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Two for Tuesday: Apple and the Pears
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Apple (ap•ple): a fruit, a technique to keep the doctor away and an industry leader.
In our technology-saturated age, almost everyone can recognize the popular iSomethings, and most have an opinion on the subject. The vast majority of the United States is either Team Mac or Team PC. Attempting to stay brand neutral in this heated debate is difficult, but choosing a side is a double-edged sword because no one wants to look like a stereotypical Apple fanatic.
With great success comes scrutiny. From the lone few that cover their ears when The Beatles come on the jukebox to every president of the United States, some people will always rooting against you. Apple is no exception. Samsung, Microsoft and Nokia are the ripest of “The Pears,” more commonly known as Apple competitors (in my mind, the opposite of an apple is a pear, so what better name to call the anti-Apple group). The Pears set their consumer loyalties on anything not Apple. The plus side for apple, as hip-hop artist Piles points out, “you ain’t doing something right if you ain’t got ‘em hatin’.”
The iPhone and iPad are old news. The Pears have seemingly caught up to Apple, and Apple’s toughest competitors have their smartphones and tablets noticeably laid out at mobile retail stores. The Pears are here, and they are ready for a battle as each challenge Apple through their television spots. With the overwhelming amount of products in this market, the Pears attempt to differentiate themselves from Apple (and each other) and feature what makes each of their products unique—giving them edge in the consumer’s mind of what is the elite product.
This Two for Tuesday, we’re highlighting two advertising tactics used to take on the technology giant in this never-ending Apple v. Pear war.
“The Next Big Thing is Here”
Samsung released a satirical spot poking fun at the unknowledgeable Apple users and features the new capabilities of the Galaxy S4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0yTCsJfrg8
As The Week Staff reports, “Samsung and Apple are at it again. No, not in the courtroom, but on your TV.”
The iPhone doesn’t offer any of the capabilities the ad highlights for the Galaxy, but is this the right positioning for Samsung? Thinking about the different niches in the market that each smartphone brand has embodied, consumers look for the phone that most fits their needs. Offering the Galaxy’s abilities that the iPhone doesn’t have (such as an interesting way to share photos) might not appeal to all consumers (but then again, what product/feature does?). Many other brands have positioned themselves as providing the phone that offers more than the iPhone. In the ad below, the Windows 8 tablet uses the same positioning when they juxtapose an iPad next to a Windows 8 Tablet to point out specific Windows Tablet features missing from the iPad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86JMcy5OqZA
This “we do what Apple can’t” positioning in this competitive market seems repetitive, but is it effective?
“Don’t fight. Switch.”
Taking a different approach, Nokia released a spot that not only mocks Apple but Samsung (a fellow pear) as well. As iPhone users challenge Galaxy users, an all-out war breaks loose. But the cool, calm and collected Nokia Lumia 920 users sit back and watch the action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19vR1GldRI
Watching the ad I feel connected to the passionate people fighting for a brand (maybe not as much as the guy with the Apple tattoo, but I still feel a sense of empowerment in my brand). Sitting in the corner, and not mentioning the Nokia until the last bit doesn’t give me, the consumer, an intimate connection to Nokia. This spot has the opportunity to take a shot at the Apple and Samsung giants, but the ad seems passive. There’s no call to action, literally.
So, who’s winning the Apple vs. Pear war? Tell us what you think in the comments.
Cover Photo Source: By TerryJohnston via Flickr
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Our-Space-Adam-Kroft.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Adam is a junior executive at SJG. He is earning a BA in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Business from the University of Nebraska. If he can’t be found at the office, the gym, the dining halls, Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium or designing on his laptop, issue an Amber Alert.[/author_info] [/author]