Marketing Apple: Secrets of the World's Best Marketing Machine

True Power of Apple Marketing Part Deux

Love it when the AP picks up a story we've been talking about here for months.

How is it that anyone (especially in this economy) can stand in line to plunk down $499-$900 on a brand new iPad when they've never even seen one? Hey, Jessica Mintz, it's simple:

Thanks to the power of the World's Best Marketing Machine (aka Steve Jobs) you simply follow this formula to demonstrate the true power of Apple marketing:

1. Surprise and Delight.  Get in a habit of overachieving your own goals.  Make what people buy today more powerful tomorrow (think AppStore...not even in sight when people bought their first iPhone)  Do that often enough, and you get people to trust you.  Or give them rebates when it seems like you took advantage of them for buying too soon. In fact, Apple's current brand trust is ranked #1...but it has been for years.

2. Take the Order.  Apple made it easy to gauge demand for iPad and dynamically shifted demand into building the right number and type of iPads.  Simply putting up a "Pre-Order" page did the trick.  Oh yeah, and circling back and reminding people that their iPad will be waiting for them is a nice touch.  UPDATE: April 1 - Apple refunds all rush shipping charges - another way to earn cred!

3. Ship It.  Okay, sounds easy, but please...JooJoo (er CrunchPad) all the way back to the Osborne have failed to deliver on their promises.  Apple shows it, takes the order, ships it.  Or as this earlier post states: "Ship delight.  Repeat."

Then goes back and improve it all again.  Yes, Apple has made a living on this form of marketing and customer experience.  There is no one better.

iPad demand outstrips supply (or why I couldn't get 3)

Let the long lines at Apple Store counters begin!

Yes, I was also contacted by Apple last night to reduce my original iPad order.  See my response in this blog post

Apple finally embraces Social Media

AppStore is on Facebook.  Apple is on YouTube.

Way to go Apple!  Social media is gaining in Cupertino (finally!)  www.facebook.com/appstore started on March 18 - over 40,000 fans already!

Apple displays class after Jerry York passes

This picture says it all.

How many companies would take down their home page - even for a few minutes - to pay tribute to a fallen comrade?

Nice touch, Mr. Jobs. Apple is human.

The True Power of Great Marketing

"Apple has been able to generate over $75 million in revenue in one day on a product that 99.9% of purchasers haven't touched or for that matter, even seen in person," said Victor Castroll, an analyst with Valcent Financial Group. "And, we're still three weeks away. That is amazing."

And that, my friends is the true power of great Apple marketing.  Making you reach for your wallet in spite of your brain.

Victor, that number rounds up to 100% - essentially everyone who ordered an iPad has never used, touched or even seen a real one.  

P.S. I bought 3! (and still giving them away for free here.)

Apple is announcing that iPad will ship on April 3 and will start taking orders on March 12. Watch carefully - this is all part of their process to determine how popular certain models will be and dynamically shift supply to fill demand about 3 weeks in advance. Very interesting way to solve 2 problems and get more publicity all at once.