Apple
iPhone Buzz Remains
Strong in Online
Discussion despite
27 Percent
Decline in Traditional
Media Coverage
Online
Discussion Not
as Great as Game
Consoles and
Other Product Launches
SAN
MATEO, Calif. — August 17, 2007 — Biz360®, the leading provider of media
and market intelligence
solutions, today
released its
analysis of the
Apple iPhone
launch, which
shows a strong
increase in consumer
buzz
for July, following
the frenzy of
the
pre-launch hype.
Apple launched
the device on
June 29,
2007. The iPhone
posted the increase
in online discussion
despite a 27
percent decline
in mainstream
media coverage
for July (broadcast,
print and online
news stories).
While
the iPhone generated
strong buzz for
a new product launch,
it fell far short
of the
record for
product launches
tracked by
Biz360.
The Nintendo
Wii, which
launched in
November 2006,
generated more
than twice
the online
discussion for the
month
following its
launch than
did the iPhone.
The Nintendo
Wii's holiday
buzz was
a prelude to
sales that
would follow
as it beat
out the other newly
launched
game consoles
in January
2007
and
overtook the
market leader
in monthly
sales, the
Sony Playstation
2,
in April 2007.
One
dominant issue
in blog discussion
and mainstream
media
coverage of the
iPhone during
the week of the
launch
was an activation
problem through
Apple's mobile
service provider,
AT&T. The issue was among the most popular online discussion topics and accounted
for 8.3 percent
of all blog posts
mentioning the
iPhone for the
week of
June 25, 2007,
however, the
problem only
affected a small
percent of iPhones
sold. The activation
issue decreased
to 8.0 percent
of iPhone blog
posts and then 2.7
percent
in the subsequent
weeks.
"Marketers
already know
there's a correlation
between
online discussion
of their products
and sales,"
said Tony Priore,
chief marketing
officer
at Biz360,
Inc.
"But, when
there's a product
delivery
or service
issue, the number
of
customers affected
rarely
equals the
amount of product
discussion
on the issue,"
he added. "Understanding
the severity
of
the problem
and the customers'
expectations
can
help marketers
contextualize
the issue and
assess its real
impact.
This context
can
help marketers
develop a measured
reaction
that
preserves brand
value
and sales
and is on target
with customer
expectations."
About Biz360, Inc.
Biz360 delivers media and market intelligence solutions to Global 2000 business
decision makers, providing them with a 360-degree view of
their marketplace. The company gathers and analyzes the vast
amount of traditional and social media about an organization,
its brands, its competitors and its products to deliver real-time
insights that help our clients shape market perception, respond
to competitive threats, evaluate trends and issues and improve
the return on their marketing investments.
Our clients include industry-leading,
global companies, such as AAA, Aetna, AstraZeneca and Sun
Microsystems. Biz360 can be reached at 866.424.9360 or www.biz360.com.
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