“Many writers and readers have wondered why Apple has not advertised Mac OS X on television or in print. They argue that the inherent superiority of Mac OS X compared to other operating systems is so obvious that Apple is crazy not to advertise it. Typically, a long laundry list of failed technologies in Windows is compared to successful technologies in Mac OS X. Its Unix roots and better resistance to malware and viruses is touted. Candidate ideas for 30 second TV spots are outlined. And when all is said and done, many end up suspecting that Steve Jobs must have struck a secret deal with Bill Gates to keep this far superior OS under wraps and a secret from the world in exchange for some concession,” John Martellaro writes for The Mac Observer. “From my perspective, things are quite different. Here’s why.”
“A computer operating system, an OS, is a very abstract concept for most modern users. Especially those not-so technical users who are new to computers,” Martellaro writes. “Even with an elegant GUI, such as Mac OS X’s Finder, (or better, CocoaTech’s PathFinder) there is a huge gap between what the OS does — here’s the key — and seducing a non-technical customer into making a purchase decision. After all, Mac OS X, Windows and Linux all have the WIMP interface: windows, icons, menus and a pointing device. To the untrained customer’s eye, they all pretty much look alike… As a result of this understanding of the product profile of an OS, it’s very, very difficult to create — in a 30 second TV ad or a print ad — a compelling and appealing set of images that create appreciation and then demand for a particular OS… The situation could change in the future, but that’s why I believe Apple has not yet advertised Mac OS X.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A very interesting article, with which we do not agree, however, it is well worth the read and highly recommended. We believe that Apple could create compelling TV commercials that show the world, if nothing else, what Mac OS X looks like and the basics of how it operates, so that when the Windows Vista marketing appears the masses will at least recognize that Microsoft’s clone came from Apple, as usual. Even just showing MS Word and Excel running on a Mac in a TV commercial would open a lot of eyes and be very effective.
Related articles:
Apple in secret deal with Microsoft to hide Macintosh from world? – January 19, 2006
Why in Jobs’ name doesn’t Apple advertise the Macintosh? – October 27, 2005
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
“I’ve seen Winduhs TV ads showing people the “fun” they can have with Windows. Apple needs to show snippets iLife does.”
I can see it now,
Macintosh, just like Windows, but different.
Another idea. Everyone write to Bill O’Reilyly”s Talking Pointsat at FOX News. Ask him to do a show on Apple’s OS X and what it has to offer.
Address oreilly@foxnews.com
WRONG AGAIN,
you are such a contrarian
Obviously MDN knows nothing about advertising… I mean, just look at the BS they tried to pull last weekend… Look at the god awful layout and design of this website…
MDN, give up already with your advertising ideas.. Apple knows better than you.
Jeff: re: “Get on QVC.”
Funny thing. I remember seeing a MacTV (68030 LC 550) on the Home Shopping Network in the early 90’s. The salesbot was talking to a women on the phone about how this computer was perfect for desktop publishing AND entertaining the family. That was a hoot.
Apple already did individual spots for the iLife apps several years ago, iPhoto, iDvd and iMovie… I’m sure if they were successful they would have continued…
I won’t say the answer to who and why are easy, because who and why know the answer, and the reasons behind them. Aside from that, it will be said that MAC ate dirt with their new intel commercial. Not enough people get interested enough to actually go looking into the subject. Now take 30 seconds, and advertise garageband! Take another 30 seconds and advertise iDvd, see where I’m going? Make 3-5 different commercials, all about something different. But also include the ipod’s compatability. Now every ipod user out tehre goes “Hey, I can use my mp3 player for something else as well?”. I’m not saying I have an effective marketing stratedgy. But I am saying I have something better than what I have seen.
As for supply vs demand. You make your supply to meet the demands. Demands rise, your supply should rise as well. There ain’t no way in hell that the amount of people switching to mac per month would in any way affect shipments by more than a week.
He’s right. Its that simple.
I’m always amazed at how many folks seem to think they could sell Macs better than Apple does. Apple has some of the most brilliant minds and best marketing people in the business.
Either they aren’t trying to ramp up demand very much or, as the author suggested, 30 second ads just can’t relate what are now very subtle (though still significant) differences between the two platforms.
I think folks often underestimate the human tendedancy to go with the herd. Look at it this way… when the Mac was released in 1984 the differences between a Mac and a PC were *drastic* and immediately recognizable even to the most casual observer.
And Apple still didn’t make any marketshare headway. Why would an ad campaign work now when the gap is clearly less obvious?
Imagine a 30 second spot that begins with two windows side-by-side demonstrating a search for an obscure file. OSX elegance versus XP. Then, as the seacrh progresses, the camera’s eye draws back to expose both windows running on a MacBook Pro.
Versatility, and design eminence.
Did all of you actually read the article? Explain to me an add feature expose that would make you go buy something? Or fast user switching – oh wow! If these were the only things that were advertised I would think Apple was a pitiful company!
The comparison made to car ads is quite a good one – anyone seen a Jag commercial lately? I don’t generally see a long list of features scrolling across the screen as the machine zooms along. I will admit the concept of advertising things you can do – such as Microsoft did recently with their ‘start something’ campaign, but how do you convey ‘sure Window’s can do it, but we can do it more simply’? That is something you have to experience to understand.
The goal of marketing is to create a brand that stands for something and that resonates with your target group of people. To that end, Apple has done a fairly poor job recently with everything except the iPod. Personally, the ‘think different (ly)’ campaign was the peak.
Of course, I don’t see any of those posters above can’t mock up a simple 30 minute clip and post it on the internet, who knows what could happen.
