Apple’s iPhone 6 Total Marketing Domination

First, for those of you who don’t know me, let me be the first to admit: I am extremely NOT tech-savvy, and that includes smartphones.

I begrudgingly bought my first-and-only smartphone about two years ago when I purchased my iPhone 4 a few days before the launch of the iPhone 5. I have even downloaded about a dozen apps onto it – although I almost never use any of them.

Everything about my phone (that small percentage of its capability that I use, that is) is working fine for me, so I can’t see myself replacing it (or, as the marketers call it: “upgrading” it) for another few years, at least.

All of that being said, I am certainly not oblivious to the current nationwide phenomenon that is the launch of the iPhone 6.

As Apple announced on Monday, it sold over 10 million of two different models of their newest phone in just its first three days of availability, making it by far the fastest-selling phone in history.

Is this because of the merits of the phone itself?

Not likely.

While doing some online research for this post, I came across numerous articles and reviews detailing why the iPhone 6 is NOT the best mobile phone on the market.

However, there isn’t any doubt at all that Apple is a master of effective marketing.

And that’s the real reason for Apple’s amazing sales and dominant place in the market, and for why people have been known to sleep out on the street for days and even weeks before the release of their newest products in order to be one of the first to buy them.

To this very detached, casual observer, from the outside looking in, here are some of my observations about the recent Apple iPhone 6 launch…

Even though I didn’t see very many ads – if any at all – by Apple itself for its newest product, I do remember that during the week or so before the new iPhone 6 became available to the general public it seemed like it was everywhere, thanks to Apple getting its new phone into the hands of extremely influential people everywhere, including celebrities, newscasters, television talk-show hosts and “technology experts” who could review it.

Couple that with legions of rabid, loyal fans lining up at retail locations around the country (producing more free publicity in the form of news coverage) just so that could be one of the first in the general public to get the new phone, and you have the makings of marketing magic.

I watched a couple of football games over the initial launch weekend, and it seemed like just about every television commercial was for a cellphone service carrier, each one trying to outdo another in terms of tantalizing deals on cell phone plans and the iPhone 6 itself.

I also saw frequent ads for other companies’ cell phones, most of which included express comparisons to the iPhone 6.

It became abundantly clear that Apple was and is controlling the entire cellphone industry. Just by introducing a new version of their popular phone, they caused both complimentary and competing companies to spend multiple millions of dollars to advertise their products and services.

And they caused millions of people with perfectly good phones to suddenly feel compelled to have to buy a new one.

Now that their launch is complete and the raving fans and early adopters have bought their new phones, Apple has begun a celebrity-filled advertising campaign of its own.

The introduction of their ads made international news – both online and off – giving them additional untold millions of dollars worth of free publicity. This free publicity, plus the paid ads themselves and the continuing in-person and social media buzz are all bound to sell plenty more of Apple’s own phones, more of their competitors’ phones and more cellphone plans and all kinds of accessories to go along with them.

At this point, I know what you’re thinking: “Yeah, sure, Steve. But I already know how successful Apple is. What’s any of this got to do with my business?”

Well, your business may never become an international juggernaut like Apple.

But you can take the right steps to help you and your business become better known and respected – and make a lot more of a positive impact – inside the community that you choose to market to.

Throughout this blog, you can read numerous articles by myself and other business-building experts that will help you do the very same things that Apple does…

• Build a legion of raving fans
• Leverage traditional media for free publicity
• Use social media to help make your messages go viral
• Become the undisputed, dominating leader in your marketplace

Think it can’t be done?

No matter what size or condition your business is in right now, always remember that Apple was started by a bunch of broke kids in one of their parents’ garage.

After a record-setting, multi-billion dollar launch in just the first three days of the release of their newest product, those stressful, troubled, humble beginnings are little more than a VERY distant memory for Apple.

I wish the same for you and your business, dear reader.