http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/new-samsung-ad-mercilessly-mocks-apple-fans-136743

This commercial posted on AdFreak is pretty interesting. In respond to this post, after watching this Samsung commercial several times, I think Samsung did a good job focusing on the benefits of buying a Samsung Galaxy rather than and iPhone. However, Apple iPhone fans enjoy waiting in lines and enjoy the anticipation on the new iPhone that recently came out. My personal opinion is that once someone has an iPhone, it’s rare for them to buy a different phone. The Apple iPhone is like no other phone and once someone buys one they realize how special and efficient it is. This commercial does focus on the Galaxy being larger and some other benefits that the iPhone does not have, but once you have an iPhone you won’t want to buy any other kind of phone.

One example is that my sister has been using iPhone for at least 5 years. Her iPhone was broken this past summer, and I told her that she should probably switch to another brand and try something new. She kind of thought about it, but at last she still bought a new iPhone. Her reason is that she is much more familiar with an iPhone and she doesn not want to change to something that she is not familiar with, even though other phones might be better than an iPhone in terms of innovation and functionality.

This shows that the switching cost for existing loyal iPhone users is pretty high. They are very much used to using iPhones. I think Apple has done a very good job making customers so loyal to them.

Why Wait? The Next Big Thing Is Already Here

In response to Tylor Macdonald’s blog post on Septebmer 19, 2011, I agree that Nike was attempting to show the consumer that anyone can be an athlete. We can find the evidence just by looking at Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It”. What this slogan means is that you can do whatever you want. If you want to be a great basketball or soccer player, just do it, because nothing is going to stop you from being a great athlete. The only force that can stop you is yourself. As a result, Nike’s products become the sign of success.

Furthermore, Nike’s product becoming the sign of success can also be explained by their usage of famous athletes in its commercials.  Nike has been using a lot of sport stars in their advertisement. People who watch its advertisements will think that a good athlete needs good equipment, or that good equipment can lead to a good athlete. As we have learned in class that one of the factors affecting consumer behavior is social factor, which includes reference groups, social networks, and opinion leaders. Not only has Nike been using reference groups to advertise its products, but it has also used social networks to promote its products. For example, Nike promoted its products on Facebook and Twitter by updating its status and letting followers know about the newest products and promotion.

If I have to choose an item, say a pair of basketball shoes, from Nike, Puma, Adidas, and some other famous brands, I would choose the one that fits me most. I won’t choose a particular brand because of the super stars they have used in their commercials because I know that it’s just a kind of marketing strategy, but it doesn’t affect the real suitability of the products for me.