Marketing Lessons from Apple
By Michael Stelzner
First let me start with a confession.
Last week when Steve Jobs had his special media event, I was attached to my monitor for 2 hours watching text feeds about the event.
I was sucked in!
I even bought an iPod Touch (see image here).
So why is it that Apple can command such power?
There is a great new ebook called Marketing Apple that helps explain the magic behind Apple’s marketing machine.
It is written by Steve Chazin, someone who worked closely with Steve Jobs at Apple.
Here is a summary of the ebook:
- Don’t sell products: People buy what other people have
- Never be first to market: Make something good greater
- Empower early adopters: Help your customers help you
- Make your message memorable: Boil the story down
- Go one step further: Surprise and delight your customers
A shout out to David Meerman Scott for bringing this to my attention!
What are your thoughts about these ideas?
(2 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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September 10th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Mike, how did you feel when Apple dropped the price so quickly and so deeply?
Nonetheless, only my wife is keeping me sane on this. As a Mac geek, I can hardly resist making the purchase for the iPhone right now. But I just can’t quite justify the $500 purchase when I can get an inferior phone for free.
But Apple has it right on most things when it comes to marketing and how to delight customers with superior products.
Ted
September 10th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Hey Ted;
I have no issue with their price cut.
I think it was a smart marketing move.
Early adopters are used to paying a premium for first rights to cool gadgets.
Have you played with an iPhone yet.
I was in the Apple Store this weekend and I must say they are a real amazing thing.
Mike
September 10th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Yes, I did go to an AT&T store and played with it.
The salesman there knew a lot about it. But he didn’t know I could sync it with my Mac using bluetooth. He also could not explain why I could not surf the net faster using the iPhone as a Wi-Fi unit. All he said is that AT&T can sell you a $100 unit to insert into the slot on the side of your PowerBook and another monthly fee of $30 (I think that amount is correct) for the privilege.
The carriers are still trying to drain every last dime out of their customers they can. It’s not a technology limit. But an artificial barrier to generate revenues that I find irritating. I prefer the European model of moving sim cards around rather than replacing phone to switch carriers.
September 11th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Good morning: This is your devils advocate, here to say how good it feels to not be sucked into the latest tech gadget. It is my pleasure to not be like everyone around me. The same goes for swooning for anything or anyone
in the entertainment field or the latest in automobiles or the latest in anything.
Power over me cannot be had by anyone pretending to enhance my life with
their newest gadget. It’s not so much a matter of pride with me as it is a practical matter of knowing that I can’t be easily sucked in and be controlled
by some electronic whizbang offering that I don’t really need. There is a
philosophical reason for my attitude and also a practical reason. Do I want a particular thing or do I need it? We can Make a list. What are needs and what are wants? I don’t need what everyone else slavishly imagines that they need, when in fact, they are being slaves to the latest gadget or
entertainer or anything else or anyone else with the charisma to
enslave them and take away their freedom to decide for themselves
the difference between wants and needs. I will not be such a slave to
marketing trends or to anyone who the majority of people are swooning for. Doug Rosbury