Project Title:    The effectiveness of Apple’s latest advertising campaign entitled SWITCH


Section I-a:

        Apple or Macintosh was once a bad word in my vocabulary, however one month ago I was in that dreaded position that most people hate; my IBM ThinkPad

crashed. The IBM had been a great machine. It helped me through 3 years of college while at the same time running a small company that I started my freshman year. I

purchased my IBM from the University and participated in the pilot program for the Carolina Computing Initiative. For this reason I was quite set on getting a new one. I

actually worked for the Vice Chancellor of Information Technology and aided her in obtaining student opinions of the new and exciting laptop requirement.

        However, my acceptance or lack thereof, of the forbidden five letter word beginning with A changed on the day that I browsed CompUSA’s web site. I came across

the section of their website devoted to Apple and embarked on a truly life changing experience. The PowerBook’s sleek design caught my eye and thus I began to research

Macs. After spending several hours on the Apple web site, I decided to Switch. This was not an easy decision because I had worked for the Vice Chancellor and had

always defended not only the ThinkPad, but also the University’s decision to use them.

        I know that the Apple’s latest campaign to get PC users to switch to Macs worked because it got me, a former critic, to make the jump. However the overall

effectiveness of the campaign is still a question to me and it is for this reason that I decided to pick this topic. I am also interested in why people have decided to switch. Is it

the design, the speed, or just the need to be different that push people to swap?

        My research is intended for people who are interested in the success of Apple’s campaign, people who either love or hate Macs, and people that are thinking about

switching.   


Section I-b:

UNC Library catalog:
Apple AND Advertising
Advertising AND effectiveness

Academic Universe Lexis-Nexis
“Apple Computers” Advertising Campaign
Apple’s Switch Ads

Search engine on Web http://www.yahoo.com/.
Apple's Advertising Effectiveness -Microsoft, -Banner, -PC
“Apple’s latest ad campaign”



Section II: UNC-CH Libraries


Books:

O’Keefe, Steve.  Complete guide to Internet publicity: creating and launching successful
    online campaigns.  New York: John Wiley, 2002.
    UNC-CH Call Number: HF6146.I58 O535 2002

Oller, John W.  Images that work: creating successful messages in marketing and high
    stakes communication. Westport: Quorum, 1999.
    UNC-CH Call Number: HF5415.123. O55 1999
   

Non-Paper Source:

Emmanouilides, Chris.  The Ad and the Ego: Truth and Consequences.  Dir. by Harold
    Boihem. 57 min. Parallax Pictures, 1996. Videocassette.
    UNC-CH Call Number: 65-V6183



III. Electronic Indexes and Databases Sources



Bray, Hiawatha. (2002, September 9). Upgrade; Apple’s Good, But That’s No Reason to
    Switch. The Boston Globe [Newspaper], Full-text article. Available: Lexis-Nexis
    Academic [2003, January 26].

Dill, Mallorre. (2002, September 30). When Advertisers attack. Adweek [Magazine],
    Full-text article. Available: ABI/Inform Global [2003, January 26].

Markoff, John. (2002, June 10). Apple Ad Campaign Stars Former Microsoft Users.
    The New York Times [Newspaper], Full-text article. Available: Lexis-Nexis
    Academic [2003, January 26].

McCarthy, Michael. (2002, December 16), Apple takes swipe at partner Microsoft in Mac ads. USA Today [Newspaper], Full-text article. Available: Lexis-Nexis
    Academic [2003, January 26].

Nudd, Tim. (2002, October 21), The burden of truth. Adweek [Magazine], Full-text
    article. Available: ABI/Inform Global [2003, January 26].

Yager, Tom. (2002, November 18), Switching by choice. InfoWorld [Magazine],
    Full-text article. Available: ABI/Inform Global [2003, January 26].



Section IV: Web Sources


Title of Web Page: Apple's "Real People" ad seeks PC crowd

Web Address: http://news.com.com/2100-1040-934349.html

Brief Description: This web site provides an article which gives background information on Apple’s “Switch” campaign. There are various links within the article to the apple web site as well as examples of the ads themselves. This site is especially interesting because it discusses the use of a special camera that added unique effects to the advertisements. The effects helped the ads stand out and attract more consumer attention.
Apple’s world famous 1984 ad is also discussed and linked.
Source of Web site: C NET



Title of Web Page: Finally, Apple Ads Take On The PC

Web Address: http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/16/0716apple.html

Brief Description: This is a great web site that discusses various aspects of Apple’s “Switch” campaign. The company’s key purpose behind the attention grabbing, yet corky, campaign is outlined. Company stock information and sales data is provided both before and after the debut of the ads as a means for analysis. Other articles that discuss possible future growth in technology and marketing within Apple Computer are linked as well.
Source of Web site: Forbes.com



Title of Web Page: “Switch” Hits from Apple’s Sales Supremo

Web Address: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2002/tc20020724_4222.htm

Brief Description: This web site is from an extremely reliable source and the best aspect of the web site is the interview featuring the CEO and the Senior VP of Apple. The interviewer asks both of them about the “Switch” campaign. This is extremely valuable when writing a paper because one is able to obtain a direct quote from 2 of Apple’s most important people.
Source of Web site: Business Week Online



Title of Web Page: Is ‘Going Negative’ the Way to Go?

