Apple has always been a marketing powerhouse, largely credited to the magic touch of Steve Jobs, one of the company’s co-founders.
Apple’s marketing strategy has never been about the price war. Rather, it’s always focused on making people desire Apple products. There’s a certain image associated with having an Apple product that’s largely unmatched.
Under Steve Jobs’s direction, Apple excelled at manufacturing and marketing products that already existed in some form, but which they could put their spin on. Their achievements as a brand not only propelled Apple to become an international phenomenon, but they also set the standard for excellent marketing strategy.
This direction became so ingrained in Apple’s marketing that the legacy continues even after Jobs’s passing in 2011. The company has managed to sustain its strong marketing by continuing its consistent brand identity, expanding and integrating its product ecosystem, leading the market with innovative product launches that capture global attention, running bold and customer-centric marketing campaigns, and offering immersive brand experiences (to name but a few).
So what can we learn from Apple?
Whether you’re building your engineering brand or trying to sell more products, below are some useful product marketing tips that you can learn from Steve Jobs and his team.
1. Simplify your product and marketing
Steve Jobs understood the importance of keeping it simple — you’ll find this is a big part of both Apple’s product design and the company’s marketing strategy.
Of course, you can see this by just looking at an Apple device. Even if you don’t use Apple, you’re probably quite familiar with the sleek look of MacBooks or iPhones — these are powerful devices that look really simple, with classic colors and an elegant feel.
And Apple keeps it simple when it comes to its marketing strategy as well.
Complex marketing campaigns often overwhelm existing and potential customers, whereas simple and straightforward campaigns make people remember your brand. Apple’s marketing ads don’t focus on extensive lists with product features, their great price, special effects, or snazzy voice-overs.
Instead, they use minimal content and simple graphics that let the product speak for itself.
So what’s the top tip for you? Don’t get too technical with your ads! Keep it simple; show what your product can do and how it can solve your customer’s problem.
2. Provide an optimal user experience
Steve Jobs knew that to capture a consumer’s interest, you have to focus on giving them the ultimate user experience.
Most companies focus on creating a great product, which, of course, really does matter!!! — but they then forget to think about the actual user experience.
Apple, in contrast, has focused on creating a customer experience that goes far beyond purchasing the actual product. They’ve thought about everything, from comparing different versions of a product, testing, buying, receiving, unboxing, and the actual setup.
You can really see this when you go into an Apple Store. If you’ve never visited one, it really is quite an experience, and I’d urge you to check one out. There are always tons of people around, ready to assist, and you can try all the different products, learn more about Apple, work with technicians, and feel “at home” with the Apple family.
With Apple, it’s not just about the product; it’s about the whole experience of the product.
So what’s the top tip for you? Create a cross-functional team and discuss some ideas with your engineering and marketing teams to figure out how best to present your product or service to the market.
3. Create a powerful narrative
Steve Jobs is not just the man behind Apple’s success, but also the face of overcoming challenges and leading Apple to greatness through innovative products. This narrative connects people to the brand and appeals to the consumer’s emotions.
I have a separate guide on storytelling, which I’d recommend you check out, but Apple really is the perfect case study for this. The company uses powerful stories that provoke an emotional response in its audience.
Aside from Apple’s interesting history, Steve Jobs built the company around a specific set of core values that the company and its employees live by every day.
The company makes it a point to show that they stand for something in every aspect of their operation, and these values are delivered to Apple users around the world. No matter where you are, you’ll have the same experience with Apple.
So what’s the top tip for you? Send out questionnaires to your customers and ask how your products have helped them. Once the results arrive, sit down with your team and see if you can turn the positive feedback into a powerful narrative to tell your brand story.
4. Connect to your audience using their language
Steve Jobs is remembered for giving some of the best speeches in corporate history — speeches not only meant for business people, but speeches meant for everybody. We’ve likely all seen video clips of him talking about innovation, being different, and stepping up. If there’s one thing Jobs knew how to do, it’s talk to people.
And Apple does the same — the company has studied its customers diligently and perfected the best way to speak to them.
Instead of using product specifications and technical terms, Apple uses words that people know and understand, words that elicit emotion. The marketing speaks to customers at a level that makes them feel comfortable rather than overwhelmed.
This kind of marketing strategy creates deeper customer bonds and encourages more sales.
So what’s the top tip for you? Create your buyer persona and work on customizing your ad campaigns and marketing material with language that best matches what your ideal target audience will understand — and appreciate.
5. Focus on your unique value proposition
Apple may not have invented the smartphone, MP3 players, tablets, or computers, but they knew how to innovate these devices and present them in a whole new light.
Apple was able to improve user experience, navigability, weight, size, packaging, distribution channels, and, most importantly, product design. For the longest time, Apple was known for its sleek design and for being the perfect operating system for designers.
And the company established all of these factors — design, branding, and innovation — as their unique value propositions.
Apple products are expensive — everybody knows that — but the company has never really focused on price. Instead, they doubled down on their unique value proposition and focused on producing “beautiful products straight from the box”. By focusing on top-of-the-line features and extensive applications, they make customers feel like it’s worth paying a higher price.
So what’s the top tip for you? Reassess your product and create a detailed comparison between your product and similar products from competitors. Look for any specific feature that makes your product stand out, and then leverage that.
6. Build and leverage your community
Apple has created a very distinct brand personality that resonates well with its audience.
Once people turn to Apple, they tend to stay loyal to the brand. We all know the running joke that once you start with one Apple product, you’ll soon turn to Apple for everything. On the one hand, Apple designs it this way since so many products are designed to work together. But it’s also difficult to commit to something from Apple and then not want to buy into brand loyalty.
Apple uses customer testimonials and reviews as social proof, but at this point, they don’t even have to — people market the products for them because they believe in the superiority of Apple products.
So what’s the top tip for you? Have your marketing team set up review and rating tools and platforms. You can add a simple widget to your engineering blog, but also start gathering reviews on your Google Business Profile and popular review platforms like Trustpilot. Social proof really can go a long way.
Learn from Apple
Steve Jobs truly was a visionary, evident in how he managed to transform Apple into one of the leading tech companies in the world. And what’s even more remarkable is that his legacy lives on, even more than a decade after his passing.
Apple’s marketing strategy was so revolutionary that it changed the way people viewed the company — and still view the company.
Sure, you may not be the next Steve Jobs, but you don’t have to be. You and your team can learn from Apple’s marketing strategy and see what you can apply to your own.
If you need help creating engineering content in line with your brand voice, drop me a line!
Steve Jobs FAQs
Steve Jobs combined creativity, simplicity, and a deep understanding of customer needs in his product marketing.
Jobs knew that exceeding customer expectations could drive success, but to do that, understanding what they needed in the first place mattered.
Jobs turned product launches into actual events, creating excitement and buzz around them. This is still something that happens with all of Apple’s new product launches.
