ADVERTISING ,Business : Apple's new battery case is a declaration of war on the beloved Mophie

ADVERTISING ,Business : Apple's new battery case is a declaration of war on the beloved Mophie

 

Analysis

 

If you asked the average iPhone user to name a smart battery case before this Tuesday, there's a good she would have said "Mophie" instantly.


Despite competition from a handful of rivals, the mobile charger manufacturer has so handily dominated its niche that the brand name has become virtually synonymous with the product. For proof, just look to the dozens of headlines written about Apple's just-released smartphone battery on Tuesday that referenced it.

ADVERTISING ,Business : Apple's new battery case is a declaration of war on the beloved Mophie

That name recognition makes Mophie's brand tremendously valuable — enough to warrant a cinematic multimillion-dollar Super Bowl commercial and draw a stream of counterfeiters selling copycat wares under the company's name. It's reached a standard that most marketers only aspire to.
But that status was suddenly thrown into question on Tuesday when Apple quietly launched its own version of Mophie's smart battery.

See also: Apple's new iPhone battery case is basically a Mophie

Mophie now finds itself squaring off with the most valuable brand in the world — one that also controls its retail availability, operating system compatibility and even the dimensions of its product. That's not to mention Apple's long history of showing up late to product markets and throwing its weight around.
There's a lot to be said about the relative technical merits of each device — Apple's elicited overall lukewarm reviews and some unfavorable comparisons to its competitor — but ultimately much of consumers' decision between the two very similar gadgets could come down to the power of the dueling brands.
"It's less about the product itself and more about the power of the brand and the power of the experience that the brand has consistently delivered," says Susan Federspiel, strategy director at branding firm Landor Associates.
In this arena, Apple has some major home-field advantages. For one, the hype surrounding the Cupertino company's every movement gives it a lot of leeway with customers when it ventures into a new product line.

 

ADVERTISING ,Business : Apple's new battery case is a declaration of war on the beloved Mophie

 

Critics may nitpick the accessory's design and performance, but they also tend to give Apple a benefit of the doubt that they wouldn't to brands without Apple's decades of proven success, Federspiel says. It's often assumed that flaws and bugs will be smoothed out with the next product iteration or that Apple has higher reasoning for its decisions that's not immediately visible.
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Apple has been able to introduce products that many consider almost beta and make money right away

Apple has been able to introduce products that many consider almost beta and make money right away," Federspiel said. "They're so accustomed to Apple getting it right over time and really delivering a differentiated and relevant experience that they are almost willing to assign meaning to things that might not even have meaning." Another advantage is the company's control over the iPhone itself. For instance, one of the draws of Apple's battery pack is its ability to sync with iOS to let you better monitor its charge — a feature that Mophie could only add with Apple's cooperation.
Still, Mophie maintains a significant head start over Apple as a relatively early arrival in the market. It has built an extensive customer base over the years and locked down patents on many mobile battery-related products.
The Verge editor Nilay Patel speculates that the unsightly bulge on Apple's device may have been the result of the company maneuvering around Mophie's numerous ownership rights in the space.
Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted to Mashable another advantage of "the hump," as it's known — it makes it easy to get the case on and off, unlike the stiffer Mophie cases.

The Apple ecosystem

It's a fear that many companies in the Apple ecosystem know well: the company could easily pivot and create a competitor to their products, should they get popular enough.
The fact that Apple is choosing to compete with Mophie may suggest a shift in game plan for the smartphone giant.
For years, the relationship between the company and the third-party accessory makes has been mutually beneficial — for Apple, they add innovative new ways to use existing products, business acquisition opportunities and additional sales in the company's retail stories.
So when Apple turns around and tries to eat up these markets, it can send the wrong message to the companies who help build this Apple ecosystem, said Ken Segall, a former Apple creative director who now blogs about marketing and tech.
"That [message] is, if your product is super-successful, there’s a chance Apple may come in and crush you," Segall said in an email. "It’s a thin line."
But Apple may be less concerned with tipping that balance because it seems the company has its sights set more on cornering the market for hardware accessories. A series of business movies — the acquisition of Beats headphones, the addition of an iPad stylus and keyboard and hints at a potential medical device — could signal that Apple is looking to expand its grip on smartphone- or tablet-related hardware.
"Outside of their core products (computers, phones), Apple is less today about innovation and more about leveraging the power of its brand to iterate on existing products in the market," Geoff Cook, a partner at branding firm Base Design, said in an email.

ADVERTISING ,Business : Apple's new battery case is a declaration of war on the beloved Mophie

 

Apple has of course proven its ability to shake up markets in the past. Apple Maps, once a laughable alternative to Google's navigation app, has steadily built its way to dominance over its rival. There's a chance that Apple Music could do the same to Spotify.
With a penchant for heaving its might into new industries and the resources to give new products the time and space they need to succeed, there's no question that Apple's foray into accessories could present a sizable threat to Mophie's business.
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