The Dominant Success of The Apple Brand
Over recent years, Apple has completely dominated the market and has been named the world’s most valuable brand every single year since 2013 when it replaced Coca-Cola. Around the world, marketers try in earnest to copy the formidable branding model that Apple has mastered, but it doesn’t look like the Apple brand is going to be overtaken any time soon.
So what exactly is it about Apple that has driven so much success? When Steve Jobs founded the brand, did he dream that one day Apple would be the number one brand in the world? One of his most famous quotes “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” gives some insight into how he reflected upon the success that he achieved, but even he couldn’t have anticipated the level of success that the brand has reached. His brand galvanized the world with its unprecedented innovative methods and continues to do so today.
The first Apple computer hit stores way back in 1976 and it really couldn’t look any more different to the sleek design that you see today. Of course, all elements of technology have progressed rapidly over this period but not as evidently as with the Apple computer. Along with the top selling MacBook, Apple has seen great success through a wide range of products. Although the first ever smartphone was actually released by IBM, Apple changed the way people use their phones when it launched the iPhone. Only Samsung has a bigger market share when it comes to smartphones. Other game changers include the iPod, the Macintosh and the iPad. There are few people that haven’t owned an Apple product at some point.
Is there a genius marketing plan behind all this success, or is it based purely on producing products that are so innovative that they don’t have to rely on marketing campaigns to sell? People eagerly await each release date, whether it’s the new iPhone or an update to the Mac OS, we see ‘leaked’ photos and features well before the release date. Is this an outstanding marketing plan driven by the marketing team at Apple, or does the popularity of the product ensure that consumer demand drives this anticipation?
Statistics show that Apple’s advertising budget stood at $1.8bn in 2016, which was 33rd in overall rankings. It’s closest rival in brand value, Google, ranked 15th with an advertising budget of $3.2bn. This indicates that there’s much more behind Apple’s success than a great marketing strategy. The power of successful marketing is not to be underestimated though and there are a number of marketing trends to look forward to this year. If your business is looking for some marketing expertise to build your brand, you might want to consult some experts. Whether you need local SEO e.g. SEO Cheltenham or general content marketing, you can find a number of different methods to boost your business.
Will 2017 reveal some change to the top of the brand value charts? It’s difficult to envisage any company other than Apple topping the charts, but expect to see some movement around the top 10 with some great marketing strategies employed throughout the year.
