Marketing Apple Watch - Branding, Product Launch

Apple Marketing has done a great job with the introduction of the Apple watch.  There has been a lot of hype about the Apple watch, and several of my friends have ordered them or received them.  A few have ordered and not yet received them. Universally, my friends who order the Apple watch are excited about the technology... They wonder why I haven't elected to order one yet.

From what I've seen, this is a great product and well worth the cost of the sport model (the entry level).  Beyond that,  it's curious, other than vanity, why anyone would buy a more expensive model.

The Apple watch is beautifully designed, and shows quality of components.   Like a piece of jewelry, the symmetry and balance is nicely proportioned, it's well crafted.   As a computer on your wrist, the Apple watch is a very cool addition to the Apple family of products.

For those of us who have dreamed of growing up to be Dick Tracy and talking through the watch on our wrist, the future is here.

I'm curious about new iterations of the watch.  With the upcoming Apple launch of a new iPhone, most likely around the 1st or 2nd week of September, there may be new announcement regarding improved functionality of the watch.   Eventually I will get one... I guess my rationale is that I have several watches that I am proud of, and just like I wasn't the first to get an iPad (which I LOVE), I also won't be the first on the block to get the watch.

What is fascinating however is that in the past, many of the Apple products that were launched were "must" haves... and even die hard Apple fans are conflicted about this item.   Among my geeky friends, there is not a consensus, although the people who already have the watch are believers and feel EVERYONE should have one.

Comparing the watch to Google Glass and it's launch is another fascinating marketing perspective. Glass was introduced at a very high price point to the chosen few.  In my opinion, this resulted in a backlash of negativity toward Google.  People who didn't have Glass were at first, curious and envious... but I have to blame the few who had their hands on Glass for the priviledged attitude that became a real turn off... the tide of public opinion turned and Glass was no longer cool.  It became almost the anti-cool, if there is such a thing.

The launch of the watch was announced, and while there were not enough for everyone to get their hands on right away, Apple allowed orders and fulfilled as they could.  That's so much smarter than the Google Glass launch.  Even if you did not get your watch right away, you were in the queue... and it wasn't an overpriced prototype, it was the real product.

I hope that with the reorganization that Google just announced, and with Alphabet taking the lead, perhaps future Google product launches can be as well thought through as the Apple Watch launch.