June 29th was the launch date and by June 18th AT&T had already logged over 1 million serious inquiries from buyers. In one weekend iPhone sold 700000 phones making an estimated profit of around USD 200 million for Apple.
According to news coverage world wide, Apple ‘s marketing campaign to build up iPhone excitement is perhaps the most successful and talked about effort in recent years surpassing Ford’s Mustang launch in 1964 among many other path breakers.
The pre-sales media coverage was full strength with Apple pulling out all stops. According to JupiterResearch in New York Apple may have spent almost $ 100 million on the introduction campaigns for iPhone. The strategy was to tease out or titillate customers and market watchers. Beginning with a simple hello during the Academy Awards, the initial buzz was word of mouth.
Apple aims to crack the mobile phone market a market that is many times bugger than the computer market. The estimates are that three million iPhones will be sold in the first few months of the iPhone launch.
Apple has played smart and has mastered marketing. It kept interest levels on the iPhone ridding high by revealing small bits slowly and steadily. The iPhone was revealed by CEO Steve Jobs with fanfare at Macworld Expo in January. Then were releases of slick advertisements and video clips on the internet. The iPhone said hello in Marilyn Monroe’s and Robert De Niro’s voice and let people know that it will be coming in June.
The introductory “hello” was followed by close-ups of the iPhone playing a video or displaying a website. TV ads showed customers the ‘hand touch screen” magic and built up expectations. The Apple campaign was designed to create an impact and leave indelible impressions.
Marketing gurus like Al Ries chairman of Ries and Ries acknowledge the genius of Apple in generating pre-sales excitement and expectations for the iPhone. Apple is master of keeping plans under wraps and then unveiling them with a flourish the whole exercise is carefully planned like an opera every movement, dialogue and repartee is pre-planned and executed in a timely fashion.
According to experts at Wharton it is not just marketing. Success is marketing along with a great product, reliable systems, and the right partnerships. Only a master product can live up to expectations.
Apple Inc is a master from Mac to iPhone they are the creators of master pieces.