Apple Inc., the American multinational company that has reshaped and redesigned the world of technology, is the No.1 example which illustrates that with the right Public Relations and marketing any company with specialized products can not only survive but conquer the market. Through many years of innovative advertising and carefully maintaining its image, Steve Job’s brand has become one of the most recognizable and respected brands in the world today.

The iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, and Apple watch are but a few examples of the company’s products for which millions of customers have waited and are still willing to wait for hours in line just to be the first to touch or buy an Apple product. Most of Apple’s products become a sensation before they’re even launched! Customers’ loyalty knows no limit in the case of Apple; what is also different regarding Apple is that they care about their customers and that is the reason why they offer an exceptional customer service, an important factor which is neglected by many technology companies.

The target markets of Apple were always the rebels, the misfits, the “cool” and friendly people who think different from the rest. The rest, who were not their target group, were the customers of IBM and relevant competitors who were the “serious” ones. TV advertisements, videos, printed advertisements, memorable campaigns perfectly communicated the message the company wanted to reflect and showed clearly which customers they wanted to target. This success amounts to billions of dollars for the company.

However, this was not always the case. In the late 90s the company was facing strong competition from other technology companies and it was close to bankruptcy. It wasn’t until 1997 when Steve Jobs returned to the company that Apple took the lead and changed its direction completely. From the start of the millennium the launch of unimaginable products, promoted through clever and simple-language advertisements, unusual campaigns with strong storytelling, content partnerships with famous personalities such as Oprah enhanced the profitability of Apple to a great extent.

In spite of all the above marketing & PR factors that helped the company boost its profitability and dominate the world, there are a few more useful and important PR & marketing lessons which we can all learn from Apple. Some of these include: The Principle of scarcity in always simple products (free publicity due to long lines); Simple communications & press releases towards our audience; Cultivation of close relationships with media influencers & reporters covering a specific area; Creation of digital communities though social media (social media accounts and communities should reflect our corporate values), to name but a few.

Apple has always been a premium brand that delivers premium value to its customers. The company differentiates itself in everything it does up to the present day. Apple continues to introduce smart new products and keeps diversifying into new areas.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do”

– Steve Jobs

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Image by Matias Cruz from Pixabay