Brand Value
Apple (AAPL), while a produce of a variety of CE products, is an iconic brand and a company that is a master of marketing. Apple pays extraordinary attention to product design characteristics, which has always made marketing its products easier than those generic CE products that fall in line with the current swath of smartphones of PCs. Apple does considerable R&D as to technology and component development in house or in conjunction with suppliers and while not always leading the pack in terms of new technology, the company’s overall product quality is among the best. That gives Apple the ability to charge a bit more for its products than competitors and has helped the company maintain superior margins, but there is a point at which Apple’s brand marketing can take things a bit too far.
The example is a relatively new item that is part of Apple’s ‘Accessory’ catalog, a polishing cloth “Made of soft, non-abrasive material…”, “…cleans any Apple display, including nano-texture glass, safely and effectively.” This is a simple way to keep your Apple product displays clean without scratching the surface, likely made of a microfiber material based on a synthetic polyester blend. The problem with this Apple product is the price, which is $19.00 plus sales tax, and while you get free shipping if you order today, the earliest available delivery date is between January 12 and January 26, 2022, which implies it remains popular, although logistical concerns could also be a factor.
But there are alternatives. Smaller brands are willing to sell you a 6 pack of 6” x 7” microfiber, individually packed, cleaning cloths, “…perfect for delicate surfaces like LCD TV screens, smartphones and other touch screens…”, for a mere $8.95 (Amazon (AMZN)), or you can get a similar single sheet (7” x 6”) for $1.39.. Not to miss an opportunity, when Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) found out about the product and its price, Samsung Germany sponsored an ‘event’ where they gave out 1,000 ‘glossy cloths’ for free to those that applied through the Samsung mobile app, and while social media questioned Apple’s excessive ‘logo’ pricing, they also questioned Samsung’s tactics. Some cited Samsung’s Facebook (FB) attack on Apple last year when they released the iPhone 12 without a charger, stating “Galaxy provides the most basic components such as a charger” only to see the post removed before Samsung released the Galaxy S21 without a charger.
The example is a relatively new item that is part of Apple’s ‘Accessory’ catalog, a polishing cloth “Made of soft, non-abrasive material…”, “…cleans any Apple display, including nano-texture glass, safely and effectively.” This is a simple way to keep your Apple product displays clean without scratching the surface, likely made of a microfiber material based on a synthetic polyester blend. The problem with this Apple product is the price, which is $19.00 plus sales tax, and while you get free shipping if you order today, the earliest available delivery date is between January 12 and January 26, 2022, which implies it remains popular, although logistical concerns could also be a factor.
But there are alternatives. Smaller brands are willing to sell you a 6 pack of 6” x 7” microfiber, individually packed, cleaning cloths, “…perfect for delicate surfaces like LCD TV screens, smartphones and other touch screens…”, for a mere $8.95 (Amazon (AMZN)), or you can get a similar single sheet (7” x 6”) for $1.39.. Not to miss an opportunity, when Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) found out about the product and its price, Samsung Germany sponsored an ‘event’ where they gave out 1,000 ‘glossy cloths’ for free to those that applied through the Samsung mobile app, and while social media questioned Apple’s excessive ‘logo’ pricing, they also questioned Samsung’s tactics. Some cited Samsung’s Facebook (FB) attack on Apple last year when they released the iPhone 12 without a charger, stating “Galaxy provides the most basic components such as a charger” only to see the post removed before Samsung released the Galaxy S21 without a charger.
Apple Cleaning Cloth - Source: Apple
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