ODonohue 1

Cory ODonohue
Professor Bain-Conkin
Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric
20 March 2015
Apples Revolutionary Marketing Campaign:
The Ingredients for Success
An Apple a day keeps the doctor away. Many people in the United States appear
to live according to this motto. In 2012, half of all American households owned at least
one Apple product; of those fifty five million households, the average home contained
three Apple products.1 Once a family buys one Apple device, more Apple products tend
to make their way into the home. People who own iPhones, iPads, and Macs, which are
among the most popular Apple products, use these devices every day. Undeniably,
Apples marketing campaign succeeded to create a brand name for the company. Today,
while the consumption of apples a day might very well be decreasing, the use of an Apple
a day is undoubtedly increasing. Apple inundated humanity through three ps:
penetration of society, presentation of merchandise, and perception of products. This
three-sided attack built the most influential and profitable company in the world.
Penetration: Apples marketing campaign originally reached the masses through
advertisements. Apples commercial are unmistakable. One of Apples original
commercials titled 1984 made a lasting impact even though it only aired once, during
the 1984 Super Bowl.2 Most people do not know who even played in the 1984 Super
Bowl or who won, but many people recall the most wowing commercial: 1984. Both
experts and viewers agree that Apple's 1984 is the best Super Bowl advertisement of

1Gralnick,Jodi."HalfofU.S.HomesOwnAppleProducts."USATODAY.COM.N.p.,
28Mar.2012.Web.08Apr.2015.
2 Smith,Jacquelyn.ExpertsandViewersAgree:Apples1984IsTheBestSuper
BowlAdOfAllTime.Forbes.com.N.p.,30Jan.2012.Web.12Apr.2015.

ODonohue 2
all time.3 This is no mistake. Apples iconic commercials continue today. In one
campaign, Apple had silhouettes dancing with their iPod in front of a bright screen. The
white iPod was clearly and effortlessly identifiable. Again, first airing in 2006, Apple
launched the easily recognizable Get a Mac campaign.4 Two men, one representing
Mac and one representing PC, had verbal debates that displayed Apples superiority
over the competition. Most recently, Apple has produced memorable, tearful
commercials. In 2010, the Facetime campaign showed parents and grandparents
enjoying various, important life events such as key baby moments and graduation over
Facetime. The last couple Christmases, Apple aired a commercial with a family member
taping the family get-together on his phone. Francis Skipper, the executive vice president
of 451 Marking, argues, While Apple plays up the human connection and lifestyle
components of its brand, Samsung focuses on product features and humor (usually at
Apple's expense).5 Apple relates to its customers through the advertising campaigns.
The company does not bash the competition. Apple does not want to say but rather, show
how the products are superior. The companys commercials use everyday examples to
create a bond between the consumer and the product, an aspect that the competition
misses.
These advertisement campaigns caused the Apple brand to become well-known
throughout the world. In todays world, children are often the recipients of commercials.
Children have a tendency to crave technology and the coolest item on the market.
3 Smith,Jacquelyn.ExpertsandViewersAgree:Apples1984IsTheBestSuper
BowlAdOfAllTime.
4 Berman,Jillian.ApplesGreatestAds:TheFirstThirtyFiveYears(PHOTOS).The
HuffingtonPost.N.p.,06Oct.2011.Web.12Apr.2015.
5 Dupre,Elyse.Battleofthebrands:Apple'smarketingdoesthejob;Samsungsisless
thangalactic.DMNewsNov.2013:42+.BusinessInsights:Essentials.ProQuest,n.d.
Web.12Apr.2015.

