For me, all attempts by competitors to crush the iPhone have failed. But my long-term love affair with the iPhone is under a mild threat.
My battery seems to be fading faster than in the past. I realized I have not returned much to the upgraded features from the last big update. And Samsung’s ads showing cool features are persuasive. Convenience and brand loyalty keep me with Apple, but for how long?
I don’t look forward to upcoming, slick videos with trendy employees preaching to me about the new iPhone’s awesomeness. Circling customers with well-worded scripts only works for so long. The cutting edge ultimately wins out. I left Palm for Dell. I left Dell for Blackberry. I left Blackberry for Apple. And now my loyalty again seems vulnerable.
This doesn’t happen in the short term. This is a slow spiral of loyalty giving way to a series of updates that sound good on paper and websites but only stirred ambivalence within me. Imagine your championship football team season after season winning fewer and fewer playoff games until your support is living off past glory.
The iPhone was a landmark. And Apple has illustrated its ability to build loyalty and excitement with design, creativity and cool packaging from a marketing standpoint. But PR only takes you so far. PR is about helping effectively and strategically share a great story. The goal is not about making up a story or hyping an old one. Upcoming models must walk the walk without the fancy talk. Unlike football, I’m not necessarily loyal to a product win or lose. It’s time for another big victory.