How Apple’s Ads Reflect Its Past, Present, and Future
Brand Insights in 3 Sentences: We measured the brand’s advertising and products to see whether they were aligned with the brand’s original values from the 1980s, as well as their current set. Our results showed that Apple has successfully integrated their values, and let them serve as a lead for their organization and the way in which they create their products. Other brands should let Apple serve as a guide for why knowing and investing in core values is so important.
Around 1981, Apple’s management team sent out a memo defining the company’s core values as “the qualities, customs, standards, and principles that the company as a whole considers desirable. They are the foundation of what we do and how we do it. Together, they identify Apple as a unique company. ”
Apple’s 80s Brand Values
The original Apple core values were defined as:
- One person, one computer.
- We are going for it and we will set aggressive goals.
- We are all on the adventure together.
- We build products we believe in.
- We are here to make a positive difference in society, as well as make a profit.
- Each person is important; each has the opportunity and the obligation to make a difference.
- We are all in it together, win or lose.
- We are enthusiastic!
- We are creative; we set the pace.
- We want everyone to enjoy the adventure we are on together.
- We care about what we do.
- We want to create an environment in which Apple values flourish.
Since then, the company has grown beyond what many would’ve imagined. Apple has over 1.8 billion active devices worldwide and as of January 2022, became the first company to be valued at US$3 trillion. People and products have changed with the times, and its values have inevitably shifted along with it.
One of Apple’s key features that they’ve maintained however, is its ability to churn out memorable ads. From its iconic 1984 Superbowl commercial introducing the first Macintosh computer, to the iPhone 7’s ‘The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day’. These ads are bold and innovative, and reflective of each era Apple finds itself in. Using our Ad Evaluator tool, we decided to take a look back and see how much of their ads today reflect the company’s original values.
Categorizing the values into 4 different components, we found that the brand’s goal of creating intuitive products was still being conveyed strongly in Apple’s contemporary advertising, even more so than in the ads from the 1980s. Apple has always leaned more product-centric, introducing unimaginable, disruptive products and then fine-tuning it to customers’ needs and developing new features within. The company has since embedded their deep knowledge of user behavior into their products and focused intently on simplicity and usability for even the most tech-averse user. Intuitive design is at the core of this company and remains so today.
Apple’s strength is that they not only listen and take into account user feedback but also implement details that their customers didn’t even know they wanted. In this video introducing the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the brand made sure to highlight the additional product features this upgraded version offers and showed customers exactly how purchasing this would make their lives even easier.
Apple’s Current Brand Values
Today, Apple’s mission statement is “To bring the best user experience to its customers through innovative hardware, software and services.”, which is often broken down into:
- Best User Experience
- Innovative Products
- Quality Service Delivery
Running the same contemporary ads against these values, Sphere’s AI model found that the brand’s innovative products resonated the most in their ads. The brand has been responsible for some of the greatest inventions in modern history, but the competition has grown tougher and stronger. While Apple remains in a dominant position, emphasizing new innovations is what holds consumers’ attention and keeps them coming back for more.
Is Apple living up to its current brand values?
Our AI detected 91.38% favorable reviews compared to 8.61% negative ones on Apple’s e-commerce reviews. The majority of positive reviews also mentioned at least one aspect of their intended brand values.
Innovation is quite visibly a key reason for Apple’s loyal customer base. People are willing to pay for their new products and features because they trust the brand, almost believing as if Apple knows what’s good for them. Some customers have even cited how the brand’s technology has even aided them in dealing with various ailments and disorders on a daily basis.
User Experience also plays a crucial role in gaining and retaining customers. Apple’s products aren’t just for an in-the-know audience; they’re intended to be used by even the most tech-averse. Extreme user-friendliness is one of the brand’s greatest strengths, and it’s apparent to consumers that they are being kept in mind whenever Apple rolls out a new product.
While Apple has evolved over the years, many of the brand’s original core values remain the driver behind the company. The brand is a great example of how to integrate values into organizational culture and evidence of why it’s important. Today, the company has grown to be as disruptive, bold, and visionary as the founders had hoped for it to be, but it also possesses a self-awareness that gives them the ability to react to what’s happening in the world. Steve Jobs would be proud.
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