Apple

Design goes hand in hand

The products are extremely good, but Apple doesn’t make the best computers or telephones by any stretch of the imagination, but they sell because people associate an aspirational identity with their products and the desire goes through the roof. There’s no mention of screen resolution, memory or how many gigabytes and that’s because it doesn’t matter. It’s all about what’s inside the box, and you just have to have one as people buy into something that is deeply felt, and that is identity.

“Design is a funny word. Some people think that design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.”
— Steve Jobs

I agree wholeheartedly with Steve Jobs and think it’s not so much the aesthetics as it is about the mechanics. Now when you apply that thinking to Apple, then you can really see how this makes sense.

Accessible and pleasant

It’s a no-brainer, all organisations would like to increase revenues, reduce costs and improve culture. Customer Experience (CX) is an investment, an ongoing improvement project as organisations have a moral obligation to create value. The pandemic has hopefully taught us that we don’t need more stuff and what we want are meaningful experiences with our colleagues, friends, and family.

 

First, you must get customers to trust you. Once they trust you, then you need to communicate that you care about them and value them. Then, after all of this, when you make them happy, it is the kind of happiness that drives customer loyalty and, perhaps more importantly, customer-driven growth. Take 60 seconds and watch Steve Jobs explain why Apple always put the CX first.

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Business as usual

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Today marks the end of Copenhagen Fashion Week and I think that part of being an artist is about bringing more personality into the work we do. Let’s be clear here, I don’t need to know anything about your sexuality or where you live, all I need to know is how you open yourself up and put an emotion on the table. A good example is Apple, they don’t make cheap and replaceable products - Apple comes out with products that welcome personal criticism and when I say personal, I mean I made this and for someone else to say I hate that. Nowadays, we are too focussed on how to avoid criticism and not focussed enough on how I make a difference.

 

After visiting the trade fairs on Wednesday, I came home out with the feeling that safety was paramount this season. There were many beautiful collections, polished with no edge, it almost felt as though they had been designed by a committee. And the designers were saying, “It’s not my fault”, there’s no vulnerability there, I really missed the collections which said metaphorically, I can stand up against the system and I show vulnerability. This made me think about Brené Brown’s wonderful Ted Talk, “The Power of Vulnerability” which has now been viewed almost 55 million times. I also think that vulnerability means putting something into the world and being willing to let the world respond or react. Do you dare to be different? Contact me via e-mail for a deeper dive into how you can make a difference, but only if you dare.

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Seek and you shall find

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I have always watched what happens when people visit stores, where do they go and what do they talk about? They are not going to tell you, but they will give it all away by the stories they tell while under observation. A common mistake marketeers make is assuming that other people see the world the way you see the world. This takes the form in thinking that other people believe what you believe, thinking that other people fear what you fear and everyone wants what you want. And when you are a marketeer, this is always a mistake!

Each of us walks around with a world view that we are certain is true. Our belief about money, about strangers, about places, etc., we think that it is true and that’s why it’s so hard to have a rational conversation with someone who holds opposing views on politics, race or religion. This is because their world view has surrounded them with enough narrative that they are sure they are right. It does not matter if you have scientific evidence, they do not want to believe you because that’s who they are at that moment. I certainly know that my world view is not the the truth of the world.

Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook

What Tim Cook understood when he took over at Apple is that many people don’t buy Apple products because they are better, they buy them because their status goes up. People will queue overnight to get the latest Apple device because they feel good when other people see what’s in their hand and their status goes up.

There has not been one important innovation has happened under Tim Cook’s leadership, this is not a criticism, as he developed the biggest, most profitable luxury brand in history. Apple just use the technology ratchet to turn a handle on status and luxury. Tim Cook and his team understand this simple formula and all they had to do was watch what was happening in an Apple Store.

Contact me if you would like me to look at your processes …

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It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It!

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Apple doesn’t sell computers, they sell identity.
There is never a mention of screen resolution, how much memory, how many GB because it doesn’t matter. It’s all about what’s in the box, and you just have to have one! The product has to be good, but Apple doesn’t make the best computers and they do not make the best telephones by any stretch of the imagination, but they sell because people associate an aspirational identity with their products and this desire drives sales through the roof. And this shows that people buy into something that is deeply felt, and that is identity!

iPad Air advertisement featuring a clip of Robin Williams’ voice from “Dead Poet’s Society”