I tried to resist to write a quick post on the latest Apple product news, but as you can see, I failed…. For those who have not seen it yet, have a look at Apple website and discover the new iPod touch, the new iPod nano, the new Apple TV and the new iTunes 10.
The most interesting news from this release is definitively PING, a social music network. This is not surprising as Apple is now entering its 4th wave.
Wave 1 : Apple selling mainly computers / software
Wave 2 : Apple selling iPods, generating more revenue than computers
Wave 3 : Apple selling iPhone, generating more revenue than iPod
For the wave 4, Apple is definitively going full steam ahead in the subscription business models and wants to continue to diversify its revenue source. I am convinced that PING is one way to leverage this updated strategy.
PING works as a traditional Social Network. The main theme is of course MUSIC and you can share with your friends the music you like, you listen. You set your own profile, follow your friends, and follow artists and their related news.
However, there are a couple of issues in the current system. Social Network success is mainly based on two factors : open platform (technology) and open connections (friends)
As a matter of fact, one weakness of the current PING platform is that you can only share with your network the music that is available in the local iTunes Store and not the music you have on your computer. In that respect, I would consider this as a mistake because it restricts the possibilities of sharing, networking and expanding. The second flaw of this system is it’s lack of integration with your own address book and any existing network like Facebook.
I have not tried it yet on my iPhone, iPad…..:=) but will let you know.
Here is a screenshot of my 10 favorite songs (you select them when you create your account)
As a marketer, it will be interesting to see if they link it to iAds and how brands will try to embrace it. This is too early to say. From my first experience, I admit I am a bit skeptical of PING success at this stage. I would consider PING as an interesting move from Apple and definitively worth it. It is still in it’s early stage and I will be extremely interested to see it evolve over time.
Contagious Fanatic