The Brilliance of iMarketing
I never cease to be amazed at the ferocity with which Apple fanboys will defend the latest iProduct, nor with how the opposition to their blind devotion is presented with an equally uninformed opinion. The arguments seem to regularly break down into two sentiments:
Apple Fanboy: “All you Microsoft/Linux slaves/geeks don’t understand the beauty of Apple’s design. Can’t you see that Steve Jobs is trying to bring us into a digital utopia.”
Opposition: “Can’t you see that Steve Jobs is Big Brother/Satan!?”
Both arguments lack an attempt to analyze the core of the issue at hand, and serve to only further confuse non-techies that don’t belong to either camp. In order to better understand the rational behind Apple fanboys’ side of the argument, let’s go through the corporate marketing strategies that shape their opinions and, if you’re of the other persuasion, the proper way to retort.
The Cult of Mac
The brilliance of Apple’s marketing strategy is that it appeals to one of humanity’s basest emotions, the desire to feel superior to others by tying oneself to a cultural or group identity. Apple loyalists are led to believe that they are going against the grain of society, distinguishing themselves from average people buy purchasing a product that is so perfectly designed, so inherently simple to use, so free of bugs. Others that choose to follow the same path are their brothers and sisters in arms, while those that don’t are slaves to – dare I say it – bland corporate UI designs in a buggy operating system. Like any proselyte, they can’t see that their leader, like all evangelists, exaggerates the shortcomings of any teaching that contradicts his own.
Because of this need to maintain their unwaivering status as a member of the group, and because admission that the latest product is anything less that spectacular would also be admitting that they were wrong about Apple’s (supposed) flawlessness, the fanboy wraps himself in a cocoon of cognitive dissonance. This is best exemplified by comments made by a fanboy on my post, Why I Won’t Be Buying a First Gen iPad.
“I get it – you don’t get it. Which is OK. . . You’ll get it better soon, if you will allow yourself.”
And in a follow up comment. . .
“I’ll be at the coffee shop with my iPad. You’ll have your Ubuntu netbook.”
First, the fanboy asserts that if if have reasons for not being interested in the iPad, it’s not because they’re valid, but because I “don’t get it.” I would be able to get it if I allow myself to see the beauty of his Cupertino oriented point of view. Then he unwittingly admits his true reason for wanting the device: to be seen using it in public so he can be identified as one of the chosen few.
Here’s a gem from the comments section of a recent TechCrunch post, Is Steve Jobs Ignoring History, Or Trying To Rewrite It?
“He’s inventing a new world. History will just follow.”
No wonder they call it the Cult of Mac.
This is not to say that there aren’t others who prefer some of Apple’s products, but don’t follow the company line. I, for one, love the user flow of OSX, especially because it’s a beautiful UI wrapped around a UNIX shell. I’m writing this in Open Office on Ubuntu Linux, though, so my fanboy status is negated by membership in an even smaller faction.
Responding Through Passive Aggressiveness
Trying to counter an Apple fanboy’s opinion is like trying to convince someone that their religion is pointless; it’s just not going to happen. Instead of confronting them head on, consider flanking them with one of these questions:
- “I’m having trouble with my iPad, could you help me? I can’t seem to find the button that allows me to access the file system.”
- “I was playing Farmville on my friend’s Android phone the other day. When I tried to do it on my iPhone, it didn’t work. Do you know why?”
- “My boss left me a message on Google Voice and I need to hear it right now. I’m away from my computer, so is there a way I can do it with my iPhone?”
Perhaps the best way to respond is through self reflection, asking yourself, “Do I, with my own gadget preferences, operate with something of the same cognitive dissonance by rejecting everything Apple?”
Follow me on Twitter: @blakecallens
