Mele’s Musings

Apple iPhone 3G: 30-Minute Marketing

I’ve seen it (and I have the phone, so nyah-nyah) and the acting is bad, but it does make you want one.  Doesn’t it?!?

Picture: comictan.com

Article excerpt:   One of the most talked-about aspects of the Apple iPhone 3G is an approximately half-hour instructional video on Apple.com that lovingly details each new feature and function. But if you really think about it, it’s a 30-minute advertisement, said Charles Golvin, principal analyst at Forrester Research. “Even though it’s educational and you’re giving people an experience, it’s this really sort of deep immersion in Apple’s brand and approach and there’s huge value in that. How often do you get more than a minute of customers’ undivided attention?” Golvin asked.  The educational strategy, employing senior director of worldwide iPhone product marketing Bob Borchers as the instructor, is not the first time the company has done this, but it’s the longest tutorial to date for Apple. (Borchers has demonstrated his expertise in other how-to videos.)
The rest: adweek.com

Musing:  Lots of opinions out there about video – what’s the right length, how do you use it, etc.  The truth is, it really depends on what you are trying to do with the video.  Although I have no data to prove it, my guess (and my personal experience) is that the video is highly effective and very valuable.  And it’s 30 minutes long.  So what is good?  There are no answers.  But if what we are creating is valuable, the length seems to be somewhat immaterial.  That doesn’t mean that we throw all of the new rules we are finding out the window – shorter is better for advertising, etc.  It does mean we have to think about the customer first and what they need.