Marketing with the iPod

by Freddy Mason

It's no secret that whenever something new and hip is released, that companies are ready to line up with it.

It's no secret that whenever something new and hip is released, that companies are ready to line up with it. One such item is the iPod Nano. The iPod literally changed the way the world thinks about music. Soon after its release, you could walk around any hip metropolitan street and see those instantly recognizable white ear buds poking through the collars and jackets of many people, young and old, male and female. So, it didn't take a marketing genius to figure out that all those iPod listeners represent a huge target audience. Many marketers soon moved to be seen and heard with the Apple iPod Nano.

Many companies that, at first glance, would have very little to do with the Apple iPod, soon lined up to be associated with the world's most popular portable digital music player. Before you knew it, there were charities working together with Apple to create an iPod Nano with that charity's logo and colors on it. Many charities that associated themselves with the Apple iPod Nano suddenly appeared to be current, hip and worthy of time and attention.

However, even though charities recognized the power of the iPod, it was the music industry itself that has taken the greatest advantage of the reach and visibility of the iPod. Now, the music industry generally frowns upon downloading music from a computer onto an iPod without paying for it. Yet, some music executives realized that the iPod is the music player of choice for many people. The danger was that to go against the iPod Nano was to go against your fanbase.

One of the biggest and most popular bands of all time, U2, decided to work with the iPod Nano, rather than against it. A limited U2 edition of the iPod Nano was released, and songs could only be downloaded via the Apple iPod Nano. Of course, there was the obligatory super-cool ad campaign featuring the band, the songs and the Apple iPod Nano. Because of this foresight, two goals were achieved. One, of course, was to work together with the Apple iPod Nano to get the music and songs released and introduced to the public. The second goal was that U2 did not appear to be anti-download and embraced the iPod and everything it can do.

Before, there were many bands who did not like the idea of downloading. As a result, they appeared to be greedy, out of touch and completely against the wishes of their fans. But, with the advent of the Apple iPod Nano, it is now imperative that if the whole world is going to be listening to this little device, then they might as well be listening to you.