The Formula for Apple's Success?
 

With all the "hype" reaching fever pitch about Apple's new "iSlate" or "iTablet" or "iPad" or whatever it will be called...

I think it's a good idea to have a look at what's really going on beneath the surface - from a marketing point of view!

Apple has got us all hooked... With what?

I'd say it's

a promise of a benefit + curiosity (unpredictability and not telling the whole story right away)
= everyone salivating with anticipation!

Gary Bencivenga uses the formula...

I = B + C

or

Interest = Benefit + Curiosity

Others have called it "anticipation marketing"...

Whatever you call it, it's genius! And it works...

It's the same kind of feeling you get when you get a wrapped Christmas or birthday present... You expect you'll benefit, but you can't open it yet! You might shake the box, or feel how heavy it is, in order to get some clues... But the anticipation and excitement is almost unbearable!

We've even discussed it here at Sowpub... Here's one of the more "recent" posts about it (I know there are much older posts about it too)...

Is "Salting" The Key To Promoting Your Products?

Best of success!

Dien

P.S. Of course, this would only be part of the reason for Apple's success... Other things, like solving people's problems in using various "classes" of products (whether clunky computers, unmanageable MP3 players, or "smart" but frustrating cell phones) - plus good technology, helps too! However, "benefit plus curiosity" / "anticipation" / "salting" is something that can help any business...

Re: The Formula for Apple's Success?
 

The Apple Way: Repeated Innovation + Patent = Domination... :)

Awesome resource I've mentioned in various other threads...

Perfect! ... Multiple Educational directory for SowPubber's that are Seriously into Toll Positions, Inventions, Patents and other related informational(s) purposes... Idea Brainstorming etc. etc... ;)

The Apple Way: Repeated Innovation + Patent = Domination...
http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2010/01/24...-domination-2/

Phil

-Salty-My Chat w/a Girl Steve Jobs Went to College with
 

Dear Dien,

Thanks for raising the "salty factor" that Steve Jobs and Apple use so well.

As you know...

I've been interviewing self made entrepreneurs for 20 years or so and ONE LADY went to Reed College with Steve Jobs.

Sort of...

Steve quit after 6 months.

------------------------------------------------------
Check out Steve's Speech he gave at Stanford:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA
------------------------------------------------------

She told me that Steve decided NOT to spend his adopted parents money for college courses that HE DECIDED were worthless. So he slept on friends dorm floors and lived by his wits - 18 months. (Although he did audit some classes - like caligraphy.)

When he and Woz (Wozniac) needed money - Woz would INVENT something. And Steve would go sell it to a CEO.


She says that Steve was mesmerizing in person.

HOW Hypnotic was he?

She watched him walk up and down the hallway outside CEO's offices. Stopping men to measure their shoe size. When he found a foot the same size as his Steve CONVINCED the guy to LEND HIM HIS SHOES.

Steve went in and made the sale to the CEO.

Then came back and returned the shoes!

Woz was the Tech Wiz.

Steve was the Sales Genius.


I noticed something "SALTY" and Hypnotic that Steve did Over and Over - all thru his presentation.

Here are his EXACT 1st words - for Example...

“We Want to kick off 2010 by Introducing a truly Magical and Revolutionary Product Today...

...”But Before WE GET TO THAT I Have Just a few Up-Dates.”

250 Million iPods Sold
284 Retail Stores - 50 million visits last quarter
APP Store - 140,000 applications - 3 billion apps sold in 18 months
Apple has grown to 15.6 billion in revenue. 50 Billion gross sales.

How Does Apple Stack Up Beside 3 Bigger Companies as far as Mobile Device Sales? Sony, Samsung, Nokia.

APPLE's Mobile Device Biz is BIGGER.

==========================
"Salty" - Cliffhanger SUMMARY -

I - Steve's 1st Sentence is a CLIFFHANGER... like the old time Movie Serials or The "Who Shot JR" TV Show - he leaves you PANTING for more!

