Selon une étude récente de la société de recherche IDC les ventes records d’Apple enregistrées au troisième trimestre 2010 l’ont mis à la quatrième place devant RIM mais loin derrière Nokia, Samsung et LG évinçant Sony Ericsson du top pour la première fois depuis 2004.
Cette entrée dans le top 5 rang souligne l'importance toujours plus grande des smartphones sur le marché des mobiles. Apple domine ses concurrents avec une augmentation de 90,5 % sur un an.
Nous accordons cette victoire au grand succès de l'iPhone et la stratégie storytellingerielle de la pomme. La puissance du storytelling est vraiment remarquable et incontournable.
Les 5 premiers vendors de terminaux mobiles sont ci-dessous.
Un an après la fin de la campagne « Get a Mac », Apple a dévoilé sa campagne pour le nouveau iPhone 4. Les premiers spots diffusés attaquent directement l’émotion de l’audience en montrant comment un appel traditionnel peut être transformé en appel « futuriste » avec la nouvelle application FaceTime. La campagne vise à montrer comment, en quelques secondes, l’utilisateur peut voir la naissance de sa petite fille, un coup de cheveux mal fait, ou même visiotéléphoner avec son mari en Irak. L’histoire Apple raconte que il n’est qu’avec Apple, plus spécifiquement l’application FaceTime sur l’iPhone 4, que nous sommes capables de rapprocher près de nos relations éloignées.
Les nouveaux spots publicitaires pour l’iPhone 4 redynamisent le storytelling traditionnel. Ici, nous avons une publicité qui captive l’audience juste en parlant du nouveau produit, largement médiatisé. En ce qui concerne la capacité de la cible à transmettre le message, nous pouvons dire que quelque la place de l’émotion est telle que la cible pourra retransmettre le message du spot : l’iPhone 4 est l’outil permettant de rester en contact avec ses proches. L’histoire dans chaque spot est une histoire vraisemblable pleine d’émotion. La diversité des histoires racontées dans la campagne permet de toucher un maximum de monde et rend le processus d’identification facile.
Regardons le spot iPhone 4 d'Apple ci-dessous soulignant l'application FaceTime.
In a recent publication by Ed Bott from ZDNET.com, I discovered some data that is essential to proving that "storytelling" is indeed a successful means of communication.
Bott highlights the "steady decline" of Windows XP (see photo below) since 2008 despite the rejection of Windows Vista launched by Microsoft in 2007 and the increase in Vista and notably Windows 7. This data, from Netmarketshare.com, is based on the percent of total Internet usage by computers using Windows as an operating system (see pic below).
But, what about Apple? Apple seems to be catching up to Microsoft, thanks to iOS-based devices. What are iOS-based devices you say? Those little things you see people using to connect to the internet and talk on the phone, yea, iPhones. But, not just iPhones, iPod touches and iPads are considered iOS-based devices that account for the growth of OS X usage (see pic below).
The Net Market Share stats confirm that OS X’s share of Internet usage rose from 3.45% in early 2008 to more than 5% last year. But, what is really behind all this? I say that it's just a story away. Mobile Internet usage has grown dramatically since 2007 (see pic below) and this is in large part due to Apple and Microsoft's attack on the mobile operating system market.
But, why are people buying these devices? How has Apple's market share increased so much these past few years? Good advertising? I say, good storytelling.
Dans mon mémoire j'ai isolé les éléments clés permettant d’assurer une bonne campagne de storytelling à savoir :
(i) Le caractère captivant de l’histoire ;
(ii) La faculté de la cible à diffuser le message à son tour ;
(iii) L’émotion suscitée doit être forte pour permettre à la cible de se souvenir du message ;
(iv) L’histoire doit être telle que l’identification de la cible à l’histoire est facile.
Les éléments clés cités ci-dessus permettent d’augmenter l’efficacité du storytelling dans l’univers informatique.
Prenons l'exemple de la publicité de la campagne "Get A Mac".
Sur le plan externe un des messages publicitaires d’Apple les plus aboutis portent sur la comparaison entre un « Mac » et un « PC ». En 2006, lors du lancement de la campagne « Get a Mac » Apple a remontré ses capacités de réenchanter et élargir son auditoire avec l’acteur Justin Long qui incarne le « Mac » tandis que John Hodgman joue le rôle du « PC ». Cette campagne publicitaire créé par TBWA\Media Arts Lab pour Apple, Inc. incorpore le storytelling en toute simplicité à nouveau après les spots de la campagne « Switch ». Dès les premiers mots « Hello, I’m a Mac » « and I’m a PC » l’audience est totalement captivé, et cela illustre le fait que l’histoire n’est pas seulement faite de parole. L’aspect sensoriel est primordial dans cette pub : les acteurs, le tenue, la musique, etc.
Le spot « Viruses » qui a été diffusé en Amérique du nord est un exemple parfait de l’art du storytelling en œuvre selon Kelten Rhodes. Le spot raconte l’histoire d’un ordinateur tombé en panne à cause d’un virus et de tous les étudiants, businessmen et d’autres qui ont été victime d’un problème d’ordinateur lié à un virus. Au-delà de cela, la façon dont Apple raconte l’histoire est assez personnelle. Le PC, infecté par un rhume (le virus), avertie le Mac de se méfier car il est très contagieux et le Mac risque d’être infecté par l’un des 114 000 virus auxquels le PC est menacé. Le Mac, en bonne forme, annonce qu’il n’est pas affecté du tout par les virus. Le PC, trop malade, tombe dans les pommes, simulant un « crash ».
