# Apple TV+: A Streaming Service Seeking Its Definition
Apple TV+ has participated in the streaming landscape for over five years, yet it has frequently struggled to establish a meaningful presence in a market led by well-known rivals like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. In spite of a handful of notable successes, such as the viral hit “Ted Lasso,” the platform has encountered obstacles in achieving widespread popularity. Recently, perspectives from industry experts have illuminated some reasons for these difficulties, especially concerning Apple’s marketing tactics.
## The Marketing Conundrum
In a recent dialogue with **Variety**, television producer Alex Berger, who developed the show **La Maison** for Apple TV+, expressed his dissatisfaction with the platform’s marketing strategy. Berger noted, “Marketing makes a show,” emphasizing that while Apple is adept at marketing its hardware, it struggles when it comes to promoting its television offerings.
> “Apple, for example, is perhaps the worst marketer in the universe — the best for iPhones, the worst for television. They don’t do marketing, and that was a problem for us with ‘La Maison.’ We created a fantastic show that achieved remarkable success in France and other regions in Europe, but they never promoted it. It drove me mad,” he shared.
Berger’s insights underscore a vital aspect of the streaming sector: effective marketing is crucial for a show’s prosperity. Regardless of the quality of the content, without sufficient promotion, even the finest shows can remain unnoticed.
## The Promise for Improvement
When questioned about his decision to collaborate with Apple TV+ for **La Maison**, Berger highlighted “hope” as a motivating factor. He was confident that Apple would be willing to broaden its influence in international markets, particularly in Europe, where there was a rising demand for varied content. However, he quickly grew disheartened by the lack of promotional backing, feeling that the platform was “shooting itself in the foot” by inadequately marketing its productions.
Berger’s experience emphasizes a wider concern within Apple TV+: the struggle to promote non-English language programming. **La Maison**, as a French-language series, faced significant challenges in gaining exposure on a platform that predominantly features English-language content. This absence of marketing support for global content might impede Apple TV+ from fully capitalizing on the international streaming marketplace.
## The Wider Consequences
The marketing deficiencies brought to light by Berger resonate with numerous industry analysts. While Apple enjoys an exceptional reputation for advertising its hardware, its strategy for promoting television content has been less effective. This inconsistency raises questions regarding the company’s overall approach in the streaming arena.
Despite recent achievements with series like **Severance**, which captured viral attention, many contend that Apple TV+ still has considerable progress to make in strengthening its position within the streaming industry. The platform’s capability to draw in and retain subscribers may significantly rely on how effectively it markets its offerings in the future.
## Summary
As Apple TV+ continues to adapt, feedback from industry figures like Alex Berger serves as a reminder of the crucial role of marketing in the cutthroat streaming landscape. Although the platform boasts a growing catalog of acclaimed titles, its success may ultimately depend on its effectiveness in promoting this content to a wider audience. As Apple refines its strategy, viewers will be closely observing whether the platform can finally attain the mainstream recognition it has been striving for.
Apple TV+ is currently priced at $9.99 per month and features a variety of popular titles, including **Ted Lasso**, **Severance**, **The Morning Show**, **Silo**, and **Shrinking**. With ongoing initiatives to broaden its content library and enhance its marketing efforts, the future of Apple TV+ remains an intriguing subject in the rapidly changing realm of streaming entertainment.
