So far
Stage 1: Apple introduces revolutionary product after teasing markets for months about the novel product.
Stage 2: Glitches are identified and along with the inevitable let down that accompanies any overhyped product, doubts grow about the wonderfulness of it all.
Stage 3: The talk grows: is Apple destined for mediocrity after all with Steve Jobs gone?
Stage 4: Rationality sets in, this is just another product after all. Investors, shareholders and analysts focus on something else.
The Apple Watch has cruised past stages one and two and I suppose in some quarters stage three is taking hold. But this product launched with a crucial difference and it will be interesting to see if some of the stages are skipped.
Remember Those Appointments To Try On The Watch?
That difference was Apple's strong suggestion that buyers make appointments at Apple stores to try out the Apple Watch.
It was a crafty strategy, Mike Wehrs, head of U.S. operations and Global CMO at Appster, tells me.
"Essentially the watch is a tethered device and we haven't seen a tremendous amount of success among tethered devices," he says. Also, the watch is a different form factor, obviously, than a tablet or phone and chances are good that not all users will understand all of the functions all of the time. By getting users acquainted with the product beforehand they will have less frustration and, perhaps more importantly, Wehrs says -- the greater likelihood that users will want to show off the device to their friends.
"This is Apple's way of creating an unofficial sales force that can spread the word about the device," he concludes. "Think of them as unofficial Watch evangelists."
The Case For Word Of Mouth Marketing
There are stats to back this theory that old-fashioned word of mouth marketing can perform more effectively than digital campaigns (although Apple is using those as well). A new report from
The Glitches
The list of glitches to the Apple Watch seems to be fairly short at this point.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that there is a defective component -- the so-called taptic engine, which produces the sensation of being tapped on the wrist when a notification comes in or the user has been sitting too long. *
And according to iMoore, the Apple Watch doesn’t work well when the user has a tattoo on the wrist. The part in question is a plethysmograph sensor and the ink pigmentation interferes with its ability to read the user's heart rate and whether or not it's maintaining skin contact.
Are these or any other problems that may emerge be enough to spur another "Atennagate" -- the so-called Apple scandal in 2010 in which some iPhone 4 owners complained of dropped calls when they gripped the phone covering the wrap around antenna?
Who knows, but if so, this time around there will be more people vested in defending the Watch. Buying a $350 device (and up) is one thing; taking the time to make an appointment, to actually land a spot on the Apple store's schedule and then sitting for 15 to 30 minutes for the product demonstration is a real investment.
*Update: A reader has noted that no one has received a faulty watch with the taptic engine problem as Apple discovered the problem before the watches were shipped.
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