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Apple’s Free Ride: Why Journalists Treat Product Launches Like News

observer.com

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Re: Apple’s Free Ride: Why Journalists Treat Product Launches Like News

#5
post #4

"Apple’s marketing strategy these days is essentially 'hold off on the advertising, just sit back and let the media go hog wild.'" What a joke.

In what way?

Apple does gain from the release events, but they have a huge advertising budget and run some of the largest known campaigns.

Re: Apple’s Free Ride: Why Journalists Treat Product Launches Like News

#6
"The media, when it’s functioning properly, should protect the public from marketers and their ceaseless attempts to trick people into buying things."

This may be true, but had media ever "functioned properly?". Nearly every media outlet generates far more revenue from advertising than from viewership/subscriptions. So of course the media is beholden to the marketers.

Re: Apple’s Free Ride: Why Journalists Treat Product Launches Like News

#7
post #5
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what way?

Apple does gain from the release events, but they have a huge advertising budget and run some of the largest known campaigns.

Huge only in the sense that a billion dollars is a lot regular people...Apple spends a fraction of what its competitors spend. Plus up until 2011 I think they spent about half of what they spend now.

Re: Apple’s Free Ride: Why Journalists Treat Product Launches Like News

#9
post #7
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple does gain from the release events, but they have a huge advertising budget and run some of the largest known campaigns.

Huge only in the sense that a billion dollars is a lot regular people...Apple spends a fraction of what its competitors spend. Plus up until 2011 I think they spent about half of what they spend now.

Apple spends less than Microsoft, but it is almost entirely on a single product (the iPhone). Product for product, Apple's marketing budget is immensely larger than other similar companies.

Re: Apple’s Free Ride: Why Journalists Treat Product Launches Like News

#10
Apple masterfully plays the media with every product. The secrecy they keep before a launch leads to tons of articles speculating about features and reporting leaks. I agree with the author that it's all just a big infomercial.

I used to be a big Google News readers, but about a third of their Tech section is devoted to Apple, so I've gone to other sources.

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