Marketing: Where One Industry Got In Right

 

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Giovanni ‘jjjohn’ Orlando / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

As a consumer, nothing attracts my attention more than a well-done commercial or ad. However many businesses, especially on television, choose the cute or lack of information approach replacing facts with flash, but in the wrong way. Some companies have brilliantly mastered advertising; informing, persuading, and adding humor together that makes sense, and markets to a defined audience. Two major industries, technology and automotive, spend time and money marketing to potential consumers, yet only one industry fully understands how to use the power of advertisement.

There are a variety of laptops, smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles on the market today, and it will continue to expand in the future. Technology is a necessity, without it many business couldn’t run day-to-day operations, staying in contact with friends and family would be more difficult, and students working on a term paper for college would be confined to the library reading books instead of doing research on their laptops. The product is already a guaranteed sell, but which company excels over the other and how? This is where marketing and advertising comes in. One popular technology company went over and above, defined who their audience was, explained the differences between them and the competition, and each commercial brought humor that was backed up by facts. Apple.

The Mac versus PC ad campaign that Apple ran is the perfect example and should be a blueprint for all companies, any size and in any sector. The short commercials said a mouthful in a very condensed timeframe, both visually and contextually. The actor portraying Mac is young, dresses in more comfortable clothes, and is clearly in his 20’s, while the older, more professional, and traditional guy portrays the PC. In each ad, something Mac has that Microsoft PC’s don’t is brought up, such as apps, capabilities exclusive to Mac’s, and the fact that Apple’s don’t get viruses like PC’s.

Apples will always appeal to the younger generations for many reasons other than the fact that PC’s are known to be used by companies and businesses. The ads contributed to the already popular belief that PC’s were for the highly intelligent, hard working business professional, which is why the actor playing Mac is the typical twenty to thirty year old adult. However, Apple didn’t overstep their bounds by offending PC users, but inserted facts about their product that the competition doesn’t offer. As both a Mac and PC user, I understand the differences between the two, and how Apple offers more appealing applications than Windows operated desktops and laptops.

A few years later, Microsoft released a few of their own ads showing what their tablet can do that the iPad couldn’t. USB ports and an attachable keyboard were exclusive to Microsoft tablets, once again displaying a company who knew who their target audience was. Most iPad users are less likely to do business on their tablet, while the keyboard and USB port would come in handy for a business traveler, which fits the criteria for Microsoft users.

 

The technology industry has figured it out. To successfully attract potential buyers; informing, persuading, showing what your product has that the competition doesn’t, and why I, as a consumer should buy your product, should be the basis of your advertisement. For Apple and Microsoft they only have one competitor, and that’s themselves, which is why they need to specifically state the differences in their laptops and tablets. Companies in bigger business sectors fail to see the opportunity and blueprint that those two technology giants laid down for other industries when it comes to marketing and advertising. Separate yourselves from the pack, be creative, do what your competition isn’t, and most importantly, know who you’re marketing to.

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