Apple’s not perfect - I just chronicled a couple of their miscues in Apple iPhone: Turning Off Fans. Despite that, Apple looks like a PR and branding genius compared to AT&T. Compare the introduction of Apple’s iPhone to the AT&T Tilt. Apple announced a launch date with lots of time for anticipation to build. AT&T delayed launching the Tilt past many rumored dates, and finally announced the official release date of October 5, 2007. That’s good, but AT&T waited until October 4 to make the announcement, leaving less than 24 hours for anticipation to build. Advantage: Apple.The iPhone got mostly good reviews, although reviewers pointed out some of its shortcomings, like the battery than must be factory-serviced. The reviews on the AT&T Tilt have been almost uniformly very positive, though perhaps expectations were somewhat different for the two models. Advantage: Draw.
The final contest: introduction day. Apple created enough anticipation that people were waiting in line overnight. The only thing they lacked were customers dressed like ObiWan and Yoda, and perhaps they even had a few of those. All stores had some inventory, and most customers walked away with a phone. Opening day at AT&T? Different story. I tried calling the store on the phone, but after getting sent to voicemail for the third time, I drove over to the store an hour or so after opening. No line, just a random customer or two. And, more embarrassing, no Tilts. Not only did the store not have any Tilts, they didn’t know when they would arrive. So much for the big release date. Advantage: Apple.
While a lot of Apple’s branding success and customer fanaticism is attributed to brilliant marketing and superb products, I think that a good portion of it is just getting the basics right. AT&T had a great opportunity to build buzz for what is arguably the best Windows PDA phone on the market, and was totally oblivious to the opportunity. It looks like just about all of their PR involved getting some sample units out to reviewers and bloggers (but not this one). That’s a good thing, and the reviews have been great. But so many other opportunities to turn the launch into a real event were missed. (Even worse at the PR game is Verizon. The long-awaited Verizion XV6800 is still MIA, with no official release date.) I guess that’s why Apple is Apple, and everyone else isn’t.
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