I love simple words, and Apple loves everything simple.

When you see Apple ads on TV, billboards, or social media, you don’t feel as if they are selling you something, you feel as if they are making you “Experience” something. Because Apple’s marketing is about values. Apple understands that great marketing is as important as great products. But it wasn’t always like that, Apple wasn’t always great at marketing its products.

So how did Apple become a marketing genius?

When Steve Jobs, after 14 years, returned to Apple in 1997, he learned that Apple was burning money like wildfire, and if not done right, the company would go bankrupt in a few years. So he had to make some smart moves, if you’re curious enough, here’s what he did:

• Cut back projects from 40 to 4

• Fixed Apple’s distribution system

• And fixed Apple’s marketing strategy

Steve Jobs had no business degree whatsoever, but he knew that building great products was not enough, Apple also needed to fix its marketing strategy to stand out from competitors. And this led him to start the most famous, iconic ad campaign of all time that you probably have heard of: “Think Different.”

This was the moment when everything changed for Apple—the revenue went up, Apple successfully positioned itself from its competitors, and started being known as the “Most innovative company” in the world. And for good reasons, Apple introduced the iMac, iPod, iPad, iPhone, and so many exceptional products that literally changed the world forever.

But Apple’s success falls back to this amazing line from Steve Jobs:

So good, isn’t it?

Apple and Steve Jobs have a lot to teach you about “Marketing” products. By studying Apple’s marketing strategies, you can use the principles and framework to market your own products. And to make it really easier for you, I spent “Days” studying Apple’s marketing strategy, so you don’t have to, and I’m going to condense the information & dissect the strategies in this exact deep dive, absolutely free for you that you can read in less than 20 minutes.

Get your popcorn ready, and let’s dive in!

1. The Marketing Philosophy

Great marketing doesn't come easily.

But Steve Jobs was not only a great founder, leader, engineer, and thinker, but also a great marketer. When he started Apple with other co-founders, just one year after founding the company, Apple introduced a Marketing Philosophy in 1977 that inspires today's generation's entrepreneurs, founders, leaders, and marketers.

This was Apple Marketing Philosophy:

• Empathy: Really understands its customers’ need

• Focus: Eliminate distractions and just focus on what matters

• Impute: Make packaging and delivering the product insanely great

Wanna read it? Here’s how it goes:

The best part? Apple still uses this same marketing philosophy to build and market its products. And no doubt, it resulted in Apple becoming one of the finest, most successful companies in the world. What’s more…as Apple got bigger, the more innovative it became. And the more innovative it became, the more people started using its products.

This begs the question: How in the world Apple did this all?

Fortunately, we have the answer—an answer that is very thought-provoking and insightful. Simon Sinek calls it the Golden Circle. It’s a framework designed to ask three “Big” questions when building and marketing a product for companies to understand why they do what they do.

These are the three “Big” questions:

• What we build

• How we build it

• And why we build it

According to Simon Sinek, the mistake most companies and organizations make is they only know “What they do” but they never try to understand or let their customers and people know “How and Why they do what they do” which is a wrong approach for building and marketing a product because customers don’t buy what you build, they buy “Why you build it.”

This is what most companies do.

But do you know what Apple does? First things first, it has all the answers of WHAT, WHY, and HOW—plus, it does them all from the inside out. This means, Apple first lets its people know what they stand for, which is “Why” and then they show them “How” they do it, and lastly reveal “What” they do. So for Apple, it goes like this:

• WHY we do it: We believe in challenging the status quo and we believe in thinking differently.

• HOW we do it: The way we challenge the status quo is by making our product beautifully designed, easy to use, and user friendly.

• WHAT we do: We just happen to make great computers, wanna buy one?

Imagine a company comes to you and says “We make computers, wanna buy one?” Would you buy it? Meh…Of course, not. Because we don’t buy products we don’t believe and trust in. But once we understand why a company does what it does, we can’t help but join the crew, and Apple has mastered it. This has been Apple’s building and marketing philosophy for decades that made Apple so successful.

