Apple Branding Strategy
THE ANALYSIS OF APPLE’S BRANDING STRATEGIES by Anna Glenn
The Apple brand strategy is all about the experience. According to Wired.com, “Apple’s emotional branding, a brand that is felt in the heart and mind of the consumer” [2], is the key to its survival. Apple’s brand is reflected through their core beliefs about innovation, imagination and design. It is promoted through their products, advertisement and customer experience. This paper will give an introduction on understanding what a brand is and then will examine how the company’s branding strategy is implemented in the marketplace.
In 1983, Apple created Lisa, the first computer with a graphic user interface (GUI) [6], an interface that is based on graphics instead of text [7]. Since then, the company has created its brand based around its core beliefs. What exactly is a brand? Seth Godin, bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change [3] says it the best, “I think it is the product of two things: [Prediction of what to expect] times [emotional power of that expectation].” Meaning, if a consumer does not know what the brand means, it has no power [4]. Basically, there are three types of brands: unique, corporate and range. A unique branding strategy is built around an established brand that stands for one thing. The Pepsico Corporation is a good example of a unique brand. The company’s umbrella of its products include: Pepsi, Frito Lay, Tropicana and Gatorade. A corporate branding strategy is a company that has one brand for all its products. Apple falls under this category. Range is a strategy that a combines the two [14]. An example is Toyota Company creating the Lexus brand to have a new market identity competing in the luxury car market.
Apple’s strategy is a corporate branding strategy that revolves around its emotional experience with its products. To be an emotional brand, it must have three things in common. The company must project a strong humanistic corporate culture; have a unique
The Apple brand strategy is all about the experience. According to Wired.com, “Apple’s emotional branding, a brand that is felt in the heart and mind of the consumer” [2], is the key to its survival. Apple’s brand is reflected through their core beliefs about innovation, imagination and design. It is promoted through their products, advertisement and customer experience. This paper will give an introduction on understanding what a brand is and then will examine how the company’s branding strategy is implemented in the marketplace.
In 1983, Apple created Lisa, the first computer with a graphic user interface (GUI) [6], an interface that is based on graphics instead of text [7]. Since then, the company has created its brand based around its core beliefs. What exactly is a brand? Seth Godin, bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change [3] says it the best, “I think it is the product of two things: [Prediction of what to expect] times [emotional power of that expectation].” Meaning, if a consumer does not know what the brand means, it has no power [4]. Basically, there are three types of brands: unique, corporate and range. A unique branding strategy is built around an established brand that stands for one thing. The Pepsico Corporation is a good example of a unique brand. The company’s umbrella of its products include: Pepsi, Frito Lay, Tropicana and Gatorade. A corporate branding strategy is a company that has one brand for all its products. Apple falls under this category. Range is a strategy that a combines the two [14]. An example is Toyota Company creating the Lexus brand to have a new market identity competing in the luxury car market.
Apple’s strategy is a corporate branding strategy that revolves around its emotional experience with its products. To be an emotional brand, it must have three things in common. The company must project a strong humanistic corporate culture; have a unique
References: [1] www. wired.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wired. com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/12/56677. [2] www.bizzia.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.bizzia. com/brandcurve/understanding-the-emotional-brand-benefit/. [3] sethgodin.typepad.com .Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http:// sethgodin.typepad.com/about.html [4] www.coolavenues.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. coolavenues.com/know/mktg/emot_brand_1.php. [5] www.corporate-ir.net.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http:// www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=aapl&script=1800&layout=7#corpinfo2 [6] www.theapplemuseum.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http:// www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=1. [7] www.tldp.org. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://tldp.org/LDP/ Linux-Filesystem-Hierarchy/html/glossary.html. [8] www.marketingminds.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http:// www.marketingminds.com.au/branding/apple_branding_strategy.html. [9] www.brandchannel.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http:// www.brandchannel.com/papers_review.asp?sp_id=1338. [10] www.macworld.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. macworld.com/article/131075/2007/12/appleads.html. [11] www.haaretz.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. haaretz.com/hasen/spages/823252.html. [12] www.appleinsider.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. appleinsider.com/articles/09/07/22/apple_retail_stores_attract_new_mac_buyers.html [13] www.news.cnet.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://news. cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10357558-37.html. [14] www.deltaflow.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. deltaflow.com/?p=235. [17] www.seekingalpha.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http:// seekingalpha.com/article/107597-apple-vs-microsoft-vista-the-ad-budget-wars. [18]www.brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/10/28/apples-2009-ad-budgethalf-a-billion/.