FINALLY, the new iPhone 3G is now in Manila. At 12 a.m. Friday morning, while most of the city was asleep, Globe Telecom at Ayala Tower in Makati City opened its doors to hundreds of people awaiting the gadget’s debut. According to a news article written by Lawrence Casiraya for the Inquirer’s Tech Addicts blog, people fell in line as early as 3 p.m. on Thursday and awaited the countdown for the big reveal.

The scene has been repeated several times in the past in many places, from Los Angeles to Tokyo. Fans camped out two days before the launch. Critics say the hype generated during the waiting period for the iPhone debut made the gadget more attractive to buyers.

The iPhone is not the only product introduced to the public this way. Do you remember how lines snaked all over the block at Fort Bonifacio before the opening of the country’s first Krispy Kreme outlet? And the Harry Potter books have all been sold worldwide in the same manner—starting only at the exact time announced.

In launching a new product, marketing and public relations practitioners know they have to create awareness for the product, build excitement for it, and build product knowledge. In the end, this will result in the creation of a demand for the product.

In the case of the recent iPhone 3G debut in Manila, suspense was used to build up excitement for the product. The gadget can only be had first at one specific location in the country. Globe placed newspaper advertisements announcing the time the doors will open (12 a.m.), in effect nudging iPhone fans to “come and get it” at the prescribed hour and place. Awareness for the product was created as journalists came out with reviews of the iPhone 3G. Expect Globe now to use media and all other available methods to inform the public more about the product.

We’re all generally ma-usyoso and curious, so suspense tickles us. If you’re launching a new product, think about putting a suspense spin to it. But make sure your product will live up to the hype, or else the public will dismiss it as just another gimmick.