My Take on Apple (contd)

I am just continuing here from my previous blog

Just the other day, I was wondering what does Apple Signifies. For me personally, it means Steve Jobs. I idolize that guy. He is one man who has had dreams, vision and all his life, has stood by them. He has made revolutionary products. and made them a hit!

But for a consumer, Apple mostly means being a trend-setter, and in some cases, exclusive. True, some of apple products like iPod Nano are quite frequently seen. But one cannot deny the innovation behind each apple product.

But often, we mistake Apple to be high-quality. Steve Jobs in his latest interview again reiterated that fact, while he was dealing with the bugs in iPhone 4.

Now getting to the main point, Apple for me is more of a Marketing Company than a product company. It has been clear on its positioning for a long time. And everything it does, is around that. That positioning I believe is "Exclusive" and "Snobbish"

If you have a iPhone or iPad or Macbook, you always show it off! (I even showoff my iPod a lot, but thats besides the point.). If you have Apple product, you shop at itunes store, you buy original of everything, you are decent with money, and hence every right to be "Exclusive" and "Snobbish"

(And this is why, I believe Apple goes for only one operator. It, at certain level maintains the Exclusivity and Snobbishness)

And I believe that there will always be space for such products. The upper middle class will want that brand. These people cant afford a BMW to flaunt. But they can always afford a Macbook. Open it at Airport just to play Minesweeper. Take out their iPhone to click away the world!  Bring out iPod Touch and scroll thro songs while making faces as if you are enjoying every bit of it! Even if it comes at a cost. You cant show-off an Android based phone when some of them are available for 5-10 k rupees

And that is why Apple is so insistent on designs. All the versions of iPhone have to look the same. Why unnecessarily strain mind of people making them recall every new design as Nokia does. Keep it simple. If you see something sleek with a long screen and half eaten apple at back, its an iPhone.. If a laptop is having white glow from a half eaten apple from its back, its a Macbook. Simple.

"Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black" is what Henry Ford said while mass customization of cars. Steve Jobs is saying something similar to bring exclusivity.

He is definitely a Marketing Genius to me!