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Why Apple Inc. Really IS the Coolest

Time to stop fighting it, I guess.

     I am an upstream swimmer to the very core of my being. I won't watch Doctor Who or 24, it took me years to get on Twitter (to my chagrin), and I have never bought an Iphone, Ipad, or Mac. One thing that I cannot deny, however, is the fact that Apple is a truly amazing company. Alongside Google they are the most innovative company in the world. I don't normally make such sweeping statements of confidence, so I will explain in a short manner why I have the moxie to put that up for the world to see. I'm not going to write a comprehensive historical analysis because that's neither within my ken nor my overall intention. Apple's rise and falls are well documented both in Steve Job's writings and Hollywood's biased perspective. What I do hope to accomplish, though, is to highlight a couple points that may be at least slightly interesting to the casual reader.

     Ibuy

     The most apparent but probably most overlooked ingenuity shown by Apple can be found in their most innovative and profitable product lines. When you think of amazing Apple products that really define the company you think of the Ipod, the Iphone, and the Ipad (the Macbook is a different animal but I'll get to that). As much as Apple was mocked by the youth for the "I" before these products, this branding was one of the most ingenious things ever seen for two reasons:

1: It instantly created brand recognition for all future product lines. That in and of itself is mind-boggling. Creating brand recognition is the first consideration in marketing products within a business. 2002 Apple did that for the foreseeable future with one letter in front of their product name. It's simple, it's clean, the implications are enormous and far-reaching.
2: The "I" subconsciously creates a consumer-oriented business approach in our minds. Subconscious marketing is quite an intriguing ploy. For an old example as well as a newer updated logo check these out:
The "Mom" shaped brooch
See the arrow in between the "E" and "x"











Who thinks of the celerity of FedEx's service or the homey aspect of Wendy's because of these things? Studies show that we do. Paired with their excellent reputation of customer service, Apple's "buyer-oriented" outlook is well-established. Added to this is the second point of Apple's brilliance: their products themselves.

Not Good But Better

"If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow."
-Steve Jobs

When Apple first came out with the Apple I in 1976 (and even more so the Apple II the following year) they rocked the established IBM/Microsoft world. Their product was new. It was different. For years Apple enjoyed the initial success and then developed the Macintosh project to appeal to the average consumer but not skimp on the features and usability. The disagreements arose when CEO's were brought in to lead Apple who followed the first mantra of profiting by skimping on the product. When Apple got back on track in the early 2000s they went back to being cool. The Ipod was the coolest thing ever. From that successful product Apple moved to the Macbook as simply a much upgraded Macintosh model of production principle, and then onward and upward to the cellphone and then tablet market. Through it all they've been following the focus-on-the-product mentality. That is the main reason for their success. Cutting-edge technology provided to the average consumer is what they offer. Apple has made a $600+ luxury into a must-have product for everyone from ten year old kids to business tycoons. The most recent Iphone's processor is very likely better than that of the laptop with which I'm writing this.

Decline Or Just Hitting Their Stride?

Apple reported 171 billion dollars in revenue for 2013. To give you an idea just how much that is, the IRS took in about 2.4 trillion dollars in taxes from American citizens in 2012. Apple sold its products to the tune of 14% of the total amount that the U.S. government took in taxes the previous year (obviously 2013 IRS reports aren't in yet). If Apple is dying all the other businesses are about 60 feet under. Apple will continue to innovate. They've gone into the television realm with AppleTV already, having sold over 2 million of those little boxes already at the time of this writing. In the same vein as Google, Apple acquires new business ideas to keep up with the ebb and flow of the American market. There's a reason why you'll find Apple and Google in every large capital investor's portfolio. As a security, Apple is just over $532/share at the time of this writing. So well done, Apple. I think it's about time for me to give up the stubbornness and jump on board.

~Worley



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Comments

  1. greg scaddenMarch 6, 2014 at 7:21 PM

    All this shows is that they mke lots of money and have a catchy name..... also juicy j has a catchy name

    ReplyDelete

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