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The iPad Mini Is Here! What Are The Implications for Marketers?

Dave Walters, Silverpop
by: Dave Walters (@_DaveWalters)
26 October 2012

Tuesday’s introduction of the iPad Mini has been described as evidence of Apple's determination to maintain its dominant position in the tablet space. Based on the chatter following the announcement, it seems it's likely to succeed.

And, while the general takeaway for marketers who are already paying attention to multiplatform communication is “don’t sweat it,” the iPad Mini announcement does have a few key implications for marketers:

  • Design: The iPad Mini has 35 percent more display area than competing tablets and 67 percent more viewing area when browsing the Web via Safari. Given the content consumption that will be taking place on the Mini’s 7+ inch screen, graphics quality and message design will continue to be a focus area for smart marketers. For instance, the iPad Mini will likely continue to skew opens away from desktops, making mobile-aware design even more important.
  • Price and precedent: Even before the iPad mini announcement, the iPad had sold an astonishing 100 million units and defined the category, in spite of the $500 opening price.  A price drop to as low as $329 will get the Mini in the hands of millions more.  Marketers may want to consider campaigns that are informed by this unmatched market penetration.
  • App potential: As if you needed another reason to build a mobile app, anticipated penetration for the iPad Mini only enhances the marketing potential of an app created to support business.  Mobile marketing budgets are expected to grow 38 percent during the next five years, and a big slice of that pie is tied to greater emphasis on apps.
  • Screen Resolution: The screen resolution is exactly the same as the iPad 2, so, assuming that's already built into a given campaign, there’s no need to make changes.

Apple's announcement also included some additional surprises, such as the iPad 4 and 13-inch MacBook Pro now offering Retina display.  Marketers should be sure to review current designs in a Retina display environment to ensure they’re up to par, especially because the current generations of these are the most widely used Apple devices.

So, what else are you taking into consideration based on these new announcements?

Related Resources:
1) Blog: "Moving Toward a 'Mobile First' Approach for Email"
2) Tip Sheet: "7 Common Location Marketing Mistakes -- and Tips for Avoiding Them"
3) Blog: "Stupid Is as Stupid Does: Solving the 'Problem' of QR Codes and Other Emerging Channels"

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7

  1. Dave Walters

    Daniel: Agreed that the iPad Mini requires mobile devs to hang onto the 1024x768 resolution (left over from the iPad 2) for a few minutes longer. Some of the more progressive designs I see these days are using adaptive techniques and factoring for three major flavors of screens: tablets, smartphones and desktop. At least it's not the chaos of software/hardware combinations in the Android world :-) Happy building!

    Reply

  2. Daniel Jones

    No doubt iPad mini is superior than competitors, Apple have made a nice entry in the market of smaller tabs. The mobile application development firms have got a bit more work, they have to be more careful while designing the apps, having features visibility for multiple screen size iPads.

    Reply

  3. Barbara Mckinney

    Thank you for pointing out some of the the benefits of the iPad Mini for marketers. With this new product now in the market, I can see great opportunities for marketers. Many would really buy and use this product considering the fact that it's more affordable. Thus, they can now make their own marketing plan and strategies along with this new technology.

    Reply

    1. Dave Walters

      Barbara: I think you're exactly right that marketers should factor for even more people being able to consume their message on something larger than a smartphone. It might even draw a few progressive marketers deeper into a video-enhanced strategy. Good luck with your own planning!

