Ken Segall: Apple’s Dominance in Marketing is Eroding

Author and former adman Ken Segall argues that Apple may have lost its edge in when it comes to marketing. Segall, who helped develop Apple’s famous “Think Different” campaign in the late 1990s, points out that the days of Apple’s humorous “Get a Mac” campaign are long gone, and that the new era of product-focused marketing favored in Cupertino is proving far less effective against mobile rival Samsung.

While you can still argue that Macs and i-devices have a ton of appeal, you can’t argue that Apple is still untouchable when it comes to advertising. The fact is, it is being touched — often and effectively — by none other than Samsung.

This new reality, Segall argues, is due both to Samsung’s willingness to spend a tremendous amount of money on ad placement, such as massive Super Bowl campaigns, as well as the Korean company’s embrace of the lighthearted and humorous tone that Apple once took against Microsoft. Segall labels this a “double-barreled approach of creativity and big spending.”

In contrast, Apple’s ads have become far more sterile and, with few exceptions, lack both the humor of the Get a Mac ads and the inspiration of the Think Different campaign.

Samsung’s attacks on Apple and the company’s dedicated fans have certainly ruffled some feathers, but for average consumers, the humor and quirkiness of Samsung’s ads are far more appealing than yet another thirty seconds of an Apple device against a white background.

As Segall points out, “the stakes couldn’t be higher” for Apple. The company remains extremely profitable but is seeing its market share shrink in crucial mobile categories while Android’s skyrockets. Apple shouldn’t be concerned purely with market share, but the company risks losing the next generation of mobile users, who now view it as “uncool” compared to Microsoft and Samsung, if it can’t present a more appealing marketing message.