The most valuable brand in the world Apple - is also about the best marketer in the world I research, develop, and advise on implementing strategies to identify and leverage opportunities, and eliminate complex problems. As an advisor, company director, advisory board member and mentor, I work with organisations of all shapes and sizes to drive the consumer and business behaviour that maximises performance with strategies that minimise costs. Eliminating marketing waste marketing s a passion. Over 30 years, I have learned that too many organisations spend too much on initiatives that are not cost-efficient. My primary expertise includes: • Research – including customer insights and behavioural economics. • Brand – including defining, creating and communicating a brand. • Marketing – addressing -product, experience, pricing, and distribution. • Communication – addressing both traditional and digital channels. • Business development – systematic B2B business generation. I am passionate about identifying and implementing ethical strategies – driven by objective, critical and lateral thinking. ESG can and should be more than an acronym used in annual reports.

1. Secrets of
marketing success
#2 – think
strategically like
Apple!
CONSUMER INSIGHTS

2. The last video in this series put forward the proposition that
the first secret to marketing success is never to do what Myer
– the once great and now dying brand – does.
This video puts forward the proposition that businesses
wanting to succeed could do worse than think in the strategic
manner of Apple – the world's most valuable brand.
Not everything Apple does is suitable for every business – but
the philosophy and strategic thinking behind what Apple does
is certainly relevant to most businesses.

3. Valued at more than US$2 trillion - many factors have
contributed to the success of Apple. Not all of them were the
result of strategic thinking on the part of Apple. The business
certainly benefited from:
•The personal brand established by Steve Jobs.
•Timing, with boom in both PCs and the smartphones.
•Access to China and relatively cheap manufacturing.
•The support of giants like Google, Microsoft, HP and others.

4. The success of Apple has also been attributed to five factors
viewed as the philosophy of Steve Jobs:
•Design – simple, authentic, easy to use and attractive.
•Quality – consistent delivery to specification.
•Marketing – without a reliance on advertising
•Leadership – great people who are all leaders in their fields.
•Innovation – always at the cutting edge.

5. The ongoing success of Apple, long after the demise of Steve
Jobs, has been attributed to:
• An ecosystem – a close-knit community all connected on IOS.
• Retail stores – building the brand while customers learn.
• Brand loyalty – inspired by trust in the product and the brand.
• Forward thinking – always staying ahead of its competitors.

6. I would argue that the initial success of Apple was related to
timing, access to cheap manufacturing and the support of big
names – but even more so by the Steve Jobs philosophy and
specifically – design, quality, marketing, leadership and
innovation.
Equally, I would argue that in 2021, the ongoing success of
Apple is the result of a host of factors – none more important
than the Apple brand community – the secret to the cult
following enjoyed by Apple – its products and services.

7. It is this brand community that drives the brand loyalty that in
turn drives margins, the average sale, repeat business and
referral rates.
The brand community also facilitates innovation, design,
marketing, quality, and leadership – drawing on input from
the community.
There are few businesses in the world that have been more
successful in building a brand community and an ecosystem
members of that community can commit to.

8. But others are learning. Consider these statistics for Fortune
500 businesses:
• 66% use brand communities for product development.
• 71% use brand communities for market research.
• 36% use fewer expensive surveys as a result of using a brand
community.
• 96% derive value from customer collaboration.
• 80% indicate that building brand communities has increased
traffic.

9. THE INSIGHTS
1. Apple has built much of its success of the back of its
brand community.
2. A brand community facilitates higher margins, average
sales, repeat business rates and referral rates.
3. A brand community enables inexpensive market
research, marketing and research & development.

10. To find out more - visit...
www.djohncarlsonesq.com
Or email me at...
johnc@djohncarlsonesq.com