      Reply

  4. iMac007

    Weighing in on the iPad mini. I think Apple made some fundamental marketing mistakes in its launch. Consider this: It was presented as a scaled down iPad 2 - with dialogue showing that it did not dilute the product. The problem is now they now tethered the product to older technology. They would have been better to call it a hybrid, which it truly is, having more iPad 4th generation features. They should have differentiated the product and created a new product class. It is more an 8" product than a 7", like the difference between a 37" tv and the 42" model. Price expectation should now change. They could have reclaimed the role of pioneer, doing it right, where would-be copiers fell short. Screen - it was once again compared to the iPad 2 - same resolution - so that iPad 2 apps will run. Later a reference is made to Android apps as scaled up phone apps - a true differentiation. It could have been used here. Imagine if they had first introduced the thinking - a Steve Jobs trick. Pose the question of - if we make it smaller - then how small and what is it? - It must fit in hand. We wanted it to be a tablet, not a scaled up phone app device. It should work seamlessly with existing tablet apps so developers don't have to create new apps or update. So the screen had to accommodate those apps. That meant concentrating the ppi. At 163 pixels per inch (ppi) compared to 132 ppi on the IPad 2 (differentiation). This concentration of pixels makes for even sharper resolution, a key element to a great user experience. Great user experience. Now differentiate the implication of the size difference between the Nexus 7 using Android and this new larger tablet in user experience. True selection of 275,000 tablet apps, not scaled up phone apps. Significantly better user experience, due to 35% bigger screen size and superior screen utilization. WOW. The web experience is two thirds bigger in landscape mode!! And, stats tell us that iOS devices account for 91% of web traffic on mobile devices. This is truly a made for the web device compared to the experience with scaled up Android phone apps. Differentiating the experience with the web examples they chose was excellent. Now the similarities to the new 4th generation iPad can be emphasized. The same new updated Bluetooth, the same great FaceTime and iSight cameras. The same HD video recording capability. The same great LED backlit display technology as the 4th generation iPad. The new Lightning connector and same 2x faster wifi. Dual microphones and speakers, with even better sound, despite the slim design. Smaller battery but same great battery life as its bigger brother. Now to differentiate further from Android tablets. Apple starts where they left off. With 16 GB the starting model, a bigger screen and true tablet apps. Add Siri, the intelligent assistant for a home run. Then Apple offers access not only to the great Apple eco-system, but to more models. Metal not plastic. Pencil thin and light as a pad of paper. Not just a better look and feel. It's simply just better. With tolerances measured in microns, mono-crystalline diamond-cut edges and sleek metallic finishes, iPad mini was designed and engineered to incredibly high standards. Differentiating further with LTE options, wireless screen sharing with AirPlay, and the capability to be a wireless hotspot. With FaceTime, now over cellular as well as Wi-fi, iMessage and iCloud, keeping us in touch and up to date. It fits in a pocket and connects to a tv, a multimedia dynamo. It works with a Bluetooth keyboard for more intensive tasks. Print wirelessly via Wi-fi with AirPrint. Add a Smart Cover, in any of six colors, to enhance your experience. It's for everybody. Apple hasn't forgotten those with special needs. VoiceOver screen reader and Guided Access Support for playback of closed-captioned content AssistiveTouch interface for adaptive accessories Full-screen zoom magnification and Large text Option to invert colors Left/right volume adjustment The strategy is simple. Align the product with the new technology and differentiate it properly.

    Reply

    1. Dave Walters

      Firstly, apologies to you three for me being late to reply to comments. I kicked this out while traveling in Europe so I'm a bit slow getting back to comments. So you've thought a bit about this iMac007 :-) I would tend to agree with you that tying it to the iPad 2 was a move designed specifically for the developer audience re: resolution (no new builds needed), but did nothing to make the device make more sense to consumers. But candidly, I think the Number One driver in the consumer's mind is price. I'm not sure many people aren't aware of (or know someone who owns) the device. Regardless, the net effect will be a ton more units in customers' hands, which is great news for those of us who create content designed to be easily consumed and acted on.

      Reply

      1. Clint Fyke

        Clearly your comments are aimed at implications for email marketing on the device. My comments are on what can be learned about marketing itself. Your comment about price is an example. The number one issue is perceived value. Retail price is only one measure of value. Convenience is another. That is why you are willing to pay more at a corner store. The iPad 2 reference is more to do with the familiar. Virginia Satir, a famous therapist, commented that man's strongest instinct isn't for survival but for the familiar. The idea that iPad apps and iPhone apps will both work and work the same, hooks into that instinct. That is value. How many users have updated their operating system to suddenly find that an application won't work? Built-in obsolescence often occurred when users upgraded pc computers. Apple is famous for backward compatibility. Sometimes, what isn't there is a value. Apple used to advertise that "it just works" - no need for the "Geek Squad". Apple are the masters of value from what isn't there. I don't need to find a menu or know a pathname to move a file to the trash or into a folder. I can just drag and drop it there. I don't have to worry about viruses. We are comparison machines. The marketer needs to define the situation, not let the media or analysts do it. Consumers are used to small, medium and large. The 7" category is a media invention. Consumers are more familiar with s, m, and l. There are now small, mid-size, and large tablets, but by not presenting themselves as mid-size they got lumped into a 7" category. We are in a society that appreciates that there are economy, mid-priced and top-end models. Marketing departments often have designers create an elite model - a 4th category.. They know it increases the sales of the mid-priced models. Do you always buy the cheapest item? Lots of consumers want "best value". Some just want the name like, Chanel, Lululemon, or Nike. Positioning in the market place can make or break a product. Apple needed to control the comparison. A separate Retina Display model under $400 would have shifted the value comparison more to between the mid-sized Apple models. For Apple I don't see price being the driver as much as for their competitors. Amazon admit they sell their tablet for cost. Basically, they have convinced consumers to pay for their shopping cart. I know you need to extrapolate these ideas to see when, where and if any of them are applicable to your marketing situation. Your question was "what are the implications for marketers?"

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