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...