Sunday, December 22, 2024
HomeMarketing10 Lessons From Steve Jobs That Every Marketer Must Learn

10 Lessons From Steve Jobs That Every Marketer Must Learn

Steve Jobs made the most impressive transformation ever seen in the business world, taking Apple from the brink of bankruptcy to becoming one of the biggest and most successful firms around, even though there were no impressive credentials on his resume. He wasn’t an engineer. He couldn’t write a line of code. He didn’t have an MBA. He had no college degree at all. He wasn’t a great manager, in the conventional sense. When it came to the administrative side of leading a company, he was ineffectual.

So what made him great? His gift, simply put, was marketing. Speaking on behalf of Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple employee, Steve Jobs was the best marketer ever. Now, let’s look at 10 strategies he used which we can learn from.

How To Be a Better Marketer with Lessons from Steve Jobs

1. Find good mentors.

Jobs might have been exceptionally talented, but he was also wise enough to seek out mentors that he could gain knowledge from. One of the initial teachers who taught him was the well-known Silicon Valley marketer, Regis McKenna. Employers actively contacted him even when Apple was a mere duo running from a garage. McKenna contributed to the enlistment of Mike Markkula as the initial angel investor and marketing expert for Apple, with Jobs’ assistance. Markkula had an engineering background, but he had experience with marketing from his work at Intel. He began to work at Apple and at one point he was the CEO. He formulated the basic principles of Apple’s marketing strategy which continue to be the basis of Apple’s marketing over 35 years later.

Subsequently, Jobs made a connection with Lee Clow, an advertising expert from TBWAChiatDay, who crafted Apple’s renowned 1984 commercial and the “Think Different” campaign. Clow became a lifelong advisor and friend to Jobs. The takeaway from this is that no matter how talented you are, it’s important to know how to identify experts in the field and take their advice to heart.

2. Make a great product.

Kawasaki, an evangelist working for Apple, claims that what made Steve stand out was his ability to first create an unparalleled product, which many marketing professionals do not understand. It’s hard to market crap. Most marketers take whatever substandard output they’re given to work with, and try to make it look as presentable as they can. Steve’s strategy was to oversee both the product and the marketing, not simply concentrating on the marketing.

3. Stand for something.

When the Apple Computer Company made its debut in 1977, Jobs and Markkula set out three basic corporate values. First, Apple would empathize with customers. Apple would put an emphasis on excelling at a small number of tasks. Apple would ensure their ideals of simplicity and excellence were echoed in all aspects of the company’s output, from the products themselves, to the manner in which they package them, the overall design of their stores, and the construction of their press releases.

Jobs achieved an impressive feat at Apple by requiring that every product released had a consistent aesthetic and style. Think that’s easy? Look at your company’s website. Are the different sections made by a solitary source? Is the website a patchwork of various sections, like the famous creature Frankenstein, with the appearance of whoever designed the page when that part of the website was constructed? Is the design of your website compatible with your press releases? With your storefront? Your trucks? Your product packaging? That unity is exactly what Jobs pulled off.

4. Spend money.

Jobs had a flare for drama and was fond of grand displays. One superb illustration was the 1984 advertisement for the fresh Macintosh. As always, Jobs decided to go big. He employed the talented Ridley Scott, who was behind Alien and Blade Runner, and allocated $900,000 to create the advertisement which was only a minute long, and disbursed $800,000 to broadcast it only once during the Super Bowl. This expenditure of roughly $3.4 million in today’s money was a great gamble for the business, with no guarantee of a successful outcome. The Apple board disliked the advertisement so intensely that they refused to show it.

But the big bet paid off. The advertisement yielded just as much attention as the Macintosh computer itself.

5. Create experiences.

Apple labeled the 1984 advertisement as a kind of “event advertising,” suggesting that the promotional part of it was so groundbreaking or distinct that it was treated as its own happening. Not long after his 1984 commercial, Jobs did something similar when he put aside $2.5 million to purchase every ad within a 40-page stretch of an edition of Newsweek. Other examples of event advertising were Apple’s “Think Different” and “I’m a Mac” initiatives. People were so passionate about Steve Jobs that they would wait in line all night long to attend his lectures as if they were attending a Beatles reunion.

Jean-Louis Gassee, ex-Apple executive who was in charge of global marketing, highlights that Jobs was highly aware of the power storytelling held and made repeated use of it- prominently evidenced in the famous ‘I’m a Mac, You’re a PC’ adverts. “We all want stories,” Gassee says. That is why we hear so many complaints and criticisms concerning Apple and its CEO Tim Cook at present. No story.”

6. Keep secrets and build mystery.

People showed up to Apple events partly due to Jobs’ celebrity aura, but also due to his expertise in leaving audiences in suspense and anticipation, as he frequently sprang incredible surprises. Prior to the unveiling of a major product, Apple would begin to let out details. Initially a suggestion, then a hearsay, followed by other stories that didn’t match up with the initial gossip. Most of the news was not accurate, but it created a lot of talk and conjecture.

Once Jobs stood up to demonstrate the iPhone, the global population had been talking about it for 12 months. Individuals had been forwarding pictures appearing to be of the blueprints, and designers had been constructing their own mental representations of an Apple phone potentially resembling. At the end of press conferences, Jobs would often add a little surprise by declaring, “One more thing,” then unveiling something no one was expecting that would astonish the audience. The conclusion one should draw is that many marketers are too quick to provide excessive information about their product. Instead of sharing the details, Jobs opted to maintain the mystery and generate anticipation.

