Brands take advantage of Apple’s #BendGate crisis in a real-time marketing
Social media users are mocking Apple and other brands know how to take advantage of iPhone crisis.
It has not been the best week for Apple. After the rumor about bending iPhone 6 Plus spread virally in the web, the company got out of control of the crisis. Within last 24 hours people created and shared over 20k contents about the bending phablet. What is more, the number of negative comments has been growing and a lot of people who initially planned to buy iPhone 6 now change their minds. Does it sound bad enough? It was just the beginning of bad news for Apple. Just after the iOS 8.0.1. introduction clients started reporting all kinds of issues with the update. In few hours it was pulled. Social media users are mocking Apple and the situation does not seem to get any better.
Good start
Nothing spelled a disaster for Apple. They were doing really great in the beginning of September. Before, during and after the special event, when a lot of novelties were introduced social media users were crazy about the brand. The vast majority of technology blogs and websites gave all the attention to Apple. The chart below reflects that Apple was on a roll. During the September event the number of mentions about iPhone 6 exceeded the level of 50k contents per day and nobody saw what was coming. On Friday 22nd first devices reached to customers and some negative comments began to spread in social media.
#BendGate goes viral
Internet users eagerly shared funny memes and videos about bending iPhone, especially after the video test by Unbox Therapy. Within last 24 hours the estimated number of mentions related to bending iPhones amounted to over 20,000! These contents reached to approximately 28 million people! Here are some examples of the funniest memes and jokes:
RT @PhoneDesigner: #bendgate LEAKED: new iPhone Dali Edition! pic.twitter.com/8HARW1R4Rq
— St Austell Bay TIC (@StAustellTIC) September 26, 2014
#bendgate If you can’t break your smartphone you’re not trying hard enough. — Paul (@reflectivist) September 26, 2014
Brillant! #ImOooldAndIKnow RT @iGriever: Breaking: new Apple Executives Page #bendgate pic.twitter.com/CG68F1WqX6
— Arno (@ArnoBrn) September 26, 2014
#Bendgate LOL. #iPhone 6 $AAPL pic.twitter.com/2VkkEGFqQi — Veeru789 (@CVKedarnath) September 26, 2014
ROUNDUP: The Internet’s hilarious reactions to #bendgate http://t.co/9UF2xBlE5U Image via @OmarMohsen04 pic.twitter.com/DHWPyLMVIT — The Next Web (@TheNextWeb) September 25, 2014
What’s with the bent iPhone 6 and the sloppy iOS 8? Steve Jobs must be fuming looking at this mess right now.
— PK Built My Hotrod (@HABSMAKEMECRY) September 26, 2014
I hope the #iphone6 #BendGate issue helps to rid the world of hipster skinny jeans. That would Job’s greatest gift to the world, ever. — Nick Disney (@ndisney) September 23, 2014
So jealous none of my Androids have magical bendability. Guess they were too cheap. 🙂 #bendgate
— Simon Cousins (@simon_cousins) September 24, 2014
iTaco. #BendGate http://t.co/hssIpCoGV7 pic.twitter.com/im0CaD6ejC — 9GAG (@9GAG) September 26, 2014
Brands trolling Apple
Apple’s competitors and other brands as well did not miss the chance to take the advantage of BendGate affair. They used the bending iPhone image in clever ads, which engaged even more people. These photos are great examples of how to run successful online activities in a real-time marketing in order to increase your audience and gain new followers.
Samsung – Apple’s competitor number 1 struck twice:
Curved. Not bent. #GALAXYNoteEdge pic.twitter.com/OTPIYlI07f
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) September 25, 2014
RT Samsung Mobile USA has a new advertisement targeting the Apple iPhone 6 bending issue…. http://t.co/4OGcgvQrLO pic.twitter.com/RiGdFdAf0M — Trystan (@Trystan2k) September 25, 2014
However, other mobile devices producers also trolled Apple:
We like this one:
Designed to withstand the most demanding environments. Like your pockets. #HTCOneM8
— HTC USA (@HTCUSA) September 24, 2014
Our phone doesn’t bend, it flexes…on purpose. #bendgate pic.twitter.com/d1DudxDQgf — LG USA Mobile (@LGUSAMobile) September 24, 2014
Not only brands of mobiles proved their creativity. Here are other examples of real-time marketing:
Dear Apple… #BendGate pic.twitter.com/XJ8zVEUog9
— Heineken NL (@Heineken_NL) September 25, 2014
We’ve only ever had curves in all the right places #bendgate pic.twitter.com/D7MD81VZli — Coca-Cola GB (@CocaCola_GB) September 25, 2014
Avoid #bendgate with our hidden security side pocket. Smart phone, meet the #SmartestKhakis ever made. pic.twitter.com/Eb2bvg6fcS
— Dockers (@Dockers) September 24, 2014
Bends rule! #bendgate #hyperbolicparabaloid pic.twitter.com/AlreYLQ6D1 — Pringles (@Pringles) September 25, 2014
The only curve your startup wants is growth #seedcamp #bendgate pic.twitter.com/vq7us2dQPS
— seedcamp (@seedcamp) September 25, 2014
We happen to think bending’s underrated! #LenovoYoga #bendgate pic.twitter.com/cCP2hkkYO5 — Lenovo UK & Ireland (@lenovo_UKI) September 25, 2014
Curved by design > Bent out of shape #bendgate pic.twitter.com/Q0q3sSNa8Q
— LG Electronics (@LGUS) September 25, 2014
And our favorite one:
We don't bend, we #break. #bendgate #iPhone6plus pic.twitter.com/uippCg4kCi — KITKAT (@KITKAT) September 24, 2014
So what else bends or #breaks? http://t.co/zx1Nf3CBy0#bendgate#iPhone6pluspic.twitter.com/tDtjE15Snc — KITKAT (@KITKAT) September 25, 2014
Sales drop
In the worst scenario Apple might loose a lot of fans and customers. This seems to be very likely outcome as already plenty of Internt users have written on their profiles that they are not going to buy iPhone 6 Plus anymore or even they cancelled their orders. Some even rerurn their already bought devices. What is more, Apple was forced to pull update of iOS 8.0.1 as after its introductions a lot of issues with the operating systems were reported. The future for iDevices does not seem bright and now it is all up to Apple and how it will handle the crisis. The company have already responded that iPhone 6 Plus went through rigorous testing and that only 9 people reported problems with devices. However, it might not be enought for such a huge wave of negative reations and mocking jokes about Apple.
Just canceled my #iphone6 plus order after seeing the bending issue. smh #BendGatepic.twitter.com/Ajdy8myRwm
— Garrett Peek (@GKPGKP) September 24, 2014