Like it or not the truth is that the most common question asked of staff at Apple Stores is, “Can it run Office?”
You don’t advertise the detailed features of Mac OS or of any of the applications. Commercials are not training videos. They are supposed to just touch the customers emotions. Watch a windows advertisement, they don’t detail what WMV is or how to burn a disk. They associate the product with a broad concept. Dell doesn’t detail its PCs either, they just show them and then sell the price. As far as not being able to keep up with demand, what else are they in business for? A company can only go in one of two directions, expand or shrink.
Here’s a thought…a 30-second commercial begins…the entire television screen looks like a destop.
You see the curser moving around doing things…multiple things happening at once. Maybe you hear a voice to facilitate the viewers understanding of something that’s occuring on the desktop. It’s an elegant dance for a powerful and secure operating system. Mac OSX everywhere you want to be…everything you want to do…elegant, powerful, secure, wireless, etc.
mactypedude, I think you have the right idea. But picture a split screen. With a “Windows” household on the left and a Mac household on the right. The Mac household has someone doing what you suggest (highlighting a specific feature) and enjoying it. The Windows house has someone pulling their hair out trying to do the same thing, complaining about it and showing frustration. You could even get subtle and show someone in the background, stealing stuff from the Windows house, or in some other way indicating lack of security.
“iLife is the big selling points for Macs. Show how easy it is to make a movie. Mention that it is free on a mac. Talk about iPhotos books and cards and organization.”
Talk about?? in 30 seconds?? And how will you “clearly” differentiate yourself from any of the number of Windows Photo programs out there?
My wife uses my Mac when her PC screws up or when she just can’t make the software work right, which happens several times a year. Sadly and at best, she’s ‘sorta comfortable’ with the Mac, but she always goes back to the stinkin’ PC, often after spending arduous hours and hours figuring out what her issue was and getting it straightened out. It’s usually due to complicated user interface confusion on her part, btw.
I dunno, seems like the PC crowd is simply addicted to pain, at least they certainly seem willing to endure a lot of discomfort primarily to preserve the familiarity of Windows and all the difficulties that come with it. It’s very sad and very frustrating.
So .. be assured that I most definitely DO want to see XP booting on Intel Macs. It’s the only way my wife is going to welcome the purchase of a new Mac at our house, unfortunately. :sigh:
shipwithsails,
“Watch a windows advertisement, they don’t detail what WMV is or how to burn a disk. “
Right on the money!
ad you will never see…
close up of counter showing malware on windows and mac systems. Windows on the left has numbers flying by so fast you can’t read it. The mac counter appears stuck at 3. (or zero, depending on your view of recent developments.) Camera zooms out to show someone bewildered at the discrepency. They bang on the mac counter to fix it. It goes backwards from 3 to 1. Window’s counter begins to smoke.
Cut to Apple logo.
“The Windows house has someone pulling their hair out trying to do the same thing, complaining about it and showing frustration. You could even get subtle and show someone in the background, stealing stuff from the Windows house, or in some other way indicating lack of security.”
While kinda cliche’, this actually works as a commercial more than “show off iPhoto” “show off Expose'” However, it’s not “Advertising the OS”. It’s a commercial DRAMATIZING differences which may or may not come across clearly to the viewer.
As the author wrote…
“there is a huge gap between what the OS does — here’s the key — and seducing a non-technical customer into making a purchase decision.”
And I’ve yet to see how this can be done in 30 seconds.
“close up of counter showing malware on windows and mac systems.”
Again, interesting concept, but the author’s point still holds. This might be fun for a Mac user to see on TV, but I don’t see how it would drive a Mac purchase.
Split screen, windows on one side i-mac on other family just gets home from trip wants to share photos, basically how easy seemless to do on mac versus how hosed on windows, no talking just watching the disappointed family on the windows side when it freezes up.
To date, the best ad Apple has ever run showing the superiority of the Mac OS over Windows (including 1984) was this one:
A man is delivering a presentation to a large audience using his Windows PC when it starts to freak out on him. Everyone in the audience can see the error messages on the projector. They start shouting out helpful suggestions: “Hit control alt delete, check this, check that, etc. Then finally, one guy shouts out: “Get a Mac!”
They will never top that.
Recording technology is fairly abstact to me, and I doubt I could tell the difference between most VCRs and DVD recorders unless I was up close. But I sure know the difference after a comparison of recordings made on them. So demonstrating high points of OS X vs Doze is too difficult? Please.
first: Don’t think that supply problem is an issue, you can just make more. They’re doing it now.
Without iLife and self made software (from Apple), the OS doesn’t have much to offer the average user, and they would just pass up the machine and move to the cheaper model. Think about it, without Apple producing really good integrated software, they would need to rely on 3rd parties, and at this point that would kill Apple (a least to the average consumer).
Recent Microsoft ads that I have seen do not advertise the OS, they advertise what CAN BE DONE with the OS. A Really big difference, that even MS understands (quality issues aside). Getting people to understand what they can do with the OS, that is unique to that OS, is really what Apple needs to do. The iLife suite does just that, and that would be easy to do in 30 sec.
Those of you that stated this before are on the right track. I think MDN is really naive on their take. You are not going to sell ease of use, or a lovely interface in thirty or even sixty seconds, to get people to change, especially when the machines up front cost more than the low level mac (upgrade issues, and part or feature hardware notwithstanding).
Thanks for reading this at the end of a very long line of posts.
Can’t really be certain if anyone did in fact. I’ll check back later.
“They will never top that.”
Maybe. But this would be fun to work with:
Apple Ad Concept