Snap analysis was that the ads, which strayed heavily from
Apple's usual emotional brand appeals, failed miserably.
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But now some new data from market research firm YouGov suggests
there was at least some method to Apple's madness, an uncomfortable
trend that may change Apple's messaging going forward: Apple's
fanboys are getting older.
Since mid-July 2011, adults 35 and older have been the biggest
supporters of Apple's brand, and its most enthusiastic consumers,
according to YouGov's BrandIndex, a daily measure of brand
perception among consumers. That's a change from 2008 to 2011 when
consumers aged 18-34 were, as YouGov says, "Apple's biggest banner
wavers."
That's a significant shift, and a demographic which, YouGov
notes, "just may need a 'Genius' to help with their Apple products,
as the new ads imply."
The prime-time audience for the Olympics, of course, is
comfortably over 35, meaning Apple is hitting the right demo with
-- dare we say it -- the right message?
The aging of Apple's most enthusiastic demo, the ones most
likely to have heard or said something positive about Apple, is no
doubt a natural process. But it also coincided with the
introduction of the iPhone 4s, not the revolutionary update some
had hoped for. After that introduction, perception among over-35s
started to climb. Perception among 18-34 also climbed for a bit,
but not as steeply, and then fell off.