II - While he has Us on a Knife Edge of ANTICIPATION... Steve quickly Credentials APPLE COMPUTER. (TRUST is key to their sales.)

III - Then FOCUSES our Attention on the One Area where Tiny little Apple is BIGGER than it's GIANT competition.

Then.

Finally.

At last - he begins to show us the Benefits of the iPad.

Funny but...

J.K. Rowling author of Harry Potter

James Patterson - author of 39 #1 New York times Best sellers

Stephen King - horror novel writer

John Grisham - Best selling courtroom novel author

Chicken Soup for the soul - books by Mark Victor Hanson/Jack Canfield

ALL
USE
The
EXACT Same "Salty" or Cliffhanger Approach.

Steve Jobs does it BIGGER.

But it's the exact same Emotional Strategy.

Pardon my Excitement. I'm in the middle of writing a new "HOW-TO-Book. And I was really Excited to see Steve Jobs using the Exact same tactic as the #1 Copywriters and #1 Book authors I'm using as Writing Template Guides.

I've Added Steve Jobs BIG Application of the "Salty Cliffhanger" idea to my new "UGLY COPYWRITING Manual".

The difference btwn the 1st Sentence of a #1 Best Selling Novel and all the other "UNsalted" Ordinary books is simply CRAZY.

Thanks,
Glenn Osborn

P.S. - If You wanna' See "Salty" in action...Check out this auction. The 4000 yr old Exercise I use to Energize myself plus Get Rid Of My Arthritis before I type...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Why-I-Use-A-4000...ht_6925wt_1167

Introducing the 2010 Edsel?
 

Dien,

Hard to believe from Steve Jobs, but could it turn out to be the wrong product for most of the market?

10 reasons why I'll be passing on the iPad

Richard Dennis

Re: Introducing the 2010 Edsel?
 

Too soon to tell if Steve Jobs is right or wrong.

But here is something interesting:

When news about iPod broke out in 2001, the first reactions were pretty negative too:
Eg: Read this thread:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=500

My recommendation: as with all Apple products - wait for 3-6 months before buying. Apple comes up with version 2 very quickly - and those are far better. I think it'll be the same with iPad too.

Why Steve Jobs Has Another HIT on his Hands
 

Hi Ankesh,

Thanks for the link.

I have to laugh when people talk about APPLE as being visionary. Steve is making stuff HE wants to play with.

AND.

They are actually being VERY CONSERVATIVE this time with the iPad.

Small companies Have to be.

Here's why Steve has a winner in the iPad. (As long as his factory suppliers in China can produce hi quality products and quickly.)

The Apps Store

Internet Search

Music

Games

Reading books on the Kindle

Photos and movies

============
ALL of these are billion dollar niches. Existing streams of MOOLAH.

Steve and Apple are giving EXISTING BUYERS - MORE POWER, More touch screen, More Screen Size, More Storage space - to do more of what they ALREADY have proven they want to spend munny on.

It's the safest Bet Apple has made
since Steve turned them around.

NOT to say a competitor couldn't EAT their lunch somehow. OR some other accident happen.

But as far as hedging their bets.

It went Amazingly well.

DID you see the billions and billions of F-r-e-e Coverage Steve's iPad speech got on all the news channels?

I think Apple has finally hit a nerve.

Passed the tipping point.

This is going to be a JUGGERNAUT product for them.

Just my opinion.

But I did give a few reasons why I think this will be BIGGER than anything Apple has done yet...

Thanks,
Glenn

Maybe
 

Glenn,

On the other hand, I was one of many not-so-proud owners of the Apple Newton back in the early 90s. Worthless piece of junk.

But on the other hand, they may have developed that one in the time when Steve Jobs wasn't around.

But on the other hand (long-time fan of "Fiddler on the Roof"), nobody is ever immune to failure. IPad looks to me like a "tweener" product that does multiple things not very well.

Richard