Nexus 4: A Case Study in How Far a Product Can Go With No Advertisement

[NeXuS4]

Has there ever been a product in the modern history of capitalism that has come as far as the nexus 4 with no advertising campaign?

I'm just curious because if you think about how much Samsung and Apple spend on advertising for their respective products I can't help but feel that Google has accomplished something extraordinary with this device.

 

[SemeteryRocker]

I'll be a Nexus 4 owner shortly, but I have to say that I just happened across it while searching out a new phone for the new year. I'm a heavy Android user and lover but tend to stick to reading and understanding the phone I have so I don't get caught up in the next best thing all the time. I was looking at prepaid options on a few sites and then just randomly saw the Nexus 4 on Google Play a few days ago. I've spent days, far too much time, watching videos, reading reviews, reading this forum and decided it was the phone for me.

I can't wait to get my hands on it, I'm going for the 16gb version. I'm coming from a low-end prepaid option in the Motorola Triumph, I expect it to be leaps and bounds above where I'm at currently!

Any way, just wanted to reiterate that I only found the phone by digging around a bit (though it's easy to find out about if you current any phone site really I found..), it didn't pop up in an advertisement during one of my favorite shows. I think it's extremely popular for a reason and IS a feat that it's made such waves, I can't wait to ride them with the rest of the N4 crew!

 

[NeXuS4]

I actually think they will have to rewrite the marketing textbooks to at least mention this phenomenon. I mean there is no freaking telling how much money Samsung spent on that Super Bowl ad last night.

 

[Kelmar]

There has been advertising though! Advertising through the play store, sending out demo units. Even traditional "commercials" have been done for it.

 

[NeXuS4]

There has been advertising though! Advertising through the play store, sending out demo units. Even traditional "commercials" have been done for it.

Obviously I never intended to insinuate that Google has done NOTHING to promote the device but compared to the other players it might as well be nothing.

Also what commercials? I have yet to see any unless you're counting those web videos LG made?

 

[OhSeven]

Why are you trying to hype this up? It's a good phone, not revolutionary. Maybe you can at least keep the N4 worshiping to one thread

 

[JunBringer]

They do print ads at the Annapolis Mall in Maryland as well. I see what you're saying though, it's very interesting. When Apple launches a new iPhone they don't really advertise it until later though so it's kind of common now.

 

[NeXuS4]

Ohseven- obviously you are entitled to your opinion but these boards are no place for unwarranted personal attacks.

If you don't like a thread don't post there or if you would rather talk about something we are not talking about them start a new thread.

Anyway I think considering the nexus has been pretty much word of mouth it's pretty amazing it's come this far. Also a lot of the success can be attributed to the various technology blogs which can never get enough info on the thing.

 

[ajm216]

I did not know this phone existed until I borrowed my buds Nexus One to use out of the country and as a transitional phone while I move away from Sprint to a GSM based phone. I liked the speed and the pure android of the Nexus One so I did a search to see what the current Nexus device is and that brought me to the Nexus 4 which was out of stock forever lol.

I'll be purchasing a Nexus 4 this month.

 

[SiempreTuna]

I'm not sure the marketing was entirely revolutionary as it did involve lots of priming of tech media (though the definition of media was probably broader than is traditional). I know I heard of the phone via tech websites who had been invited to presentation, given phones etc. These are all fairly standard marketing techniques.

I don't recall much TV/Print/Billboard advertising for previous Nexus phones which I believe is because Google feel they can't go head to head with the other manufacturers who are, in many ways, their 'customers'.

Judging by the stock issues, I don't think Google expected this phone to be quite as popular as it has been. In my view, they totally underestimated the price sensitivity in the market.

 

[NeXuS4]

If you compare it to other normal cellphones then I say it's pretty normal.

What I'm comparing it to though is the heavy hitters (GS3, iPhone, Droids)

Compared to them advertising for the nexus has been inconsequential to say the least.

 

[2 Phonez]

Samsung do hardly any advertising in the UK yet the GS3 still outsold the iPhone 5 over here. I'd say that's more impressive.

 

[SiempreTuna]

Err .. at least around London, Samsung have been running a TV advertising campaign for the S3 since before it even came out. Admittedly, the adverts are terrible and totally unmemorable (I recall a girl taking a picture and little else), but they have definitely been running 'em.

 

[2 Phonez]

Err .. at least around London, Samsung have been running a TV advertising campaign for the S3 since before it even came out. Admittedly, the adverts are terrible and totally unmemorable (I recall a girl taking a picture and little else), but they have definitely been running 'em.

Have they? I've not seen a single ad for the GS3 and I'm in London and watch TV all the time.

 

[NeXuS4]

This thread has gone completely off the rails…

 

[SiempreTuna]

Turns out there were a few, all equally forgetable e.g.

[GALAXY S III] Official TV Commercial - YouTube

 

[2 Phonez]

Turns out there were a few, all equally forgetable e.g.

[GALAXY S III] Official TV Commercial - YouTube

They can't have actually aired them at much because I don't recognise that at all.

Either way, they should air the American ads over here, especially the Apple bashing one. I reckon the British audience will connect with them since we have just as many Apple fanboys as the US

 

[NeXuS4]

The "Next Big Thing is Already Here" Campaign famously started during last year's Super Bowl.

 

[andrews317]

In a third world country like the one I live people just knows two great phones: the iPhone and "smartphone". The iPhones were introduced strongly when the 4 came out. Then, last year the GS3 was introduced as "the best smartphone out there" on every advertisement, so people related the GS3 as "the smartphone". It's ridiculous taking out my N4 and people thinking it's a GS3 because of the size.

So advertisement does makes a difference. I don't expect people knowing my N4 because it's not even sold here. I had to ask a friend to buy it at the US and ship it to me. But I had an HTC Inspire last year and people didn't even knew what HTC was. I had to constantly explain that HTC was a celphone brand and that there were tons of Android devices different from "the smartphone".

 

[NeXuS4]

While that is a fascinating anecdote the main areas we are discussing pertain to North America, Brazil, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand , Japan, and most of Europe.

Not dismissing your experience mind you, it's just not relevant on a global scale.

 

[GorillaTheHutt]

Matthias Duarte did that interview with Josh Topolsky on theverge before the release of N4, N10, and Android 4.2. i agree that's not nearly the scale of Apple/Samsung, but that was some very smart marketing to the tech enthusiast/blog reading crowd. that interview got me really excited:
Inside Android's next wave: Building the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and Android 4.2 | The Verge

 

[charliecc]

Google airs Nexus 4 commercial showing off Google Now during the Grammys - Pocket-lint

Looks like they're stepping it up a notch.

Shame they're concentrating on Google Now. I find it to be a complete waste of time and a battery drainer. I have it disabled.

 

[SiempreTuna]

I guess that's because it's a USP in a crowded market. One of the reasons Apple made such a fuss about Siri (strange how they've gone so quiet on that recently ..)

 

[bluirv]

I am constantly reading about the latest hot sales of Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy III, but hear very little about the Nexus 4?

If you keep up with sales of the Nexus 4 phone, Google and T-Mobile are having problems keeping the phone in stock since it's such a hot seller.

Why don't we hear this news outside of Nexus 4 owners?

 

[JunBringer]

Google airs Nexus 4 commercial showing off Google Now during the Grammys - Pocket-lint

Looks like they're stepping it up a notch.

Shame they're concentrating on Google Now. I find it to be a complete waste of time and a battery drainer. I have it disabled.

I'm glad they aired that during a popular program. I'd like people to get on board here.