How many times have you seen a status update on FB of a friend owning the “new” iPad or the iPhone? Did you see the same for a friend owning the new Nokia? This is the Apple Syndrome. Let me explain a little…
The year was 1984. IBM ruled the (albeit very small) personal computing world. Anya Major ran towards a screen and hurled a hammer towards it – and the world was waiting for the new personal computer eagerly. Overnight, the Macintosh became the new personal computing device – though expensive and highly limited in terms of compatible software.
The year was 1998. The Macintosh had been a device-to-own but newer GUI and networking simplicity on the Windows PC had started to dent the desirability of the old warhorse. Jonathan Ive designed the new iMac and amidst large fanfare and anticipation, Steve Jobs launched it in his trademark style.
The world was now eagerly waiting for the new iMac. It had become a definition of style (ok also some substance). So anyone who owned an iMac worshipped it (and Apple). Those who did not, wanted to. How many users used, or even needed, the full capacity of the iMac is a question no one could ever answer because you just couldn’t question the decision to buy an iMac.
The year was 2001. Sony Walkman had given a new life to music – music on the move. Many imitations came up. Then was the time for portable CD players. And slowly USB players... And then Steve Jobs, again in his trademark style, launched the iPod. The iPod was the new music player in town. Ultra-expensive, but who cares, it is an iPod! If you see the quarterly sales of the iPod, with every ‘new launch’, the sales take a huge leap and then come back to the usual normal levels. But still, iPod is the music player you want to own...
Same story with the iPhone, iPad...
Every new anticipated launch is highly anticipated. Huge queues are seen at apple stores on the day of the launch. And how many users actually appreciate the purchase, well all of them – else why would they update it on FB!
Is it always the great product? To an extent, yes... But worth the hype? To a large extent, no... So what creates the hoopla around owning an Apple product that people feel the need to update it on their FB walls... And why does an iPad user, never get dissatisfied with the product? The question will be answered if you think a step further – would he update it on FB if he were dissatisfied with the product! Wouldn’t he look like a fool? One day he updates his wall as a proud owner of an iPad and the next day he is proven to be a douche when he updates his folly of making this most anticipated purchase without proper research into the product! So he never does... So on a public forum, you only find satisfied users – and that definitely creates positive publicity for the product leading to a higher sales of the product.
To summarise, the placebo effect in marketing is what I call the Apple Syndrome – the inability to deride a product in public just because it was a highly anticipated product which the customer was very proud to possess – and not because it was necessarily a great product – but because he owned something others didn’t!
P.S: The latest 'product' to demonstrate the Apple Syndrome - The Dark Knight Rises! You just wont find a negative comment on social pages...
The year was 1984. IBM ruled the (albeit very small) personal computing world. Anya Major ran towards a screen and hurled a hammer towards it – and the world was waiting for the new personal computer eagerly. Overnight, the Macintosh became the new personal computing device – though expensive and highly limited in terms of compatible software.
The year was 1998. The Macintosh had been a device-to-own but newer GUI and networking simplicity on the Windows PC had started to dent the desirability of the old warhorse. Jonathan Ive designed the new iMac and amidst large fanfare and anticipation, Steve Jobs launched it in his trademark style.
The world was now eagerly waiting for the new iMac. It had become a definition of style (ok also some substance). So anyone who owned an iMac worshipped it (and Apple). Those who did not, wanted to. How many users used, or even needed, the full capacity of the iMac is a question no one could ever answer because you just couldn’t question the decision to buy an iMac.
The year was 2001. Sony Walkman had given a new life to music – music on the move. Many imitations came up. Then was the time for portable CD players. And slowly USB players... And then Steve Jobs, again in his trademark style, launched the iPod. The iPod was the new music player in town. Ultra-expensive, but who cares, it is an iPod! If you see the quarterly sales of the iPod, with every ‘new launch’, the sales take a huge leap and then come back to the usual normal levels. But still, iPod is the music player you want to own...
Same story with the iPhone, iPad...
Every new anticipated launch is highly anticipated. Huge queues are seen at apple stores on the day of the launch. And how many users actually appreciate the purchase, well all of them – else why would they update it on FB!
Is it always the great product? To an extent, yes... But worth the hype? To a large extent, no... So what creates the hoopla around owning an Apple product that people feel the need to update it on their FB walls... And why does an iPad user, never get dissatisfied with the product? The question will be answered if you think a step further – would he update it on FB if he were dissatisfied with the product! Wouldn’t he look like a fool? One day he updates his wall as a proud owner of an iPad and the next day he is proven to be a douche when he updates his folly of making this most anticipated purchase without proper research into the product! So he never does... So on a public forum, you only find satisfied users – and that definitely creates positive publicity for the product leading to a higher sales of the product.
To summarise, the placebo effect in marketing is what I call the Apple Syndrome – the inability to deride a product in public just because it was a highly anticipated product which the customer was very proud to possess – and not because it was necessarily a great product – but because he owned something others didn’t!
P.S: The latest 'product' to demonstrate the Apple Syndrome - The Dark Knight Rises! You just wont find a negative comment on social pages...