Ce spot publicitaire illustre clairement l’art du storytelling dans son apogée : Apple, à travers Justin Long, facilement identifiable à l’étudiant idéal, raconte sous fond d’une musique simpliste, voire enfantine son immunité aux virus dont de nombreux gens ont peur. Pour renforcer l’impact sur le consommateur du spot c’est le jeune et frêle étudiant qui est résistant aux virus alors que l’imposant business succombe à un petit rhume. Apple crée un lien avec l’audience et réussie à convaincre ceux qui ont marre d’un ordinateur qui ne fonctionne plus à cause d’un rhume.
Regardons ensemble le spot « Viruses » d'Apple ci-dessous.
I recently read Bernadette Martin's Storytelling About Your Brand Online & Offline and find that it provides excellent examples of how to tell your story to make your self more marketable online and offline.
Bernadette Combines personal branding with storytelling, bringing storytelling to a whole new level. In my thesis I focused mainly on how storytelling is used in the IT sector, hence the underlying subject matter of this blog, but I used Bernadette's work of art to help support my hypothesis. Her arguments, although destined for improving your personal brand, can be applied to storytelling as a whole.
Furthermore, in my recent search for a job, I have applied Bernadette's techniques to my own personal use. I underwent her personal branding process and learned even more about myself along the way, not to mention was able to craft an amazing resumé with a small bio that tells my story.
Bernadette's book is a good reference for professionals and executives of all types, entrepreneurs, consultants, musicians, academics and students. The book can be purchased on amazon.com in both paperback and e-book.
Well, what are you waiting for? Give it a go and undergo the personal branding process and uncover the brand called YOU!
Storytelling can be used in television ads or even in simple videos used on your website to aid with the new product launch. Storytelling can also be found in the philosophy of a company, i.e. in its company values posted on its corporate Website.
Let's take Microsoft for example. When you head to its corporate website, www.microsoft.com, and click on the "About Microsoft" tab you stumble upon its corporate values. Microsoft states that their mission is "to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential."
Microsoft is there to help. To help consumers meet their full potential. But, does this mission statement tell a story? I'm sure if we looked hard enough we could figure something out. Thankfully, a few lines down we are presented with Microsoft's values:
"As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. We are committed to our customers and partners and have a passion for technology. We take on big challenges, and pride ourselves on seeing them through. We hold ourselves accountable to our customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring our commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality."
A company that lives by its values is a company that lives up to its story. In other words, a company's story is found in its values. Microsoft values it values since its values are a part of its valuable story. It's hiSTORY.
When you mention "story" to someone the first thing that comes to mind is "Once upon a time..." and "and they lived happily ever after." We can equate a company's values to "Once upon a time" or the start of a story.
Storytelling is something that starts with the values of a company so that they can reach their happily ever after.
In a post by Eric Ratinoff, he talks about how Apple uses storytelling to its advantage when introducing their product line to customers via the Apple Website.
Apple gets storytelling in that they have identified the elements of storytelling and have applied them to videos of their products on the Apple Website that tell the story of the product, whether it be an iPhone or a MacPro, from start to finish. Apple brings their products to live through storytelling.
Eric is right in that Apple is genuinely excited to be sharing a story about the process and development of its products as well as a reiteration of its philosophy. He states that Apple's investment in sharing their stories reflects and appreciation of the investment and commitment that customers make when they purchase a product.
The stories Apple shares with its customers pass along the tech specs of its products in a way that is easily comprehensible and reassuring. Apple reassures its customers the thought and time committed to making the product and thus reenforces the quality of Mac products.
The use of storytelling here makes it easier for Apple to share their products with consumers and for consumers to share Apple stories with their friends and family. Apple's stories contain a captivating beginning, engaging middle and conclusive ending that keeps us wanting more.
Apple's Get a Mac campaign is one of the most long-lived advertising runs of all time, beginning in 2006 and officially put to rest at the beginning of 2010. Although the campaign was finished, the Ads won't be forgotten.
The campaign was successful in quenching the thirst of Mac enthousiasts and even some new commers. Apple's sales have sky-rocketed since the launch of the campaign, something that hasn't been done since the release of the multi-colored iMacs. Below is a panorama of the Quarterly Mac sales from 1997 all the way to 2008.
Wall Street speaking, Apple stock increased and increases even in midst of an economic crisis, which in turn is do to the wonderful stories told by Apple. Below are some screen shots of Apple stock as well as Microsoft Stock, to have a comparative basis, from 2005 to 2010. It is important to note that the period in which the "Get A Mac" campaign was active was a veritable success for Apple, Inc and it's shareholders.
In response to the "Get A Mac" campaign launched by Apple in 2005, Microsoft launched a storytelling-oriented campaign that put none other than Bill Gates in the spotlight. Microsoft invested $300M dollars in this campaign so that they could too tell their story. Unfortunately, the campaign was not much of a success and was widely criticized for its poor storyline and failed attempt to revamp Microsoft's image using comedian Jerry Seinfield.
In my opinion the Ad was just too long to comprehend. I fonud myself lost about mid-way through with a Latino family at the window and references to conquistadors. In comparison to the Mac ads this ad is far more complicated and far less comprehensible. We are safe to say that a clear, short story is sometimes better than a long complicated one, at least when it comes to what is on TV.
I've decided to create a blog that is dedicated to Storytelling, which was also my subject for my mémoire.I will try and regroup an abundance of information relative to the subject to simplify your online research.
In my research I focused on the art of storytelling in the IT sector, focusing on Microsoft and Apple. I lightly touched their television ads and their stories displayed on their corporate websites. However, this research is quite limited and I would like to expand on this research via this blog.
I welcome you to exlpore Storytelling through my eyes and through those of other professionnals in this sector.