7. Don’t Sell Products, Sell Dreams.

Apple is well known for promoting a package of aspirations, personal interactions, and prestige to their customers, making it so that any other items go overlooked if they don’t bear the Apple emblem.

As stated previously, Apple succeeded in transforming existing products. When you make the decision to purchase an Apple product, you are not just getting a fantastic piece of modern technology, you’re also taking home a piece of an ideological idea that you can carry with you. By possessing it, you embrace the aspirations that Steve Jobs had: dreams can be achieved, decide on a stance in life and hold onto it, do not waste your life following someone else’s regulations.

By carrying an Apple product, you embrace the goals of Steve Jobs: that ambitions can be attained, take a stance and fight for it, and don’t waste your life following other people’s laws. Be true to yourself.

Apple stands apart from other companies as, for Steve Jobs, customers weren’t just customers, they were actual people. Individuals who have aspirations, expectations, and aims, and he drove Apple to craft items to assist them in accomplishing their dreams and objectives.

Apple has continually demonstrated a creative and original approach, from the items they introduce to their advertising campaigns. As an illustration, their famed Apple “1984” ad (which can be watched below) was released. When it was released, it became evident why the reality of 1984 did not match what had been depicted in the book “1984”. It looked like something out of a marketing strategy, with the initiative being so inventive that the press were reporting on it like it was a celebration.

8. Turn Consumers Into Evangelists, Not Just Customers.

One of Apple’s top tactics is causing individuals to feel enthusiastic about recommending the product without receiving any compensation. Similar to other renowned brands such as Harley Davidson (which does more than just sell motorbikes, but rather is a representation of a certain way of life), Apple users are often strong believers, supporters, and passionate fans of the company. What is the better choice for making visuals for computing, Mac or PC?

It is similar to Harley Davidson in the sense that it is not merely a company that markets a product, but rather a lifestyle and a group of sponsors and advocates who are devoted to the brand. Apple users are supporters of the brand they love. What is the debate between designers about when it comes to designing for computer graphics, Mac or PC?

What is the debate between designers regarding which platform is most suitable for creating computer graphics, Mac or PC? iPhone fans are always insisting that their phone is the only option for cellphones, aren’t they? Apple users behave like dedicated followers preaching the gospel of their beliefs and vision, encapsulating a whole new generation and a mission that is larger than their individual selves. They are contributors to the organization and comprehend the mission of the firm. In addition, Apple achieved success in forming an especially devoted clientele, which in turn have benefited the company in a financially advantageous manner, essentially transforming them into ardent fans.

Harley Davidson not only caused people to identify with the brand, but even encouraged them to permanently brand themselves with their logo as an emblem of being a part of the group. Now we’re talking about brand power!

9. Decisions Should be Made by a Group, Not a Committee

No wonder there aren’t any monuments of committees. A panel specifically designated for the purpose of decision-making should be the ones to make significant decisions. A tight-knit bunch who believe in each other and themselves since they are totally committed to the corporation’s ambitions. It is important to urge the team to dialogue their thoughts, but ultimately only the most applicable should be chosen to conclude the selection.

10. Find an Enemy

Contemplate the long-standing competition between Coca Cola and Pepsi and all the promotional campaigns they have waged against each other. Identify the antagonist and encourage people to choose sides.

Sorting out who is in one group or another is a typical behavior of humans, which was first presented as a concept by the French social psychologists Gabriel Tarde and Gustave Le Bon. The herd mentality or mob mentality refers to when a group of people succumb to the pressure of the majority and start to act, think and purchase in the same way. This can be seen as a collective consciousness among the group. Consumers take comfort in feeling like part of something, and in understanding the chaos of the planet. They therefore feel more pleased to identify with a brand whose philosophy and beliefs align with their own. If you don’t advocate for your convictions, you won’t be recognized.

People wish to feel as though they are a part of something, as well as seek to make sense of the chaos of the world. Through associating with a business or product whose ideology lines up with their own personal beliefs, individuals are able to experience a greater sense of having a place in society. If you don’t defend your convictions, nobody will take notice of you. What better way is there to express your convictions than to be unambiguous about what you don’t accept?

Apple definitely realizes the extent of this predicament, and their consumers, undeniably, understand the same. Furthermore, Jobs clearly articulates who the antagonist is: Bill Gates and anything concerning Microsoft’s products, or as Jobs phrases it, “terrible quality.” Apple’s main foes are complexity, poor aesthetics, and preconceived ideas.

Apple’s biggest adversaries are intricacy, poor aesthetic design, and conservative ideologies, aspects that Jobs emphatically pointed out are embodied by Microsoft. Jobs stated: –

The primary difficulty with Microsoft is that their preferences are not very good. They have absolutely no taste. I mean it to the utmost, in the sense that they don’t originate inventive thoughts, and they don’t incorporate a lot of culture into their gadgets. That is what Steve Jobs meant.

For Jobs, crafting a product encompassed more than just the practical; aesthetics was a priority, too. All of the company’s items have the same unified look – a look that truly speaks to the brand.

“Think Different”

The legacy of Steve Jobs lives on throughout his company’s products, all the way down to their packages, thanks to the innovative vision and commitment to excellence represented at Apple stores and the Genius Bars.

Jobs was of the opinion that it’s not enough to merely create something new, you have to have extensive ambition and ardently strive for your vision. In order to stand out in a highly competitive atmosphere, it is important to take chances; however, it is even more important to be unique or else you will be indistinguishable from everyone else.

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Recent Comments