It seems every time you visit the Apple website these days, there’s yet another new product/update/technology ready to be swept up by the millions of Apple users around the world. When the first iPhone premiered in 2007, it retailed starting at $499—half the price of the brand’s latest iPhone X, which ranges from $999 up to $1,149 making it the most expensive iPhone to date. Yet, they still have us lining up around the world ready and willing to fork over our hard earned cash just because there’s something newer and shinier on the conveyor belt. Today, we’ll be taking a look at how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak took Apple from a garage and turned it into one of the most successful cult brands in the world.
After the iPhone made its debut, it wasn’t long before competing brands released their own versions of smartphones. While the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel have their fair share of buyers, iPhone sales still top the charts. In 2017, 13 million iPhone 7’s were shipped around the world putting it as the #1 smartphone of the year. In a distant second was the iPhone 6 with 7.9 million units sold, and Samsung just cracked the top three spot with 7.8 million shipments of their Galaxy J2. When you break down the specs of each of the devices, they’re not all that different. In fact, there are plenty of people out there who argue the iPhone is staunchly inferior to its counterparts, but still, Apple says jump and we ask how high—or rather, how much?
The now iconic partially eaten apple has become a symbol synonymous with luxury and self-fulfillment; and thanks to payment plans, you don’t even have to be particularly affluent to afford the latest and greatest tech accessory. Now you and celebrities can have the same phone, at the same time. Yet, when you take a look at how Apple markets, whether it be their landing page, store layouts, commercials, etc., only one word comes to mind: simplicity. They let their products speak for themselves. They don’t tell you the camera is better, they show you the camera is better by portraying ordinary people capturing extraordinary photos. Instead of telling you the phone is waterproof, they simply put it underwater. Their marketing techniques don’t make you feel like you want the new iPhone, they make you feel like you need it.
Apple has become so intertwined in the average adult’s life because they focus on creating products that will simplify your life and seamlessly become a part of your daily routine. They took a walkman and turned it into a small rectangle that could hold thousands of songs. From there, they decided to have to tote around both an iPod and a phone was too inconvenient; thus the iPhone was born. They took their famed Macbook and decided maybe it was too bulky for someone always on the go and gave us the option to start using the iPad as a lighter alternative. We’re all a part of the Apple community because they’re making products with the everyday person in mind. They are at the forefront of innovation, releasing new technology before we even ask for it.
The tech industry giant has even become one of the highest-selling watchmakers in the world, they even outsold the entire Swiss Watch industry in 2017. There’s an Apple product for nearly every piece of technology, guaranteeing compatibility between devices, so why not just become loyal to them? Thanks to customer loyalty, Apple doesn’t need to drop millions of dollars on advertising; every one of their customers is a walking advertisement. Unique marketing strategies are game changers in the industry, and luckily at EMB, they’re our specialty.
