Like most people that work in my field, I imagine marketing at Apple Inc. to be an easy-breezy job. The brand has immediate recall value, crystal clear messaging, and an insanely loyal fan base. They don’t need to plant articles talking about anything new coming from their end. Just one announcement, and the entire world – media, businesses, general public – starts talking about it.

The sheer number of articles available online talking about the features, design, and pricing of the iPhone 16 is staggering. And the phone isn’t even launched yet!

What is it about Apple that gets the world spinning around?

THE BRAND!

Let’s face it; ultimately it all comes down to the powerful branding of Apple. Working in branding and communications myself, there are many taglines that stay on top of my mind at any given moment. But the one tagline that always has me intrigued is this:

“If you don’t have an iPhone, well, you don’t have an iPhone.”

A simple sentence. No self-praise. No specific reasons. Nothing fancy. Just a simple statement.

Simple, yet powerful!

To think, this campaign debuted in 2011, and over a decade later, it’s still fresh in my mind. And I have always been an Android aficionado!

Granted I recently took a bite and quite like the taste of the Apple. But still, for most of my life, I have been pro Android. So, I was never an “Apple Fanboy” and yet, its taglines and ads never leave my side.

Another fantastic campaign with a winning tagline is “Privacy. That’s iPhone.”

This campaign was all over the place. If you have eyes, you must have seen this ad either physically on a billboard or on your digital screens. The timing was perfect; there had been an increase in concerns over smartphones snooping on our data or listening to us talk or even leakages in general. Most breaches and app security issues happened on, well, Android devices. And strong security measures have always been a strong selling point for the Apple ecosystem.

And then this campaign was launched.

Look at the picture above. Notice how the iPhone is covering the girl’s face? Not only is this graphic highlighting iPhone’s more expensive Pro model with its distinct 3-camera setup and proudly showcasing the Apple logo, but it is also very smartly hiding the girl’s facial features; her personally identifiable information (PII).

Brilliant!

Hitting All Branding Touchpoints

Apple’s ad campaigns and overall marketing efforts have always been worth noticing. And that’s precisely why people always take notice. Whether you love Apple or think their products are pretentious, overpriced, and bland, you simply cannot ignore it.

A key reason for this, in my opinion, is the fact that Apple has mastered the art of creating a highly aspirational product that firmly holds top of mind position for their promoters AS WELL AS their detractors.

• The brand colors have remained fairly consistent over the recent years – greys and silvers, mixed together with black and white
• The products – iPhone, iPad, Macbook, iWatch, even the humble iPod – always have a premium feel to them
• The logo attracts attention – mirror selfies took off primarily because people were showcasing the fact that they are Apple users
• They have cracked sound branding – iPhone ringtones have an immediate recall value; no other smartphone brand even comes close to Apple in this respect
• The products used to be at the forefront of innovation for the longest time, a quality that has earned them a fanbase that continues defending their products even now when style has taken over substance
• Speaking of the fanbase, the brand has amassed a loyal army of followers that has skyrocketed their word-of-mouth reach
• The user interface is clean (clean to a fault, if you ask me though) and very easy to navigate; plus since customization options are limited, the probability of you messing anything up is next to none
• The nomenclature of their products is excellent; just a small little “i” and suddenly it enters the luxury domain
• The consistency of launching new phones every year and hosting launch events in the same month, year after year

Ah, the Ever-so-sought-after Apple Launch Events

We are 3 days away from Apple’s next launch event, and the excitement is almost palpable. Every year, the major September event is when the latest iPhone is launched, along with news and updates about iOS, Macbook, iWatch, and other products in Apple’s premium lineup. And every year, tech enthusiasts across the globe wait for this event with bated breath.

Like I said, I was never a fan, so I always assumed these events were all hype without much narrative sustenance. But recently, I have started virtually attending these events and boy was I wrong. The company deserves an award for how seamlessly it manages virtual events and keeps the updates crisp, concise, and captivating.

Plus, did you know that these events also have an option to be watched in American Sign Language? Talk about diversity and inclusion!

The company does everything right, knows its target audience, and continues to create experiences that keep alluding to their aspirational auras. What else does a luxury brand need to do?

The branding at Apple Inc. is something every marketer, or rather, every business must study closely. Maybe we cannot capture lightning in a bottle, but I’ll be damned if we don’t at least try!

Until next time

(Images used in the article are sourced online from Apple archives)