First, the television commercial.
I love the part at the end where the iPhone user mimics the Samsung user: “Why don’t you get a 4G phone?
As loyal readers know, I’m a Mac user, 100%.
I have an iPhone.
How old is it? It doesn’t even have a video camera.
After a few years of use, the Button That Apparently Has No Name (circled in red) has started to stick, making it increasingly difficult to switch between applications.
(Sigh) That means it’s time to get a new phone.
I saw that commercial on YouTube. (I assume that somewhere it’s airing on television.)
Two days later I was walking along Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, California, when I passed an AT&T store. AT&T is the service provider for my current cell phone plan.
On an impulse, I went inside to see what the latest iPhone looks like, costs, etc.
The AT&T salesperson gave me a big pitch for the Samsung. Told me about the iPhone’s weak battery life. Plus its inability to access 4G networks.
No, I didn’t buy a Samsung. But I left the shop wondering if the iPhone still was the best choice for me.
I continued my stroll to the Santa Monica Promenade, and what did I encounter? An Apple Store.
I went inside, looked at the iPhones, and grilled the Apple salesperson about the phone’s battery and lack of 4G access.
I learned that the AT&T guy had omitted some key elements of the Apple vs. Samsung story.
I plan to stick with the iPhone. But it was that TV commercial that led me even to consider an alternative brand.
That’s how effective broadcast advertising works. It enters the conversation the consumer already is having (“I’ve got to replace my iPhone”) and offers a solution.
It doesn’t cause consumers to run into the store shouting, “I saw your commercial on TV/heard it on the radio!”
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I saw that ad on TV. Thought it was brilliant. Well done. Excellent work. Now all we need to do is educate our clients better.
So what key elements did the Apple guy say that the AT&T guy omitted?
@Bob:
1. That the battery problem has been fixed.
2. Embarrassingly, at the moment I don’t recall the response about 4G vs. 3G. But whatever it was, it made sense to me and made me realize it wouldn’t be an important factor for me at this time.
(Just a few days ago, I did purchase a new iPhone. Haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but…)
Clients !!!!!!!!! arggghhh its been made easier for them to read their own commercials now , with digital editing they can virtually just say 2 words and the whole script can be pieced together BUT its sounds like crap, pity the sales rep hasn’t got the balls to tell the client that
Awesome!! Especially because I am a Samsung person. Ahem.
You didn’t get Samsunged? Awww. Oh well. Reality is Dan, you have no reason to look outside the Apple “iNiverse” – you’re already 100% in their ecosystem. You’ve been using (and presumably have been happy with) the product for YEARS – so what is the incentive to switch? If battery life is a huge factor, you’re going to look no further than the Motorola RAZR MAXX with that delicious 3300mAh battery pack. Beyond that? Use what you like. I love watching Apple fanboy vs Android fanboy vs Windows Phone fanboy (even if there aren’t many by comparison) debates. All based on heated emotional attachment to their brands, SOME based on relatively meaningless hardware specs, and so very few based on reality.
These Samsung ads play directly to the fanboys … devoid of reason … pointing out the insanity that plagues them. Giving those who already have them a reinforcement of their righteousness, giving those in the other camp pause to wonder. But never directly telling the ‘other camp’ what to do.
Personally? I’m an Android fan. My iPod touch (4th gen) experience was a big part of it. Even though my Milestone (aka the original Droid in the US) is pretty ancient hardware-wise, I still prefer the way it all works over iOS. Nothing WRONG with iOS, but I prefer Android. That’s the main reason the iPad was never a consideration when I bought my wife a tablet. That, and the iPad just couldn’t match the features of the Asus Transformer. That thing is a BEAST!! But, as always, YMMV.