Archive for February, 2011
Subscribe to the iCult: Macbook air
February 10th, 2011 • Marketing Insights
It’s been 4 years since I bought my current laptop from Apple. This mighty Macbook Pro helped me get through the dullest rainy days, access translink when I broke my phone, and countless papers/assignments for school. On one hand, I’m quite sad to part with such a reliable friend, but on the other, I simply can’t stand the thunderous noise the fan makes whenever I use it. In addition, the keyboard is falling apart and the exterior is covered with more dents than the moon. So I’ve decided it’s time to replace it.
When I mentally recognized the need for a new laptop and made the decision to get a new one, I instantly thought back to Apple. I’m comfortable with the OS X interface and knowing of the new released products, I was almost gitty at the thought of having a better version of my current laptop. I’m looking to buy the new macbook air 11″. 
Their marketing mix for the new macbook air is very competitive. The product itself is an innovative netbook that has advanced graphics and a sturdy hard drive with non-moving parts (and it’s bloody gorgeous). Apple has done a great job by improving the product and decreasing the price since the last generation of this model which truly captures the value of the macbook air. With the Apple Store which has been around for a decade, anyone in North America can get this product shipped to them for free, and for everyone else, there are Apple stores located world wide. Every time Apple comes out with a new product, Steve Jobs hosts a meeting and presents the product himself, promoting it in all it’s glory. To be frank however, the products promote itself. I see about 50 shiny apples in every class I walk into and it constantly jogs my memory that I have to get a new one.
Friendly Competition?
February 3rd, 2011 • Marketing Insights
So when I first read about competitive intelligence in the marketing book, I was intrigued to learn the drastic measures a firm would go through to learn about their competitors. I instantaneously got to thinking about the ongoing competition between Audi and BMW. It seems that a lot of their ad campaigns are simply focused on attacking each other rather than promoting themselves. Is this really an effective way to communicate the value of your product?
This video from Audi shows exactly what I’m talking about. 
The video clearly takes a jab at BMW while showing very little about the Audi firm itself. Isn’t the marketing mix supposed to create, capture, deliver, and communicate value of YOUR OWN product? One could argue that it does that in comparison to another brand’s product, however Audi limits itself to just comparing it’s brand to another rather than the entire industry.
Audi is a huge firm. They hire top dog marketers to come up with these campaigns. I say they need to read chapter 2 again.