Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!mattd
From: mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Amiga
Message-ID: <36007@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 28 Oct 89 18:16:15 GMT
References: <21482@gryphon.COM>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 48

In article <21482@gryphon.COM> lbotez@pnet02.gryphon.com (Lynda Botez) writes:
>Well, it looks like people will be buying alot of Amiga's for Christmas this
>year.  They are advertising the machine like crazy.   As you know, people are
>very influenced by television promotions.  
>
>So far, I've only seen advertisements for the MacIntosh from Apple Computer (a
>rather poor commercial, by the way).  Of course, businesses don't buy
>computers for Christmas.
>
>Lynda
>
>UUCP: {ames!elroy, <routing site>}!gryphon!pnet02!lbotez
>INET: lbotez@pnet02.gryphon.com

(Jeremy Mereness had a similar post earlier on this group, talking about a
magazine spread in Time for the Amiga and wondering where the IIgs one was.)

Of course, every Apple II owner knows (from the accounting sheets Apple ships
in the box, I guess) that Apple really gets a fantastic rate of return on
Apple II advertising and chooses not to do it anyway because they're trying
to kill the Apple II.  Why spend the money in the most effective way possible
when it just serves the needs of the shareholders?

The point here, of course, is that everyone's *assuming* that spending lots and
lots of money on Apple II advertising would return lots and lots of Apple II
sales, and I don't know that to be the case at all.  I know that there seems to
be a good rate of return on Macintosh advertising, but I have no idea whether
Apple's money in Apple II advertising is a good investment or not.  And nobody
else outside Apple's PR department probably knows, either, so please quit
assuming the worst.  It really takes a toll on Apple people reading this group
to not be cut *any* slack.

I'm sure the shareholders would find it just dandy to find a huge Apple II
advertising budget if it didn't have a decent rate of return.  They'd probably
ask the executive staff why they spent the money, and they'd reply "We didn't
want to hurt the feelings of the installed base."  If I had to watch out for
the feelings of the installed base, I'd do it with things like 5.0; major new
functionality inexpensively or free.

-- 
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