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What Apple Can Teach You about Marketing

September 14, 2021
By James Gussie

Apple is one of the most successful companies in history. They have brought us countless innovations and created a culture that has captivated many.

Apple is a company that has been around for decades and has helped shape the world we live in. They have made some marketing mistakes along the way, but they are still one of the most successful companies in the world.

Few iPhone owners would consider “hedonism” (or the pursuit of pleasure) to be a fundamental value in their life, but you may not be so quick to disagree when you consider the emotions that have guided Apple’s marketing approach for the last 30 years. Despite the fact that Apple’s marketing was based on completely different ideals when it first started, this highly human fundamental value remains a major element in the company’s success today.

Apple’s undeniable success and ability to change values over time are obvious indications of what we already know: Apple lives and breathes values-based marketing, and your company should as well.

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Marketing That Is Irresistible Speaks to Values

If you’re new to values-based marketing, start by learning about Schwartz’s circumplex model of values. This model combines human values into a single framework that may assist you in determining the most successful marketing strategy for your goods. Hedonism, stimulation, and self-direction are only a few of the values listed in the Schwartz model, which make up a new wave of surprisingly effective values-based marketing.

Several big brands have followed this strategy. Microsoft’s latest “Empowering” campaign touches our emotions, while Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited push appeals to customers’ need for immediate satisfaction.

Because values, unlike beliefs, are not static concepts, values-based marketing is very successful. Values that are awakened, on the other hand, become imbued with profound emotion. Consumers are compelled to act when marketing capitalizes on the connection between belief and action.

How to Use Values-Based Marketing to Activate Consumers

It takes more than perfecting a product to achieve long-term, high-profile success. It’s a question of starting with the correct values and allowing those values to change as your target market and company’s goods develop.

Here are three key takeaways from Apple’s values-based marketing strategy:

1. Make the unimportant essential.

What are your iPhone’s top five apps? They are not, without a doubt, saving lives. Despite this, 150 million iPhones were sold in 2013 by individuals like you and me. You don’t need the iPhone 6, but you badly want one.

Providing an opportunity for your consumers to satisfy their desire for excitement, power, self-direction, or another dominating value is all it takes to sell a product that they want. If you use branding and advertising to tap into these principles, your market’s “desire” for the product will erupt out of control.

2. Make your product a statement of values.

Values must match with your target market at the appropriate moment in your company’s lifecycle if you want to appeal to them. Apple felt that statements that were non-conformist would appeal to their target demographic in 1984. The marketing pitch evolved to more hedonistic ideals as Apple’s products became more popular.

This change in values may be dangerous. To be effective, you must identify your competitors’ strategies and do a thorough analysis of the macroeconomic environment.

3. Change your offer as values change.

There’s a reason Apple isn’t still airing the old “1984” ad, despite its massive popularity. Consumer attitudes are increasingly moving toward hedonism and stimulation in today’s world.

My family frequently spends supper in front of a laptop or iPad, playing the newest BuzzFeed quiz or binge-watching “The Walking Dead” on Netflix, rather than at the table. Those who value tradition above nonconformism and hedonism would be appalled, but they aren’t Apple’s target audience.

Consider how satisfying it is to download a new app or listen to a fantastic new music (selected by Apple’s latest purchase, Beats Music). Apple’s concern with hardware, visual design, and simplicity reaffirms its commitment to making its product and presentation attractive to use, look at, and hold, which appeals to its current market’s values.

What are some of the most significant consumer values, in your opinion?

What are your thoughts on Apple’s strategy?

Who else is a good representative of consumer values?

Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

The apple marketing mix is a business model that Apple has been using for years. It consists of the four P’s, which are product, price, place, and promotion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Apple use for marketing?

Apple uses a variety of marketing techniques to reach their target audience. They have used billboards, television commercials, and print advertisements in the past.

How does Apple get marketing information?

Apple has a lot of information about their consumers, and they use it to make decisions on what products to produce.

Why Apple is still a great marketer and what you can learn?

Apple is still a great marketer because they have the most loyal users who are willing to pay high prices for their products. They also have a great marketing strategy that uses word of mouth, which is very effective for them.