New Apple Ads Spark Debate
Slate ad critic Seth Stevenson has started a prairie fire of blogger chatter with his harsh criticism of the new ads from Apple. Stevenson says the bare-bones ads, which feature a nerdy guy as a stand in for a PC and a young hipster as a stand in for a Mac, are not only "mean-spirited" but will probably turn off any PC users flirting with a switch to Mac.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that many are siding with his judgment of the commercials. Although I hesitate to fully agree with Stevenson's assertion that the Mac guy comes across as a "smug little twit," he is slightly annoying. The nerdy PC guy, on the other hand, has a folksy and unassuming charm.
It's unclear whether Apple is trying to get new converts with these ads or reinforce the image of their stereotypical user as younger, hipper and slightly snobbier than PC folks. Why would they want to reinforce the snobbery factor? To flatter their current customers?
It seems the ads are examples of pitching to your niche. As such, they will probably be successful. But as Megan pointed out in an earlier post,
[Sales] professionals should look at targeting prospects outside of their usual sales niche. It seems to me that complacency might be one of the biggest threats to long-term professional success.
Focusing purely on the wealthy and mercurial 18-34 demographic is tempting, but there are a lot of computer users out there. Does Apple want their business too?
What do you think of the ads?
(Disclosure: I use a PC.)
Comments
Not only do I like the ads, but I think insurance companies could learn how to sell insurance from people like Apple!
Posted by: Evan | June 23, 2006 05:31 AM
Evan: I certainly agree with the second part of your comment. For the most part I think Apple has the Midas touch when it comes to presenting their company and product. They’ve set a very high standard, which is perhaps why their latest ads have been scrutinized so much.
Posted by: Jeb Foster | June 23, 2006 04:08 PM
I think the commercials are great! I'm a PC user as well, but I stop and watch the commercials everytime they come on. I think they're amusing. :)
Posted by: Laura Gates | June 23, 2006 04:26 PM
I guess I didn't think much about the Apple ads before this post [other than the fact that every time I used an Apple, it crashed and I lost my work. Goodbye senior writing project.]
Anyway, here's my take: Apple has carved out a pretty significant niche for themselves, and I imagine converting users at a young age will help them earn [more] lifelong customers.
However, I don't think many insurance agents can afford to pigeonhole themselves into one demographic or insurance type.
Yes, finding your sales niche is essential. With it brings experience, confidence and a wealth of knowledge. But not expanding your sales repertoire beyond, say, health insurance, seems silly to me. Exploring other areas of insurance sales will help you grow your client base and help you achieve the kind of longevity that inspired you to get into this business in the first place. :)
Posted by: Megan Mahan | June 23, 2006 04:40 PM
I think the ads are spot on and I like them. There is nothing sexy or hip about a PC. Macs (since OS X) have increasingly been the choice by software developers. Linux is cool to the geeks, but a Mac bridges the divide to the rest of the world.
Posted by: Jr. | June 23, 2006 07:33 PM