“What is more troubling than the businesses who want to sell a ton of merchandise during the holiday quarter are the businesses who seemingly to want to cater to the consumer but completely ignore a major segment of their business during the busy season. The culprit here is, of course, Apple Computer,” Chris Seibold writes for Apple Matters. “Apple, predictably, will advertise the batteries out the new iPod and possibly the iPod nano… Which is great, in the last quarter the iPod accounted for 33% of Apple’s income. The iPod is obviously a popular product and hence it should be advertised. Still Apple is giving short shrift, at least from a marketing perspective, to the new iMac. It is important to remember that Macintosh computers still account for 43% of Apple’s sales, the largest percentage of Apple’s revenue.(Is Apple a computer company that happens to sell iPods, or an iPod company that sells a high priced iPod add-on computer? The line between the two grows more blurred daily).”
Seibold writes, “Windows users, in general, are unaware of the goodness that is Macintosh… Apple has an eminently marketable product in the new iMac. Therefore they should take a tip from the other corporations dotting the business landscape and advertise the thing. Please.”
Full article here.
[UPDATE: October 28, 2005: 4:40pm ET: Corrected “eminently” in Seibold’s article.]
But, if Apple advertised the Mac, people might buy more Macs! People might actually understand that their insipid Word documents will work fine on a Mac. People might figure out that, yes, Virginia, “Macs have the Internet” and can do email. People might even get a glimpse of GarageBand or Dashboard or Front Row or something equally cool. They might see something that’s refined and elegant inside and out instead of dull and mediocre through and through. Can’t have that sort of stuff, now can we? Seibold must’ve lost his mind. Yeah, yeah, we know: iPods sell Macs.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
More would switch from Windows to Mac if Apple advertised more effectively – September 04, 2005
Forrester analysts: Apple should advertise Mac OS X Tiger on television and in movie theaters – April 29, 2005
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
Why doesn’t Apple show its patented Mac OS X ‘Genie Effect’ in TV ads? – October 07, 2004
Top Ten things Apple needs to show the world about Macintosh – July 30, 2003
See also my comment about the fear of microsoft article a few days ago.
That is what I have ALWAYS wanted to know. And when they do advertise something usually people have no idea who made it, or anything about the product they are advertising.
They’ve never advertised the G5 iMac on TV. Or the Mac mini for that matter. I don’t get it.
Actually though, I think they should stay away from focusing on the hardware and advertise OS X. Microsoft has a TV campaign going on now for XP that’s awful, but at least they’ve got the right idea.
I’ve got a Mac, most people who visit this site do also. I don’t need anyone to advertise to me.
I agree they need more advertising, but I think they should wait until the Intel switch is in full swing and they have a viable alternative (including integrated spreadsheet) waiting in the wings to replace Office when MS pulls the plug.
I really agree with those who’ve said the Apple might have a clever strategy to move to Intel to get users to buy a box that can be dual booted to Win or OS X. Once they have that option, they can market that too and when people compare OS X with the piece of junk that Vista will turn out to be they tide will start to swing more rapidly.
I love the gratuitous crack about “insipid” Word documents.
i dont, im a poor high school senior who cant afford a mac yet, anyone wanna donate to the buy stephen an iMac fund?
apple needs to reach out to people. that is part of the reason they opened the retail stores…people go in to pick up an ipod, and see an iMac!
MDN magic word: began, as in “Apple began to advertise, and finally took over the electronics world”
I think they should pick a region of the US and advertise OS X there. Make sure the stores there have plenty of stock and advertise – get a whole bunch of people to start looking. Because it will be a small enough area, people will start to look into it together. People would say: “Hey, I saw that ad for the Mac, what is that about.” Then, they might start talking about computers and in a group, that would be more tempting to walk into the Apple store and try it out. It’s always easier in a group. Then, as more people get them, it will grow. I’m not saying that they should market everywhere at once, too much growth can be a bad thing, but just start pockets of it and manage the growth that way.
It was one year ago today that I made the “switch,” and bought a G5 iMac. So that’s been 365 days without spyware, adware, viruses, or the blue screen of death.
And I am NEVER going back!
Why Apple doesn’t advertise the iMac or the Mini is beyond me. Of course if they did could they keep up with demand?
Once the Intel switch starts then you will see a lot of OS X and Mac advertising. Apple will start really stepping up mass-marketing of those products as they have with the iPod.
One of the problems Apple has had is getting enough supply of chips from IBM and Moto. Even if 5 times the amount of people wanted an iMac they probably could get one. At this point, advertizing won’t help. Apple are probably selling all the Macs they can make without advertizing.
If they are assured of a plentiful supply of chips from Intel, then they can ramp up production in advance of increased demand as a result of new product and an advertizing blitz.
The ads will probably be quite simple. Something along the lines of:
Fast, cheap, safe (no viruses), stable (no crashes), cool (OS X and design), software (iLife etc). And did I mention COOL.
With the hype that iPod has generated, all Apple will need is a stylish case (which they already have done) and loads of screenshots.
But, and the big but is – will Intel come up with the goods on time and in volume. I still have my doubts.
I don’t expect to see the big advertising campaign until the first intel iMac and iBook. I can only imagine how Apple will push that single change. Current Mac users may not like the intel switch. I don’t mind at all.
Point is, you don’t need to advertise a Mac to a Mac user – they are going to go to Apple.com anyway. However, when you can give a windows user that familiar “intel inside” feeling – the switch won’t feel like such a risk. It’s not.
Reading tea leaves: we might see an Apple office product to ease the switch as well?
Wait until the new intel line-up for an aggressive ad campaign.
