On Monday November 15th, Apple promised iTunes consumers a day they would never forget. The extensive hype generated great speculation over arguably the most influential band in all of popular music’s long awaited arrival to iTunes. The curiosity was confirmed on Tuesday, when Apple announced that The Beatles entire collection of music would be available for digital download. But after such a long and winding road, is the release really all it’s cracked up to be? On the surface, the arrival seems remarkable, however the answer to the latter question comes down to one word: marketing.
Apple’s extraordinary marketing capabilities have swayed you to buy everything under the sun, things you didn’t even know you needed. And just like that iPad that you spent your hard earned money on, Apple’s release of The Beatles collection is luring you into their spell again. With the news of the release (cleverly positioned around the holiday season) plastered across their homepage, five different television advertisements, a live 1964 performance, and an exclusive short film showcasing the Beatles through the years, one cannot help but feel the need to indulge. However, for me, and even those who consider themselves slight fans, this release is nothing new. If you like The Beatles, you’ve already purchased the full collection of the re-mastered CD’s, ripped them to your iTunes, and have been dancing around to Rubber Soul on your iPod for the past year. In no way am I putting down Apple for heavily marketing this release. Personally, I think their advertising campaigns are genius. While Apple will make some money from sales, the release’s true purpose is a great marketing tool for the iTunes store. It will not matter what consumers buy, as it is a means to bring them in to buy something, whether it be an app, a video, or even a different song. Look, if re-buying Abbey Road for the album artwork tickles your fancy, buy it. If not, buy something else, after all Apple wins in the end anyway.
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