When I started to break into the advertising business, I had to submit some speculative work as part of the interview process. Being a newbie, I didn’t have any real client work yet, but employers wanted to see my thinking. I had to pick a real brand and make some work up.
I wanted to do some spec work for Nike. It was the innovative, iconic brand of the time. A wise person advised me to choose otherwise. Why? Because most other newbies were choosing Nike, and Nike really was in such a class of its own as a brand that it was better to select a more grounded brand to showcase my thinking.
Fast forward to today and it is Apple that is that innovative iconic brand. Just about every business I meet with mentions Apple; wanting to do an Apple; Steve Jobs this. iphone/pad/tunes … that. Often this Apple reference can be found in internal strategy documents, attempting to get organizations to think bigger and do things differently.
I know and mostly love Apple and have for over a dozen years. I’m honestly getting a little tired of hearing about Apple and have to ask who wouldn’t want to “be doing Apple-like-things” today? I recommend clients look to other brands for inspiration. There are lots out there. If you insist on citing Apple, then dive deeper into specific aspects of Apple – as I have below.
•Define what you don’t do
In the late ’90s, when Steve Jobs came back into the Apple leadership fold, he cut 70% of Apple’s product lines. He focused the business and in the process focused marketing messaging, investments and resources. If you are a startup, you likely are playing with a few product/service or target group revenue ideas based off of one technology idea. For older businesses, you likely have some legacy products/services outside your core. In either case, focus is something you could learn for Apple, and in the process it will help your marketing messages, investment and people.
•Be customer centric
When Jobs saw the proposed Apple store plan, it was arranged by product type. He flipped out and sent the team back to the drawing board. They came back with a retail arrangement based upon customer needs or customer use. Your website, your product design, your service, every consumer touch point should be customer-needs based, not based on corporate structure or business lines.
•Don’t pay lip service to marketing
Apple makes marketing a priority – starting with the CEO. Jobs knew the importance of marketing and made time for it. Every Wednesday morning was marketing time. He was very involved with Apple’s advertising agency. So if you are a CEO don’t quote Apple and at the same time push off marketing-related meetings and initiatives. Get involved, understand and support your marketing team and efforts.
While I am on the Apple cart, here are a couple of aspects you should not look to Apple for:
•Social media
Apple marches to the beat of its own PR and media drum and doesn’t engage in social media, but it should be an active part of your marketing strategy.
•Philanthropy
For such a sizable profitable company and with $100 billion in the bank, you’d think they would create or contribute more to charity. To be fair, Apple has been part of the RED campaign led by Bono. That being said, Apple’s community and charity contribution is underwhelming when compared with its corporate and brand might.
An appropriate philanthropic strategy should be part of an organization’s business and marketing efforts.•
