I hear iTouch a lot and I’m not sure how I feel about the position Apple has put the consumers in. On the first hand… everyone knows that it’s still an Apple product. No problem there. But, on the other hand, Apple has created a bit of confusion with its latest batch of iPods.
In the past, all iPods have had names that refer to their size. iPod Mini was always called Mini by consumers. iPod Nano is the Nano. But now, we’ve got the iPod Classic, which can’t really be shortened (except to iPod, I guess) , and the iPod Touch, which is essentially an iPhone marketed as an iPod with a phone. This is something totally different and consumers are clearly struggling with the naming convention. Is it an iPod? Doesn’t look like one. Is it an iPhone? It doesn’t act like one. Does this hurt them? I don’t know… consumers are adding the “i” on their own, which always means Apple. And they’re not losing the “Touch” part, which is the unique aspect of this particular iPod. And I don’t think consumers ever run the risk of walking into a Best Buy and asking for an “iTouch” and getting turned away because the clerk has never heard of it.
Interesting question. I really don’t think it hurts them, but it is a bit of a marketing misstep.