BlackBerry Storm has a narrower target group, possibly the working class individuals in their late 20s to mid-40s. The homey look of the office and dialogues from the VO further reinforced this profile of the product's target group, since the VO is clearly not Internet-savvy and not highly knowledgeable about mobile phones, as suggested by the line, "what the fuss is all about." This shows that while the individual knows the BlackBerry, he has not tried this kind of product yet (i.e., BlackBerry smart phone). The Nokia N96 lacks clear positioning, because it targets Chinese consumers in general, using the movie star icon Bruce Lee as its "key" to increasing the product's relevance to them. This is understandable, though, since Nokia is 'testing the water' on how to target a market that is complex and not yet well-defined, at least from the point-of-view of North American and European companies.
The iPhone ad demonstrated greater involvement with the viewers because of its direct approach to selling the product, enticing people to try it by showing them its features. BlackBerry, meanwhile has lesser involvement than the iPhone ad because the ad is situational and talks about the experience of an individual. But there is still relevance to the viewers in that they identify with the individual speaking in the ad. The Nokia ad has the least involvement, since it centered on Bruce Lee only (although it can be argued that since Lee epitomizes Chinese pop culture, he then represents Chinese consumers in general). Moreover, the Nokia ad does not directly link Lee with the product (N96). The main objective...
Apple iPhone is most effective because it has a clear positioning and target market in mind, and it provoked a need in the viewers by concretely showing them the benefits of buying the new product. BlackBerry placed second because it did not provoke a greater need for a BlackBerry Storm; the ad mainly piqued the viewers' curiosity but did not convert this curiosity to a need, to make the viewers want to buy and have a BlackBerry storm. Nokia N96 suffered from poor market positioning; therefore, it was not able to clearly communicate what benefits the new product can provide to the viewers/consumers. Bruce Lee as a Chinese and movie star icon may have established relevance and familiarity to viewers, but the lack of information about the benefits of the product -- in fact, the lack of link between Lee and the product -- failed to evoke a need to buy the new Nokia N96.
Bibliography
Apple iPhone ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WziikGo210
BlackBerry Storm ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrVgXt12lOY&NR=1
Nokia N96 feat. Bruce Lee ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqGQ72bre30