Palmer
Refreshing as I usally do right before I post – looks like The Puppet Master beat me to “my” take.
Actually, Apple does have many print advertisements for Macs and OS X, but not television ads. In fact, the last TV ad for a Mac that I remember was the “there is no third step” ads for the original iMacs.
FINALLY, SOMEONE SAID IT!!!!!!!!
STEVE, FOR GOD’S SAKE WOULD YOU ADVERTISE THE MAC????
ESPECIALLY AT THIS RIGHT TIME OF APPLE POPULARITY AND THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW IMAC!!!!!
Anyone know Tauk tours? For many years they made it big as a word of mouth travel company– catering to high-end (usually older) people who wanted to have a travel experience, but not the hassle. They have grown very, very large. many companies do this, but most of us lead lives that never cross their paths.
Apple is either a large comapny failing to make it bigger (from lack of advertising), or a small comapny making it huge (because people DO pass the message on).
For me, the interesting thing is whether word of mouth can take over an industry…?
You guys don’t get it. These days advertising has nothing or little to do with actual products. Large publicity firms such as he one Apple has had for years (TBWA/Chiat/Day) don’t sell products, they sell “experience” or some other crap like this. Just look at car ads, they show you what a great feeling it is to drive this car rather than the car specs. It’s the same with soap, shampoo ot any other products. Under Steve jobs, Apple has a long history of ad campaing having nothing to do with hardware (remember the Think Different ad : Here’s for the cazy one, the misfits…). These ads are cool, aren’t they Steve ?
That’s too bad because people who don’t use Macs still believe all the myths about Macs not being compatible with Windows, costing more, having no software, etc. Apple’s ads may be cool but I don’t think that a lot of people desperately in need for a good compting experience are willing to throw everything they know (i.e. Wintel) and try something new just because “these ads are so freaking cool !”
We Macs users take a lot of things for granted while 95% of computer users still believe that owning a Mac is being isolated from the world. Unless Apple starts telling potential buyers the truth cool ads will just be that: cool ads.
Hopefully some people going in Apple Stores to buy an iPod will take a look at the iMac G5 or the Mac mini and see that they are not just hype products and, yes, you can send an email to a Windows user with a Macintosh.
Apple doesnt need to advertise. They need to manufacture more hardware to keep up with current demand.
Indeed, why?
when SJ first took the CEO position at apple in 97 he said something along the lines of: ‘We’ve been spending 100 million a year on advertising and not getting results. We’re going to keep spending 100 mill a year and do it right’ who knew he meant not at all=right?
MW table. As in Apple please put some mac advertising on the table
“Once the Intel switch starts then you will see a lot of OS X and Mac advertising. Apple will start really stepping up mass-marketing of those products as they have with the iPod.”
It’s about time somebody said it!
Apple is just entering the Intel-switch curve. Now is NOT the time to make a major pitch to the other side. Want to turn off PC users? Make them give up their current software investment, only to come back in a year or two & say they could’ve kept their old apps anyway. The last thing Apple needs is new switchers thinking they got screwed.
Current Mac users & the Halo Effect will carry things well enough until the Intel transition has stabilized a little. Then Apple can open the flood gates.
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I don’t think Apple has the infrastructure to meet demand. It has nothing to do with fearing MS or anything similar. I believe they’re waiting to make the transition to Intel to begin the marketing campaign. Why market a product that’s only going to be phased out in a couple of years. The Pro market is another thing and I think Apple will continue to provided support and maybe a few new products. But for the most part PPC is dead to Apple. I think the coming year will prove to be a very successful and reveling year.
Give me 24 hours as CEO. That all I need.
Q; Why in Jobs’ name doesn’t Apple advertise the Macintosh?
A: Stealth.
Apple is making really good money while perfecting an operating system that has a stable history and no blatantly inherent design deficiencies. Purchasing NeXT was a long-term investment for Apple.*
OS X was first adopted by the alpha geeks. Then teens and tweens. college kids and creative pros. Now it’s sneaking into server rooms. Next will be living rooms.
Apple will continue widening the functionality, security and reliability gaps between OS X and Windows. But Apple will let mediocre thought continue with ideas like “Apple has great marketing, but Macs are not real computers” and much of the other FUD aimed at those that do not think for themselves. Although mediocre thought is slow, it is dangerous when threatened. Apple is wise to shrink it to it’s core before waking it up.
And by the time mediocre thought and MS’s major stake-holders notice what’s going on, it will be too late. The gap will be too wide. Then you can show the fools what they’ve been missing.
*It may be more accurate to say “getting Apple to purchase NeXT was a long-term strategic move for Steve.”
It must be awful to be an Apple marketing exec. Best product in the world, but every time you sneak out a new product (how cheap is a Jobs RDF stage show in PR terms), you have huge difficulty in meeting demand. Stock control is pretty impeccable: the best evidence of a coming hardware upgrade is a drying up of the channel.
I suspect that the real worst fear in Infinite Loop is of effectively tapping that latent demand which all we Mac fans (and they as well) believe to be there. They don’t advertise because they know couldn’t meet demand if it were to double or triple, rather merely go up by about 50% as it did last year.
TomCS
“That’s too bad because people who don’t use Macs still believe all the myths about Macs not being compatible with Windows”
Thats what the Switch ads were for, and despite all the endless drivel about them not being successful, they really were. I know, trust me.
Just because they didn’t double marketshare overnight doesn’t mean that they were ineffective. Slowly, people are starting to see through the myths. The ones who can’t shouldn’t be using a Mac anyway.
Apple is the iPod company. Computers are a legacy product.