If there is one thing I have learned that is essential to marketing, it’s positioning. The way your company’s products, employees, actions, etc., are perceived and valued by consumers is paramount to any businesses’ success. Take Apple for example, a company that has always been suave, new, and technologically offering the “coolest” products around. It seems hard to imagine a world where Apple is not on top.
Of course I am a biased iPhone user myself, which made Millie’s blog post regarding the power struggle between Apple and Samsung even more surprising to me. She poses the question “is Apple just too popular to be popular?” I have to admit, that I have in fact (obliviously), lost the image of what an iPhone used to mean to me. I once thought them to be the epitome of technology, an awesome gadget, and now? Heck, my grandpa has one! An iPhone has become an everyday object to me, almost like a toothbrush – needed, efficient, but not exactly cool
What does this change in view mean to Apple? Personally, I love my iPhone. It has all the features I need, and its easier to use and conveniently smaller than an Android. If it were to break, I would want another one. And while I agree with other teenagers that it has lost the “cool” factor I do not think this will significantly affect sales. Apple has really connected with the “older” generation (generating more sales), and Apple products are rampant amongst my peers.
Could iPhones be following in the footsteps of Ugg boots? These comfy booties were once considered to be “cool” and now people consider them as basically outdoor slippers – yet, almost all girls wear, want, and buy them! Ownership of Ugg boots seems more popular than ever, and what marketing department can complain about that?
What this really all comes down to is positioning. Apple has to decide if it wants to try and reclaim “coolness” or if it wants to go after something else in order to differentiate from Samsung.