This is a copy of a guest post I wrote for Simply Zesty an online PR and social media company.
Wednesday 27th January has be renamed Digital Christmas by Media Week and with good reason – it marks the day when Apple is expected to introduce its long-rumored tablet device.
There has been a steady stream of coverage in the online press about the tablet over the past 12 months, but the coverage began to pick up pace in July 2009. Almost 25,000 articles have been published since January 1st 2010, each mentioning the Apple Tablet.
What the tablet will look like, it’s key features, and capabilities are the subject of intense rumor and media speculation. Like most other Apple launches from the past, all elements are a closely guarded secret, including the name. Last week, Mac World reported that Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaker, had opened a market on the name of the new tablet. At the time of going to press, Mac World included a breakdown of the various possible names and their odds, including my personal favourite, the “iCan’t believe it’s not a newspaper” – (definitely worth a bet at 100/1).
The red-hot odds-on favourite at the time was the iSlate – quoted at 4/5 – with the iPad second favourite at 7/4. However, over the weekend, a fresh series of rumors emerged, with more and more speculation hinting that the iPad will be the new name. Clearly, this has influenced the betting market – the screenshot below is an updated market on Monday 25th January at 5pm:
At 1/3, the iPad is where all the money is going – and yet, on the balance of media coverage online, the iSlate remains the clear favourite. In fact, the iPad is third favourite behind both the iSlate and the iTablet:
Globally, it’s not surprising to find the US leading the way in the media coverage charts. They will be the first country to sell the new product, and the US has more online news producing publications than any other country.
Much of the coverage to date has been confined to tech publications, with the mainstream online press covering the latest Apple product sporadically. However, when the unveiling takes place this week, and as soon as the first iSlate / iPad / iTablet becomes available to the public, expect the upward trend of coverage to continue.