Watch the full video of Simon Sinek about it:

2. Simplicity in Everything

Humans hate complexity. I mean for real, we don’t like the features we don’t understand our devices have, we don’t like the ads that confuse us, and we hate anything that takes extra energy or time to understand or go through. As humans, simplicity is our choice, and that’s what we prefer.

Apple truly understands it, and that’s why the company is known for its simplicity. At Apple everything is followed by simplicity—from building, designing, messaging, creating ads, and packaging—to distributing products couldn’t be simpler.

As Steve Jobs once put it: “Simplicity can move mountains.”

And this shows, right? No Apple product is too complex to understand. Unlike other brands, Apple doesn't try to make the product aesthetic by making a bumper or curve, and it does not add any unnecessary features to its products that may bother the customers. Whether it's iPhone, iPad, Airpods, Macbook, or other Apple products—all come with minimalist designs & great user experience following the simplicity approach.

Just so you know:

Apple follows simplicity not just in product building, but everywhere.

If customers don’t understand your ads, there is no way they are going to buy what you’re selling. And Apple really knows this. Whether it's social media ads, a TV commercial, or print ads, Apple makes them as simple as possible, which helps customers relate to the message easier, faster, and better. Just type “Apple ads” on Google and you’ll find this:

Let’s keep going.

Apple also makes its products' names, messaging, and slogans simple, easier, and memorable. Products’ names that sound like: iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac, AirPods, MacBook. Messaging that goes like this: “Never finish. Never quit.” and “A work of smart.” And slogans that sound like this: “1000 songs in your pocket” or “Say hello to iPod.” Just sounds ear-pleasing and cool.

Moreover…Apple is also cognizant of what it should do in the product line. Unlike other tech companies, it doesn’t build or launch 12 different variations of a new product. Whether it’s a new iPhone, MacBook, or AirPods, they launch their new devices with every limited variation, making sure that it's following the simplicity rule, which benefits both Apple and its customers.

Apple also makes its retail stores, and offline places as simple as possible—with minimalist layout, fewer colors, and simple designs that have no unnecessary stuff around the place or store, which helps Apple retain its branding not just online, but also offline.

When it’s about simplicity, that’s Apple.

3. Showing Real-Life Use Cases

Go watch any Apple ad, and you’ll realize that their ads are centered around showing you real-life use cases of the device, and how you’d benefit from using the product, which I believe is one of the best marketing strategies Apple uses.

To give you a general idea, look at the following ads. The left side ads are from brands I don’t know about, and the right side of the ads are from Apple. You can clearly see the difference among these ads. Ads shown on the left side are confusing, messy, and not really showing you the actual benefit of the product, whereas Apple ads are just the opposite—showing you a clear benefit (use case) of the product.

That’s how it works.

And just look at this amazing video ad from Apple. Instead of showing all the features and technical stuff about the product, it shows what the product can do for the user. Apple understands that customers don’t care about what goes behind the product (RAM, ROM, Storage, etc) all they care about is “What the product can do for them.”

Why does this work? Well, it’s pretty obvious that if you show what your product can do for the users, instead of showing what it has (features and all the technical stuff) people can’t help but want to buy your product. Because humans don’t buy logically, they buy emotionally. So when you tap into their needs, wants, desires, or feelings, that’s where the real magic happens.

And this is exactly what Apple does through its marketing.

4. Speaking the Customer’s Language

This is a pretty similar marketing strategy to the 3rd one. But the 3rd was about showing customers the real-life use cases of the products. But this one is more about speaking the customer's language. Apple uses this marketing strategy on its website, landing page, boxes, and almost everywhere.

Have you ever seen Apple saying “Our smartwatch has an ECG monitor?” Never. Because Apple knows that products don’t, their benefits matter. Here are some examples of how Apple speaks to its customer’s language:

You see. And it’s not just on their website, you see these marketing strategies being used everywhere—the print ads, the billboard, the social media ads, the packaging, and boxes, everywhere. I mean literally, look at these ads:

Moreover, Apple doesn’t just have great products’ names or messaging, they also make really, really great slogans that directly appeal to customers' needs and desires. This is another great marketing strategy Apple uses to speak in the customers’ language. You may have heard many of Apple's slogans. But if you don’t, here’s how they sound like:

• It just works

• Think Different

• Say hello to iPod

• Light. Years ahead

• Privacy. That’s iPhone

• There is an App for that

• 1000 songs in your pocket

I don’t know if any other tech company has this level of marketing grasp or does it better than Apple. But Apple really, really goes deep on its marketing and writes copies that directly influence people’s purchasing behavior.

