“Apple’s online push behind the iPhone 5C has gone from Tumblr to The New York Times home page,” Mark Walsh reports for Mediapost. “A display ad dominating the upper right corner of the page features the same ad creative as the Tumblr page launched earlier this month to promote its mid-tier-priced handset, which has had disappointing sales so far.”
“Opening NYTimes.com initially sends a series of animated yellow dots scurrying from around the page into the ad unit, resolving to form the rear image of an iPhone 5C official case,” Walsh reports. “The ad then presents a selection of six of the 17 15-second videos showcased on the iPhone 5C Tumblr page, highlighting its array of bright colors.”
Walsh reports, “The ads mark a more aggressive promotional effort online for a particular product than usual for Apple, which has generally favored TV and print over online advertising and shunned social media marketing. Creating a presence on Tumblr for the iPhone 5C looks like a bid to reach millennials as a core market for the lower-priced model. It has been overshadowed by the flagship iPhone 5S since both were released in September. The company conceded in its fourth-quarter earnings call that it has seen lower-than expected sales of the 5C. Separate eports have indicated the model been outsold 2-to-1 by the 5S.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: According to CIRP, in the days after launch, the iPhone 5c accounted for 27% of iPhone sales vs. 64% for iPhone 5s. In the previous year, also according to CIRP, the iPhone 4s captured 23% vs. 68% for iPhone 5.
So, how are sales of the 5c “disappointing?” Answer: They’re not. It’s a media concoction. Apple expected a bit more than they got, but that doesn’t mean sales of iPhone 5c are “disappointing” in the grand scheme of things. The iPhone also-rans would kill for iPhone 5c sales.
Related article:
Tumblr becomes weapon of choice for Apple’s marketing team – March 2, 2014
CNBC claims iPhone 5c sales ‘disappointing’ despite proof otherwise – October 15, 2013