By Chris Lee

Apple’s iPad tablet PC finally hit the UK stores on Friday 28 May 2010, prompting overnight queues at the company’s flagship Regent Street store. Retailing at £429 plus VAT for the lowest spec iPad, the device comes as a combination of netbook, e-book reader, gaming platform and music player.

Tablet PC shipments are set to accelerate from seven million globally this year to more than 46 million in 2014 according to analyst group IDC, and much of this demand will be driven by the iPad. So what does the launch of the iPad and the impending growth of the wider tablet PC market mean for digital marketers?

Game changing at the core

For marketers and advertisers particularly the iPad’s implications are far-reaching, according to Rene Hermes, vice president of marketing at Web content management firm Core Media.
“Initially the challenge will be one of consistency and engagement,” he told NMK. “The iPad is just another class of Internet device, running the same software as the iPhone but offering a larger and more usable screen. Organisations will need to ensure they provide iPad users with increasingly personalised and contextualised services, and treat the iPad as another route onto the mobile Web.”

Hermes argues that where the iPad could prove different to existing platforms is by extending the online opportunity for marketers and advertisers. For publishers particularly, the ability to combine simple downloads and payment with increased visibility mean a real chance to move their content and advertising onto a device with a proven delivery channel with a visible revenue stream, he said.

“iPad could make online newspapers and magazines much more viable, with daily updates or even local updates based on location,” he said.

Carving out a new niche

Dan Thwaites, planning partner of digital agency Crayon, believes that iPad could carge out a new category – the “leisure” laptop for home use, combining TV and laptop, as well as becoming a notepad for business.

“The real test, I guess, twofold: is it as exciting and – importantly - financially viable to those outside the Apple Fan Club? And secondly, will it stand the test of time?” he said.

But some digital marketers recommend proceeding with caution. Matt Rosenberg of digital consultancy Video Egg believes that the industry runs the risk of “jumping into the pool head-first and simply retrofitting everything we’re already executing for the device.”

Rosenberg told NMK that marketers should continue to focus on the basics: Providing an end-user experience for a defined audience and make content stand out. “This is essential as in the end, if online advertisers don’t create an engaging experience, ads aren’t going to translate or work on the iPad,” he said.

User generated contentment

So what do Apple’s committed followers make of the iPad? One self-confessed Apple Fangirl is Lauren McGregor of PR consultancy Hotwire who purchased her iPad on launch day. McGregor said that the abundance of applications, great Internet experience and video were major plusses for the device, but it was unlikely to supplant either her smart phone or laptop.

“When stationary I’ve been using [the iPad] for the Internet, which looks and feels as good as you would expect – Apple does user experience better than any other I’ve seen,” McGregor told NMK. “I think that the more time I spend with the iPad and as new apps come to light, we will find out exactly where the device sits within our lives. It certainly doesn’t fill a ‘need’ for me at the moment if I am honest, but I am having a lot of fun with it in the mean time.”