Is this the New Apple?

I recently received this promotional email from Apple for the iPhone 5. It brought to mind some of the recent chatter about Apple’s legacy and future. I’ve tended to dismiss the talk from naysayers who’ve said the Apple reign appears over. This pronouncement has been made many times over many years, and their culture, values, and willingness to take risks has consistently brought them back from the inevitable setbacks.

But this email gave me pause. Its content and tone made me think there may be a turning point afoot after all. I couldn’t recall seeing something from Apple that was working so hard to sell. Obviously, few companies have mastered the art of selling better than Apple, but the best of their work did it in a way that was less about selling and more about enticing you to buy. It wasn’t going after you as much as it was inviting you to come to them. This email has none of that flirtatious quality. It is selling and selling hard.

It lists multiple features, and the word “lists” is intentional. Feature after feature scrolls by like a spec sheet. The Apple way had been to romance a particular feature to give you a sense of what wonder lay in store for the lucky user. No such alluring Fan Dance here. Every distinguishing feature is laid out with nothing left to the imagination. Yet the most telling indicator to me is the headline – “Loving it is easy. That’s why so many people do.” I’ve never seen Apple proclaim it’s popularity. Even as it came to dominate the smartphone market, it always carried the sense of being a club for the discerning person who appreciated design and creativity. This line brings them a step closer to the car companies and other  product makers who revel in claims about “best-selling” and “most popular.” Forget the club, bring on the bandwagon. I tempered my initial reaction to this shift in tone by arguing that it may be a by-product of the email channel. Maybe they gave themselves permission to go a little bit more hardsell in a direct response oriented channel. But the iPhone website has the same line so it seems it’s the basis of a broader campaign, not just email copy. If so, this signifies a different approach than we are used to experiencing from Apple, and makes the talk of a turning point for Apple a lot more credible.