ODonohue 3
Skipper, the executive vice present of a renown marketing company, argues that iPhone
owners have a reputation for elitism, that only the cool people have these.6 Although
Skipper sees this as a negative, Apple wants this reputation. Apple wants its devices to be
the cool thing to have. In reality, this characteristic drives business. Many fewer Apple
products would be purchased if the company were merely average. The lit apple on the
front of a Mac or a silver apple on an iPhone is a symbol of elegance and prestige. Much
like the Cs on Coach handbags or the eagle on American Eagle clothing, the logo
represents a brand, a cool and fashionable product. Adolescents have fallen into this,
Apples, marketing campaign as expected. In April 2014, a study concluded that over
sixty percent of teenagers owned an iPhone.7 Many more teenagers want an Apple
product because their friends have them; of the thirty-nine percent of teenagers who own
an iPhone, sixty-seven percent claimed that they planned to buy one in the next six
months. Apple is one of the best companies at creating the bandwagon effect. When a
friend purchases a new iPhone, many times the discussion quickly turns to an evaluation
of Apple. At this point, the Apple name is kept in everyones head. The name becomes
commonplace. Hearing the Apple name and seeing the apple logo and seeing Apple
products might very well cause the non-iPhone user to switch to an iPhone. This scenario
appears to happen quite often.
Presentation: Apple displays its products to the world unlike any other company.

a. Store
b. Revealing
6 Dupre,Elyse.Battleofthebrands:Apple'smarketingdoesthejob;Samsungsisless
thangalactic.
7"U.S.TeensFavorIPhone,OtherAppleProducts,StudyShows."NYDailyNews.
DailyNews,09Apr.2014.Web.08Apr.2015.

ODonohue 4
c. Time between releases)
i. A new version of the iPhone is released every 376 days.8
d. Website layout

2. Background/Penetration into market

a. Discount for students/educational purposes
b. Kids want Apple products
i. In April 2014, more than sixty percent of teenagers owned an
iPhone or iPad.9
c. Basis itself on certain diction
3. Presentation
a. Store
b. Revealing
c. Time between releases)
i. A new version of the iPhone is released every 376 days.10
d. Website layout
4. Product
a. Communication between devices
b. Macs are metal not plastic
c. Variety of products (purchase of Beats)
i. Apple purchased Beats for $3 billion.11 This investment was not
only for the headphones but also for the Beats subscription service.
Apple realizes that the days of downloading music on iTunes are
nearing an end. The purchase of Beats opened a new door. Also,
Apple saw the potential in Beats. They make headphones for $14
and sell them for upwards of $450.12 The profit margin is so good.
8MacRumorsBuyer'sGuide.MacRumors.com.N.p.,2015.Web.09Apr.2015.
9"U.S.TeensFavorIPhone,OtherAppleProducts,StudyShows."NYDailyNews.
DailyNews,09Apr.2014.Web.08Apr.2015.
10MacRumorsBuyer'sGuide.MacRumors.com.N.p.,2015.Web.09Apr.2015.
11 Wagstaff,Keith.The$3BillionQuestion:WhyDidAppleBuyBeats?NBCNews.
N.p.,29May2014.Web.10Apr.2015.
12 Wagstaff,Keith.The$3BillionQuestion:WhyDidAppleBuyBeats?

ODonohue 5
In addition, Beats has a similar marketing campaign. Get a group
of people to have Beats, in this case athletes, and then others will
follow. The average person wanted to be like an athlete, so he or
she bought the headphones as well. The bandwagon effect was in
full swing.
d. Names for products and no numbers
5. Result
a. Stock is higher
b. Steve Jobs movie

Background/Penetration into market discount for students/educational purposes, kids

want Apple products, basis itself on certain diction
Presentation store, revealing (time between releases), website layout
Product communication between devices, Macs are metal not plastic, variety of
products (purchase of Beats), names for products and no numbers
Result stock is higher, Steve Jobs movie

1. Introduction of apps, music/iTunes

a. When new product came out, Apple had a show devoted to
the new product (Microsofts attempt to do this failed)
i. No other company does that, not even Windows
b. Apple a year between releases of new versions between
releases a new version of the iPhone -> always keep the
market fresh
i. They have the next version of the product
prepared/in their minds before releasing the
new version
2. Product -> metal -> revolutionary -> Mackintosh software

