A Case of Subterfuge Marketing by Mac

Work By WinVistaClub Licensed Under CCA

Mac : A Case of Subterfuge Marketing?

January 29th, 2008. One of my visitors brought a rather interesting incident to my notice. He wrote that, clicking on a 'Windows Vista' Google Ad, appearing on WinVistaClub home page, took him to a Mac landing page.

Curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on that 'Windows Vista' Google Ad (Forgive Me Oh Google) at 10am GMT, today, on my homepage. Its the one on the RIGHT (Windows Vista : New Ultrathin & Ultrabright laptops) in the following image.

And sure enough it took me to a Apple Landing page. Here is its screen shot !

The Apple Landing Page mentions the official Mac/Apple site contact details and carries the Authorised Reseller logo too !

While there is nothing wrong about advertising a, say Apple/Mac on a, say Windows/Vista site, the manner in which it was being done, is what surprised me.

This sure does make one think! Is it to be considered a case of Smart Marketing or Subterfuge Marketing ?

Why does Mac OR its Authorised Representative, have to do it?
Does it need to wear the Vista Cloak to pull this site's, predominantly Vista users, to its Apple Page?
Does it need to misrepresent itself as Windows Vista to sell its product?

Mac is a "best-est" OS in the whole world; Or so I've been told ... by Mac users. I've not used it, but hey, I'm sure it is !!! Then why the subterfuge ?

Well, this is a question Apple or its Authorised Representative, is best equipped to answer ! I guess all is fair in Love, War ... and Business! So some questions are best left unanswered!

But what if Microsoft had followed such a strategy?
The world just loves to hate Microsoft. So one can imagine what the reaction would have been like!

Readers Comment.

karamu2 : I don't understand. Apple is a computer hardware manufacturer that makes computers that can run Windows Vista or XP software, although most users prefer to run the operating system Apple supplies. But there seems to be a broad consensus that Apple hardware is elegant and highly functional. So why shouldn't it be advertised on a Windows site? I know somebody who bought a MacBook specifically to run Windows XP, and the last time I saw him he was very happy with his set-up. Anyway, whether this type of advertising is official Apple head office policy or not is impossible to tell, the URL in the screen shot you supplied is illegible on my very sharp LCD monitor. If it doesn't have "apple.com" in it, I doubt that it's from Apple Cupertino. The only URL that is legible directs to the store of Apple's Indian subsidiary; I don't believe the accompanying Ingram Micro, Neoteric and Redington logos indicate anything other than a desire by these businesses to sell Apple equipment.

Clarification: The url the click takes you to is of 'interactiveavenues.com'. On the Landing page Details of Apple MacBook and the contact url/telephone numbers Apple Store are mentioned. No mention is made of Windows, whereas the ad mentions ONLY Windows Vista. My observation was only about the way it was advertised. Click on a Windows Vista ad, and land on a Mac Page ! I am sure interactiveavenues .com must be a Authorised Representative of Apple. But if this kind of marketing, does not meet the approval of Apple, maybe they need to take this matter up with the concerned Representative.

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