great! He’s been using them for years and has a 20 million listening audience. Jobs won’t advertise on Rush’s show because of politics. Remember when a tiny company called Snapple became a giant company overnight because of exposure on the EIB network?
Now don’t panic you libs. It’s just good business to go with the best. You could put ads on Air America and maybe sell a shuffle or two.
Well, Apple has a radio ad out!!!! Yes, really, compliments of Rush Limbaugh believe it or not. He says…
“Windows users are in the stone age”
“Mac OS X is fabulous”
“Widgets are pretty cool”
“.Mac is a miraculous syncing technology”
Listen here:
http://homepage.mac.com/ddejesus/Rush_TigerOSX.mp3
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com
Let’s go Apple, get on the ball!!!!!
Great job MacDude.
Looks like we’re both on the ball, Ron, thanks.
C’mon Apple do it, damn it!!!
It’s not just MAC OS X Tiger Apple should be advertising, on TV, with posters or in the cinema. They should be also be advertising the Power Mac G5, the cinema display’s, all their software and hardware. Apple, Please do more advertising.
When everyone is using Mac, it will stop being fun. Mac users are energized by the feeling of exclusivity, superiority, community. They feel they are in a position of priviledge and advantage.
When the redneck driving a pickup parks in front of his trailer in Georgia, will you feel good about him being like ‘you’?
Get real. Also, if Mac is making that guy happy, they can’t be making the cadre happy. Windows is trying to do that and is failing a little more every day.
Don’t worry too much. Apple is just waiting the right time to advertise the OS, and it is probably not just now yet
The TV ad should show 2 computor user sitting next to each other. The MS user is looking at his computor angry, pulling his hair out. The ‘tiger’ user is smiling & laughting as he does his computor work.
Get it DONE!!!
Mac users are energized by the feeling of exclusivity, superiority, community
—
yeah.. wouldn’t that be cool if people started ENJOYING viruses and outdated technology because THAT was exclusive?
Go peddle this TIRED cliché elsewhere..
I’ve been out at a seminar in the middle of the state (the state capitol, actually) since Wednesday and my iBook has been like the Coke bottle that dropped into that village in The Gods Must Be Crazy. However, the people know absolutely nothing about Macs–the only things they really “know” about them are that they are expensive, and don’t run the same software as Windows machines. “Is that a Microsoft Word document you have open there?” was asked several times. (Well yes, that is a Microsoft Word document, that I typed during the day, saved to a USB disk, and then took to a UPS Store where they loaded it on their PC, printed the document out, copied it, bound it, and sent it out for delivery. That I was able to type because my iBook was up and running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. while being plugged in to recharge for only 45 minutes mid-day.)
Nobody knew a thing about them other than high price and that not many people used them. No knowledge of OS X at all.
One guy said, “You must be from out of town, you can’t buy a mac for a couple of hours around here.” (He was originally from Baltimore.)
It is hard to fault these folks since Apple hasn’t made much of an effort to tell anyone otherwise. Hell, there aren’t even TV ads for the mac mini.
It is pretty bad when the only way people in most of the country hear about the benefits of a mac is a from a bloated, loudmouthed drug addict.
OpJ
“When the redneck driving a pickup parks in front of his trailer in Georgia, will you feel good about him being like ‘you’?”
Fu*k you! I live in a trailer and drive a pickup and some of my friends are rednecks. So Fu*k you!
When the G5 iMac came out, the Back Eyed Peas did a promotional video. Did that show in movie theaters? Should have — it rocked. Something like that for Panther could help.
RE: “When everyone is using Mac, it will stop being fun. Mac users are energized by the feeling of exclusivity, superiority, community. They feel they are in a position of priviledge and advantage.”
So you let other people that you don’t even know affect what you think and do? You sound like a Windows user to me when you say that!
“When the redneck driving a pickup parks in front of his trailer in Georgia, will you feel good about him being like ‘you’?”
If you are an actual adult, as opposed to a +21 year old adolescent, how can you allow yourself to be influenced by a redneck, or by a Manhattan elitist? I don’t get it.
“Get real. Also, if Mac is making that guy happy, they can’t be making the cadre happy. Windows is trying to do that and is failing a little more every day.”
No one makes anyone else happy. In the case of a company who makes a great product, they just tell the world about their great product , the customer makes the decision about whether to buy or not to buy, and that customer is either happy or not, but whether you are “happy” or not does not affect whether I am.
“making the cadre happy” ?????????? Maybe too many sociology or psychobabble classes, or something.
I have a degree on Sociology, so I know of where I speak.