ODonohue 6
a. Always are one step ahead of the competition songs
and fast internet, apps, siri, fingerprint, camera
b. Expand Apple TV, Mac laptops, Desktop computers,
Apple Watch (now a fitband too replaces that), apps,
songs, iPad, iPod, Beats headphones, car?, apple pay
c. Compatibility ios 8 allows the user to communicated
effortlessly between iPhone, iPod/iPad, and Mac
promotes people to purchase all three even though they
do not need it
d. Not many variations of the product
i. Dell has DX4100, KD29400 Apple has
Macbook Pro, Macbook Air Apple has a name
associated with each
ii. Dell different colors Apple has one, silver
kept simple
3. Any anti-illegal downloading (of music) campaigns
4. How is the website designed? How are commercials portrayed? How
is the store laid out?
a. Plain, simple -> store is a metaphor for the product ->
clean, sleek, fast, fancy
b. Ask the reader to name three adjectives to describe a
Mac
c. Store
i. Wooden floors, metal tables, do not show inventory
(cool when a worker brings your new computer
from the back) its like receiving a present; you
dont choose the product

ODonohue 7
ii. Glass entrance you can see everything going on
inside; do not hide anything; persuade people to
come in
iii. http://blog.ocad.ca/wordpress/gdes1b21-fw201105/files/2012/01/Apple-Store.jpg
5. Diction

a. Meet iPad means: come into the store and play with
it
b. Magical, revolutionary, unbelievable price, immediately

familiar, amazingly fresh,

6. The Steve Jobs movie -> good or bad for Apple? Put the company in
the spotlight
7. Apples stock so high that it had to split
8. Promotions especially for students
a. Students tended to not have laptops but needed them for
college Apple realized this and offered discounts to
persuade new college students to buy laptops the
students would create a norm and tell their family
about how good it is and that its the in right now
b. Apple also target schools and teachers slowly
infiltrated education
i. College students can likely afford Macs since
they are getting an education and getting a job
after college they dont necessarily appeal
to everyone, like the lower class
9. A
10. a
11. a

ODonohue 8

Conclusion:
With the power of Mac products, one can look up symptoms, causes,
and home remedies of various illnesses. Because of Apples marketing
strategies, the use of an Apple product a day is keeping the doctor
away for half of America.WorksCited
Berman,Jillian."Apple'sGreatestAds:TheFirstThirtyFiveYears(PHOTOS)."The
HuffingtonPost.N.p.,06Oct.2011.Web.12Apr.2015.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/stevejobsapplesbestad
campaigns_n_998129.html>.
Dupre,Elyse."Battleofthebrands:Apple'smarketingdoesthejob;Samsung'sisless
thangalactic."DMNewsNov.2013:42+.BusinessInsights:Essentials.
ProQuest,n.d.Web.12Apr.2015.
<http://bi.galegroup.com.proxy.library.nd.edu/essentials/article/GALE|
A355151841/fe30c0be789d9fba76c215b7a394772e?u=nd_ref>.
Gralnick,Jodi.HalfofU.S.HomesOwnAppleProducts.USATODAY.COM.N.p.,28
Mar.2012.Web.08Apr.2015.
<http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/20120328/cnbcsurveyapple
productsushomes/53827254/1>.
MacRumorsBuyer'sGuide.MacRumors.com.N.p.,2015.Web.09Apr.2015.
<http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/>.

ODonohue 9
Smith,Jacquelyn."ExpertsandViewersAgree:Apple's'1984'IsTheBestSuperBowl
AdOfAllTime."Forbes.com.N.p.,30Jan.2012.Web.12Apr.2015.<http
%253A%252F%252Fwww.forbes.com%252Fsites%252Fjacquelynsmith
%252F2012%252F01%252F30%252Fexpertsandviewersagreeapples1984is
thebestsuperbowladofalltime%252F>.
U.S.TeensFavorIPhone,OtherAppleProducts,StudyShows.NYDailyNews.Daily
News,09Apr.2014.Web.08Apr.2015.<http://www.nydailynews.com/life
style/usteensfavoriphoneappleproductsstudyshowsarticle1.1751028>.
Wagstaff,Keith.The$3BillionQuestion:WhyDidAppleBuyBeats?NBCNews.
N.p.,29May2014.Web.10Apr.2015.<http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech
news/3billionquestionwhydidapplebuybeatsn117531>.