New age brands are dominating digital spaces and some even taking over market share from the more traditional ones who remain fashioned to traditional tactics . The growth of moment marketing has further increased the pressure for brands to be heard and to be seen as making trends with the news of the day .
launch and market release . Android users had a field day making fan of iPhone users speaking in jest about the changes to the charging port and cable and the hype about the overpriced phones while welcoming them to the Type-C club .
While both brands launch new phones every year , somehow with Apple the expectation is always higher . There is almost an expectation to see an iPhone which also makes ice and does dishes . While the price of the higher end Samsung phones has already caught up with that of the iPhone , this is not the case for the Android player . Both phones can easily perform at the same level and there are no signifcant breakthrough innovations that are being witnessed on both fronts .
The iPhone first launched in 2007 when phones were very different in design and even functionality . Soon after , Android begun to shape the industry taking the lead with the larger handsets , cameras and customization . Over the years , Apple has remained more consistent in its shape and size and has only made incremental improvements and upgrades around improving its camera and security features . With the new iPhone just launched , once again only minor improvements around its physical appearance were made , and this was expected .
This year however , Apple led its launch with its positioning around gaming for the new Pro series . This was important for Apple because they realized years ago that people play games on their phones - say iPhones - a lot . This insight came to light in 2021 , when Apple was involved in a legal fight with Epic Games where court papers revealed that Apple makes more money on games and game In-App Purchases ( IAP ) every year than Sony , Nintendo , Microsoft and Activision combined . It is therefore understandable why the company would lead with this information that many iPhone and even Android users completely missed while focusing on the changes in camera and charging ports .
The gaming features make it an extremely reliable gaming device , even outpacing the Mac . The Wall Street Journal puts Apple ' s operating profits derived from gaming in 2019 at $ 8.5 billion . The report claims the gaming-based figure is approximately $ 2 billion more than the operating profit generated from games during the same 12-month period by Sony , Activision , Nintendo , and Microsoft . The gaming companies ' data stemmed from company filings , while Microsoft ' s figure was from
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New age brands are dominating digital spaces and some even taking over market share from the more traditional ones who remain fashioned to traditional tactics . The growth of moment marketing has further increased the pressure for brands to be heard and to be seen as making trends with the news of the day .
an analyst estimate .
Sensor Tower estimated that Apple received $ 15.9 billion in revenue from the App Store in 2019 , 69 % of that figure derived from gaming . Using data from the court , it was implied the App Store had an operating profit of $ 12.3 billion for the year , accounting for almost a fifth of the overall operating profit of the manufacturer . Regardless of how the breakdown is presented , it demonstrates that Apple is a major force in gaming , and it only made sense for them to make improvements in this area alongside the camera and video capabilities that get better across board each year .
Samsung ’ s new Galaxy S23 series on the other hand addressed minor performance improvements with changes to the phone ’ s battery life by offering a larger battery capacity , they also input the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that ' s been optimized for the new Galaxy lineup meaning performance is faster especially when exporting video . A quicker processor also means it is well-equipped to handle gaming , multitasking and other functions . The Galaxy S23 ' s cameras were not upgraded in this edition but were updated to improve processing in low light conditions .
Both Apple and Samsung have loyalists , but the new releases show that the companies will have to do a little more thinking around improving next year ’ s editions . Apple is rumored to release a completely different design of the iPhone , but it will be no surprise if they come to market with the folding technology like Samsung has done , especially to support the gaming community that they appear to be ringfencing with their model improvements . Apple also promised to bring its entire carbon footprint to net zero by 2030 , another reason they may keep fans hanging around for a while . They did a brilliant job with the film that showcased their status report on how they have managed to reduce some of their impact already , one thing that Samsung is yet to demonstrate to the world on .
These two examples point to the fact that brands have to play to their competitive advantage now more than ever to stay ahead . The gap between competing brands is much smaller and the economic environment is becoming increasingly challenging . How brands maintain their competitive advantage will be the key to their survival . Price parity is reducing , and consumers are not necessarily intrigued by constant intrusion through advertising and a lot more persuasion will be required .
The fundamentals that we know and have long relied on to win customers will make a heavy comeback to move customers into action . While we have all been looking to tech to guide innovation , tech is now looking to marketing to inform innovation . For Apple to zone into gaming could be a sign that the smart phone industry had peaked . They are now looking to enhance experience . Selling experience is done through marketing .
Watching the convergence of marketing in an almost level playing field will force marketing professionals to think more differently than they have ever done before . They will have to dig deeper about the differentiation factors and ensure alignment to global expectations , like sustainability and climate change .
The role of storytelling to simplify issues to customers will also have to take center stage as product features reach standardization . The meaning of value for money for many consumers will change in time . As all this is happening , marketers must also change .
Diana Obath is a seasoned Public Relations and Communications Specialist . You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail on : ObathD @ gmail . com .