Apple as a Game Changer

The light at the end of the tunnel during my senior year of high school was not just the freedom and independence promised by college, but my expected graduation gift of a laptop. I had never owned my own computer, and my parents had been strictly PC users for as long as I could remember. I had never even used a MacBook; my only Apple product experiences involved iPods. Nonetheless, when they day came, I knew I wanted a MacBook Pro and wouldn't settle for anything else.


While Apple's innovative marketing surely worked on me, they also created a culture and following which I wanted to be a part of. I saw friends with Apple products who raved about them, and in a world where we've been conditioned to distrust advertising, word of mouth is crucial.  

Apple has consistently been noted for having remarkable marketing strategies. Unlike many computer or other technology advertisements, their ads emphasize what the user can do with the product, not what the product can do for the user. Their product marketing is exceptional in that Apple products are sleek, beautiful, and simple in design and Apple's ads match that exactly. Even their website and stores follow the design of their products: clean, cool, and straightforward. Apple has consistent branding in all of its endeavors.


In the example below, notice how Apple doesn't bombard the viewer with information, but really doesn't offer any at all. All it shows is users engaging with the iPad's features set to upbeat music which reinforces its attractiveness.

But there is more to marketing than advertising, and this is what makes Apple far superior than its competitors. What I find most interesting and most compelling in terms of naming Apple a game changer, is that their salesmen are not paid on commission. I am currently studying sales management, and one of the topics we've recently discussed is the effectiveness of quotas and commissions.


By eliminating the pressure to meet high quotas, Apple allows their employees to further the customer experience at ease. Apple is more accessible than other companies because of its many store locations which include the innovative Genius Bar, one-on-one training opportunities, and other employees to help consumers buy products that fit their needs. The individual attention employees give to customers are motivated by a foundation of love for Apple products themselves and a wish to share it with the customer. Interactions with employees feel more genuine and less sale focused.


Apple has created not just a product, but a lifestyle. This changes the roles for both Apple customers and employees drastically, allowing for Apple to be an example of successful product marketing and customer relations.