In this corner… Apple’s iPhone. High-status. Prestige. Pricey.
And in this corner… Wal-Mart. Low price leader. Low status. Place to buy commodities and cheap bargains.
If the gossip is true and Apple starts selling iPhones in Wal-Mart stores, possibly (but not likely) for $99, what happens next?
What happens when these two powerful brands meet? Will Apple lift Wal-Mart’s image, or will Wal-Mart drag down Apple’s? Will the super-hip fling their iPhones away in disgust and start shopping for a Blackberry instead?
Stay tuned. Somebody’s brand is gonna get dented — or polished.
What do you think? Will uber-marketer Steve Jobs manage to turn what seems to be a frog into a handsome (and lucrative) prince? Or is he heading for the ditch? Share your thoughts in the comments.