Web Address: http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/emarketing/article.php/1404581

Brief Description: This web site contains an article that discusses advertising theory and how negative approaches towards competitors aids and/or hinders a successful advertising campaign. Apple’s latest campaign is given as an example of how this approach can be successful.
Source of Web site: Tig Tillinghast (Tillinghast helped start and run some of the industry's largest interactive divisions. He started out at Leo Burnett, joined J. Walter Thompson to run its interactive division out of San Francisco, and wound up building Anderson & Lembke's interactive group as well.)



Title of Web Page: Apple – Switch

Web Address: http://www.apple.com/switch/

Brief Description: This is perhaps the best site even though Apple created it and thus is biased in some areas. The site contains a plethora of information for people that are considering to switch. Letters to Apple from people that switched are also listed on the site. The letters are a source of information for research as to why people switched. Finally, the site contains every commercial that ran on television, which serves as a database for people researching the campaign. 
Source of Web site: Apple


Section V: Mini- Essay


Title: An Apple a Day…

 
    In 1984 Apple Computer introduced a new type of computer in a big way. It was called Macintosh. Today, almost 20 years later, the commercial that introduced

Macintosh is still considered one of the best in advertising history.  Despite the commercial’s overwhelming success, Macintosh only makes up about 4% of the nations’

computer users. (1) In an effort to close this tremendous gap, Apple launched a “real people” advertising campaign in the summer of 2002. The ads feature actual Mac

owners explaining why they decided to leave their PC and switch to a Mac. For this reason, the campaign was entitled “Switch.” The ads feature “ 8 real people” speaking

in their own words, without any sets or props.  The commercial’s director used a special camera to make the interview subjects appear to be looking at an interviewer,

when they were actually facing the camera. (2) This technique offset the lack of a set and props. Thus, all the attention focuses on the “switcher” and their individual

reasons for leaving the PC world. Apple is also taking advantage of their  web site to push the advertisements. A page on the site features first person stories of people that

made the change.

    Tig Tillinghast, an expert in interactive advertising, labeled Apple’s “Switch” campaign as a successful example of negative advertising. The ads point out the faults of

Microsoft products, which catch the consumer’s attention and therefore aid in the success of the Ads. The sarcasm and accusations in the commercials “stand apart from the

cluttered cloy of everyday ads.” (3) It is all about getting people's attention.

    The “negative” ads seem to be working. According to Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, the Apple web site received 1.7 million visitors during the first month of the campaign.

Over one million of those visitors were Windows users.  Jobs also said that, “the campaign was intended to show consumers they wouldn’t get stranded on a technology

island if they switch to an Apple.” (4) Apparently, consumers are taking note of this because Apple’s market share increased this past year. “An apple a day” could be

worth a whole lot more in the future if Apple’s campaign continues to convince so many consumers.


NOTES:

(1) Penelope Patsuris, “Finally, Apple Ads Take On the PC,”  [article on-line] Forbes.com, 16 July 2002. Also Available [Online]:http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/16/0716apple.html [Accessed: 26 January, 2003].

(2) Douglas Harbrecht, “Switch Hits from Apple’s Sales Supremo,” [article on-line] BusinessWeek Online, 24 July 2002. Also Available [Online]: http://www.businessweek.com/print/technology/content/jul2002/tc20020724_4222.htm?tc [Accessed: 26 January, 2003].

(3) Tig Tillinghast, “Is ‘Going Negative’ the Way to Go?” [article on-line] Internetnews.com, 15 July 2002. Also Available [Online]: http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/emarketing/article.php/1404581 [Accessed: 26 January, 2003].

(4) Ian Fried, “Apple’s Real People as seeks PC crowd,” [article on-line] news.com, 9 June 2002. Also Available [Online]: http://news.com.com/2100-1040-934349.html [Accessed: 26 January, 2003].

Title of Web Page: Apple's "Real People" ad seeks PC crowd

Web Address: http://news.com.com/2100-1040-934349.html

Brief Description: This web site provides an article which gives background information on Apple’s “Switch” campaign. There are various links within the article to the apple web site as well as examples of the ads themselves. This site is especially interesting because it discusses the use of a special camera that added unique effects to the advertisements. The effects helped the ads stand out and attract more consumer attention.
Apple’s world famous 1984 ad is also discussed and linked.
Source of Web site: C NET


Title of Web Page: Finally, Apple Ads Take On The PC

Web Address: http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/16/0716apple.html

Brief Description: This is a great web site that discusses various aspects of Apple’s “Switch” campaign. The company’s key purpose behind the attention grabbing, yet corky, campaign is outlined. Company stock information and sales data is provided both before and after the debut of the ads as a means for analysis. Other articles that discuss possible future growth in technology and marketing within Apple Computer are linked as well.
Source of Web site: Forbes.com


Title of Web Page: Apple – Switch

Web Address: http://www.apple.com/switch/

Brief Description: This is perhaps the best site even though Apple created it and thus is biased in some areas. The site contains a plethora of information for people that are considering to switch. Letters to Apple from people that switched are also listed on the site. The letters are a source of information for research as to why people switched. Finally, the site contains every commercial that ran on television, which serves as a database for people researching the campaign. 
Source of Web site: Apple