Technology Marketing: The Apple Formula
Technology marketing, as opposed to marketing technology, is the way that products and services in technology are positioned to potential customers. Since our world and lives are moving online… the manner in which technologies are fantastic, leading examples of how to brand and market overall.
It’s difficult not to think about technology marketing without speaking to Apple. They are fantastic marketers and do an even better job at positioning themselves in a crowded market with tons of competition… and they continue to gain market share and profitability. Core to Apple’s marketing is not speaking about costs and features… but instead focusing on the audience.
When I see an Apple marketing campaign, I believe each is broken down to a few concepts:
- Purity – very often, each campaign has one target message and audience… never more. The imagery is simple, as is the message. It’s pretty common for Apple to only have white or black backgrounds… so you can focus your attention where they’d like it to be.
- Privilege – Apple is a premium brand that delivers products that are both elegant and beautiful. They make you want to be part of the cult. Talk to any Apple user and they’ll share the day they moved and they’ll never look back.
- Potential – Apple also does a great job of tapping into its target audiences’ psyche. When you see an Apple campaign, you begin to imagine what you could create with their product.
Here’s a recent advertisement for iLife (which I purchased recently):
This is powerful advertising… instead of focusing on the problem, positioning (which Apple did with Mac versus PC ads), or the features, Apple focuses on the audience. Who wouldn’t want to create videos of some home movies and turn them into Hollywood-style clips?
Sometimes companies tap into this is through the use of customer testimonials… but Apple seems to even avoid that. They simply plant the seed… and allow the audience’s imagination to do the rest. What emotion could your company, product or service tap into? How can you better position your marketing to tap into those emotions?