Is Apple TV Plus a marketing instrument for Apple?
Apple TV Plus is included in my Apple One Premier Plan and, as such, I am technically paying for it. Product placement is an effective marketing weapon, whereas viewers, the products used by actors can influence us.
I recall seeking the Sony Ericsson smartphone when I saw James Bond using it. It must be remarkable if Mr Bond uses it, obviously 😝
However, after watching this video by WSJ, Apple has taken product placement to the next level. WSJ journalist has reviewed 74 episodes on Apple TV Plus streaming service and found over 704 placements of Apple products (imagine having a job that requires you to do this). The breakdown is:
- 300 iPhone placements
- 120 MacBook placements
- 40 placements of AirPods
The above product placements arguably cost Apple close to nothing because Apple TV Plus is a paid streaming service. If Apple went to Netflix and said, we want only Apple products to be shown in one of Netflix’s exclusive shows; I am confident it would cost Apple a significant amount.
I like Apple products, and seeing these product placements confirms my bias. All this is happening so organically that one does not even realise this is happening. At least, that was/is the case for me.
Wait, it gets worse
According to the WSJ video, Apple will ensure negative characters or villain of a movie/tv shows are not using Apple products. In at least one example, a negative character is using an android phone.
This is obviously brilliant on Apple’s part, and credit to their crank marketing team. However, frankly, I do not appreciate Apple influencing me in this manner, where negative characters are associated with non-Apple products and positive/cool characters are associated with Apple products. This makes me a little uncomfortable.
So, what now?
People should take personal responsibility for their actions. However, at times, I fail to realise what is going on in front of me. I previously have not associated Apple as an advertising company. However, Apple is a leader in marketing and advertising. May even be better than Google because with Google, I know what I am getting into. Apple is very subtle but effective.
Practically, this changes nothing, but it's good to be aware of other’s influence on you and your purchasing decisions.
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