Photo credit: Shinya Suzuki
Apple’s PR is often described as disciplined, legendary, and the most effective in the world. Observers greeted its Apple Watch PR promotions with similar accolades.
SeekingAlpha contributor Steven Isakson (who is long on Apple) described the typical Apple PR promotion as “a masterful concerto of leaks, top-secret seeding with chosen developers, details shared through ‘sources’ to key technology writers and carefully placed pre-release reviews.” Those before-launch tactics lead into the CEO’s product introduction address, a demo, media access and superb advertising followed.
While the Apple Watch PR campaign largely resembled previous promotions, it departed from previous campaigns in several important was, Isakson points out. Rather than emphasizing the watch’s technology features like memory or clock speed, Apple stressed its style and exclusivity. The PR campaign compares the product to high-end watches rather than technology gadgets.
Going Beyond Tech Publications
The Apple Watch campaign expanded beyond tech publications to place prerelease watches at publications covering high-end products as well as international reviewers like Bani McSpedden, watch editor of the Australian Financial Review and World magazine New Zealand.
In a break from its renowned secrecy, Apple permitted ABC News into its research lab to record segments for its evening news and Good Morning America program.
In interviews with mainstream publications catering to high-end buyers, Apple Senior Vice President of Design Jony Ive mentioned the watch’s benefits to users rather than its technology features. Ive and the Apple team also visited Paris Fashion Week, garnering coverage from the likes of Vogue UK and Fashionista.com. The PR campaign’s next phase will likely entail celebrities wearing the watch and product placements in TV shows and movies.
The product’s introduction at stores is also un-Apple like, Isakson says. In this past, Apple began selling new products immediately or soon after announcing them. This time, it gave customers more time to learn about Apple Watch. It required in-store appointments to see the watch demo. Back orders were quite long. “It is not only embedding the idea of wrist-worn technology into our global culture, it is making it stylish and cool,” Isakson writes.
Apple’s Basic PR Techniques
Pete Marcus of Harvard PR summarized Apple’s PR excellence in four points.
Top-down discipline. The company rigorously imposes absolute secrecy about product launches. Top-down discipline, focus and consistency are its hallmarks. It describes a product consistently and frequently.
Press releases. Steve Jobs used to personally approve every press release, showing the importance of a succinct agreed-upon product description. A single adjective described a product. The iPad was magical. The iPhone, revolutionary; and the App Store legendary. It issued press releases infrequently, only when it had something significant to announce.
Product reviews. The importance of product reviews cannot be overstated. Apple pays inordinate attention to them and is adept at understanding individual reviewers and tailoring material to them and their audiences. Harvard PR has a dedicated product reviews manager.
Culture marketing. Apple has a team that focuses on “integrating Apple’s products into popular culture” or making sure high-profile people, businesses and organizations use its products. Some brands call that culture marketing. In the past, brands have pursued the strategy in a poorly organized way with endorsements and product placements. The strategy will become more important in coming years as the power of the media declines.
Bottom Line: Apple’s extraordinarily effective public relations strategies and tactics can serve as prototypes for the PR campaigns of many other products. Apple’s PR campaigns offer important lessons in how to use PR to create buzz, favorable reviews, successful product launches and consumer acceptance.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
Hate to be the skunk at the garden party, but Apple is a company like no other. While celebs are falling over each other to get their hands on the Apple Watch before anyone else, I doubt the true would be said for most companies without Apple’s innovation, reputation and cache.
I have a difficult time relating my clients to Apple. Wonder how many are in the same boat.