A year ago, the techno-cynics mocked the introduction of the Apple iPad as much ado about nothing. It was dismissed as an awkward mash up of a laptop and a smart phone––the iPhone’s gangly brother. Just a pricey toy––nothing more. Meanwhile, early adopters gushed like fan boys about this little bit of genius, prophesying the demise of the Kindle and a sea change in personal computing. As it turns out, the naysayers had it wrong and the enthusiasts had it mostly right. Like all things Apple, the iPad is doing very well, thank you very much.
Experts forecast that nearly 53.5 million tablets will ship from a variety of manufacturers this year. They are making appearances in offices from New York to New Haven, from Dallas to Des Moines. On commuter trains and commercial planes, these clever little tablets are popping up everywhere. From tony private schools to state-funded college campuses, the classroom has also proven to be spawning ground. That’s not all. As bookstore chains shutter their doors, downloads of digital bestsellers have sky rocketed. And many a harried parent, it turns out, has embraced this new technology as the next best thing to a Scandinavian nanny.
So what opportunities does this create for marketers and their branding agency cohorts? Well how about this: instead of brainstorming some lame app or useless branded widget, why not combine commerce with gaming? Imagine a McDonalds-sponsored game for the iPad that let’s you win McDonald’s points. Win 1000 and you can download a coupon a free shake. Win 3000 and you get a free salad. Instead of the popular Angry Birds game, how about a Chick-fil-A created angry cows app that lets kids compete for a free Chicken Biscuit? You could even have an Eddie Bauer wilderness adventure game that awards discounts on parkas and ski boots.
The possibilities are endless. As the graphic tablet becomes more and more ubiquitous, the marketing director who seizes the day is the one who can count on a new corner office. Heck, they might even throw in an iPad.
