After every iPhone launch, you will usually see long lines of buyers waiting to be among the first to get the new iPhones. These long queues highlight the cult-like following the Apple brand commands. However, rival Huawei came up with a smart idea to use this cult-like following to promote its product.
How Huawei mocked Apple
Huawei mocked Apple while promoting its own products right in front of an Apple Store. Huawei chose the Apple Store in Singapore to implement its smart promotional strategy, according to CNET.
There’s a lot of noise here at the #Apple store as the wait for the #iPhoneXS continues…but it isn’t coming from those in line. ? pic.twitter.com/47faACaT98
— Matthew Mohan (@MatthewMohanCNA) September 20, 2018
Huawei’s team arrived at the Apple Store at about 11 p.m. Singapore time before the new iPhones were to go on sale. The team members started handing out power banks to the people waiting outside the Apple Store. According to Huawei, the gesture was to “offer respite from the weather and grueling wait.”
Huawei specifically gave away 10,000mAh power banks, a gesture that was well-received by the buyers waiting outside the Apple Store. On the surface, it appeared to be a friendly gesture, but it seems Huawei’s main intention was to mock Apple and the new iPhones. These words were printed on the packaging of the power banks: “Here’s a power bank. You’ll need it. Courtesy of Huawei.”
The power bank Huawei handed out for free was the 10,000 HUAWEI SuperCharge. The power bank costs about $59, and considering it was given to about 200 waiting buyers, you can calculate how much it cost financially when Huawei mocked Apple. Irrespective of the cost, the idea of challenging a rival in their own backyard is surely worthless.
Huawei users are not too happy about the “friendly” gesture. They are criticizing the Chinese company for giving power banks to iPhone loyalists instead of to those who use Huawei phones.
Mocking the limited battery life in iPhones
Huawei mocked Apple on Friday also, but this time it choose the company’s flagship London store. A Huawei van was seen parked outside the store serving juice to passersby with the tagline “Get ju%ce that lasts” and “No traces of Apple.” It is clear the Chinese company was referring to the iPhone’s battery life.
We make juice that lasts… A #HigherIntelligence is coming. 06.10.18 pic.twitter.com/DsLZulBi1u
— Huawei Mobile UK (@HuaweiMobileUK) September 21, 2018
Huawei’s van also had charging points for people who might want to juice up their phones.
“Hey @Daily_Express and @Daily_Star we’re heading over to give you a taste of #HigherIntelligence and get the ju%ces flowing!” Huawei tweeted.
Huawei’s latest flagship, the P20 Pro, features a triple-lens camera setup. The handset is not only packed with all the latest features, but it is also much cheaper than the new iPhones. One of the most attractive features of the P20 Pro is the 4,000mAh battery, which is described as offering “epic” all-day battery life. In comparison, the iPhone XS features a 2,658mAh battery, while the iPhone XS Max has 3,174mAh battery.
In addition to Huawei, another company that took advantage of the long lines outside the Apple Store to boost its sales was Deliveroo. This U.K.-based company was taking food orders from the waiting buyers outside Apple Stores globally (12 countries in all, excluding the U.S.). The company said it wanted to ensure that no hungry customers lost their place.
Samsung was the first to mock Apple
This was not the first time Huawei mocked Apple.
After Apple announced its new iPhones, Huawei CEO Richard Yu posted wrote on his Weibo page: “No problem now, see you in London on Oct. 16!”
The Chinese company didn’t stop there; it followed its CEO’s post with similarly-worded tweets including the words, “See you in London.” Huawei will launch its Mate 20 Pro at an event in London on Oct. 16.
Thank you for keeping things the same. See you in London. 16.10.18 #HigherIntelligence #HUAWEIMate20 pic.twitter.com/ZhZHj9Xg3s
— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) September 12, 2018
In addition to Huawei, another company that has a long history of mocking Apple in its marketing campaigns is its arch-rival Samsung. In 2017, Samsung launched a “Growing Up” campaign shortly after the release of the iPhone X. Samsung’s campaign mocked Apple’s innovations and even the fans who stand in queues to get a new iPhone.
In 2015, the Korean company distributed blue cushions and water bottles to the people waiting outside the Apple Store in London. The cushions and water bottles carried a tag line promoting the latest Galaxy device. In 2013, Samsung’s crew visited the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in Manhattan to document the event. What Samsung’s intentions were exactly was not very clear at the time.