Trend Watch: How will the Apple iPad change marketing?

The moment has come, Apple today shipped the iPad — billed as a game changer in the tech world. Few product launches have received as much attention as the iPad since the iPhone or the iPod, and those two examples radically changed the music and phone industry permanently.

There are of course those who rubbish the launch of the iPad as nothing more than just an oversized iPhone. They have gone as far as claiming its demise. It’s easy to understand why: the iPad looks like a bigger version of the iPhone and runs the same operating system. However, dig deep into the product and you’ll uncover that many negativity surrounding the iPad stems from comparison with other netbooks and standard notebooks. The real power of the iPad comes not from hardware, but from software. The iPad’s allure will come from its power to change traditional media and consumer behavior along with it.

How will these developments affect you as a marketer? Here are some key areas to consider:

1. The iPad will change printed media

The biggest hopes for the iPad is its potential as a game-changer for publishers. The possibilities range from creation of magazines and books that have the ability to marry the traditional ease of use of a book or magazine and add in the interactivity of digital.

Suddenly, each press, magazine or book comes alive with the ability to add in video, animation and connectivity. The iPad’s relative ease makes the “pick-me-up” factor a whole lot easier.

If the iPad succeeds in changing publishing, it will also change advertising. Advertising in an iPad world will mean integrating into such an environment. The winner will not come from simply making a banner ad within an ad space, but product placement potential, interactivity and targeting to make the ad relevant and alive.

Take a look at Wired magazine’s iPad edition to see the potential.

2. The iPad will change television

It’s no secret that many consumers have become dual-users of media. One eye would be fixed on the television while the other their computers. The iPad will make interactivity a big possibility. It’s easier for consumers to carry in their hand and the intuitive nature of touch screens makes it more natural.

What are the possibilities? Interactivity can be added into all TV programs. Consumers can access sports scores, live statistics and timing during live sporting events. Additional information and images can be viewed following a news story. Voting can conducted during a reality TV show. While there are already applications created for the iPhone and the Blackberry, the iPad provides a bigger canvas to make content easier to consume. It will change the entire experience of watching TV.

3. The iPad will change marketing literature

What’s the current arsenal of sales tool do you have at your disposal? Brochures? Leaflets? Price lists?

The iPad will change the way salespeople do sales calls. You can replace bulky computers with sleek iPads for presentations. The battery life and the size wins any computer hands down and the form factor makes it infinitely more agile than a computer.

You can replace heavy brochures, catalogues and leaflets with the iPad. Plus you can add interactivity into the iPad that makes your brochures come alive. You can help customers customize their products on the spot or fill up an order form. Finally, It is infinitely more updatable than a printed brochure or leaflet.

Gap's iPad application - Digital catalogue and e-commerce site

4. The iPad will change your Agency

Here at BRANDTHINK Malaysia, we’re beginning our own exploration on how the iPad can be utilized for greater marketing purposes. Smart phones have already shown us the great potential of marketing beyond the traditional media and even past the standard computers into the realm of mobile and smart devices. The iPad will add an interesting new dimension.

That means new challenges for us. Our team will will be undergoing new training to adapt. We’ll have to partner with our clients to explore potential applications. How our client’s customers respond to this new era will have to be taken into account and our strategies adjusted accordingly.

5. The iPad will change you.

How are you responding as a marketer?

Are you taking steps to prepare for changes in print and electronic media?

Are you studying the potential of interactivity in your ads, your brochures and your sales tools?

Have you started imagining the possibilities?

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To see how the iPad will change business, you can also visit a story by the Huffington Post. Time Magazine also ran a cover story on the iPad in time for the iPad’s launch. Its review is also published here.

To learn more about the iPad, visit Apple’s website at: http://www.apple.com/ipad