5. Unique Value Proposition

Have you ever seen a price drop on Apple’s products, like really, the iPhone for $399?

Never. You never see any price drop, special discounts, coupon codes, holiday specials, or anything that promotes the idea of “Reducing the price of the products.” Meaning the price of Apple products always stays the same as they are.

Apple also doesn't play the “Price War” Game. This means Apple products are priced at premium rates. For instance, you can find Bluetooth earphones for as cheap as $30, but Apple AirPods start at $129, and it stays the same. You can find any mobile phone for $150 but the latest iPhone starts from $799 and it stays the same.

So why is that? There is a very clear reason for how Apple thinks about its unique value proposition. Here’s what Steve Jobs once said about it:

So why does Apple sell its products at high prices and avoid the price war game?

First things first, Apple products are premium, innovative, and stylish. When you buy an iPhone, you don’t just buy an iPhone, you buy a MacBook, AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and all the other products Apple builds. And the reason isn’t that Apple products are great—but because of the ecosystem Apple creates. When you have an iPhone, you can send the data or files to your MacBook or iPad and work from there.

Can you do this if you have other brands? Barely.

Another reason why Apple sells its products at premium prices is because of its security and privacy. Many tech companies overlook the security and privacy aspects, and this is what Apple takes advantage of by making its devices the most-secured products in the world. So even if your Apple device got stolen you don’t have to worry about the “Data” because no one can unlock the device, not even the Apple Customer Care—without your permission.

The Value Proposition for Apple customers is so no-brainer that no amount of price matters. If tomorrow the iPhone price goes to $4999, people are still going to buy it, because “It just works.” However, Apple (customers too) understand that Apple products' price is not expensive compared to the value they are providing.

An addition to that, features like Apple One, a subscription that helps you access all the premium services—from Apple TV to iCloud—for a fair price to connect and use your all Apple devices interchangeably make everything worthwhile for most Apple customers.

Is this just a marketing tactic or something?

Guess what, for Apple, marketing is about providing values. When someone is offering you all the services and benefits at a fair price or a little expensive, and you find value in them, you don’t say it’s their marketing strategy, you say they are providing you value, which truth be told is actually a marketing strategy.

6. The Customer Journey

Apple's customer journey is not just centered around unique customer experience but also they are the representation of how Apple does everything. From buying an Apple device in a retail store to unboxing the device is all about creating a unique experience for Apple customers.

The Apple Retail Stores and Genius Bars are designed in a way that represents what Apple stands for, which of course is simplicity and minimalist design. When you walk inside, you feel as if Apple whispers in your ear and says “Hey, simplicity matters.” Then one of Apple’s trained staff comes and starts asking you questions to really help you figure out things, but they never force you to buy anything when you’re in a retail store. And since you are in an Apple retail store, you’re allowed to touch any device available in the store to test it, check it, experience it, and no one stops you, which is just beyond what other tech brands do.

Apple also makes the buying process as seamless as possible just like it does online. The customer can make the payment at any corner of the store through cards, Apple Pay, or any online payment method available based on the country and place you are in.

But that’s not just where the customer journey ends. When it’s time to open the box of the Apple device you have bought, Apple tries to make you as excited as possible by making packaging unique, minimalist, innovative, sleek, and premium. That’s why you see many customers who buy their first Apple device “Must” share the unboxing video or image on social media.

This reminds me of one of the famous lines from Steve Jobs:

Anything and everything Apple does is centered around letting its people know what and how Apple thinks about design and customer experience. And they do it in every possible way—from their websites to distributing the products.

To dig more about Apple’s customer journey and to understand what made people start using Apple’s products, I started tinkering on Reddit and I found this amazing thread where people shared their experiences on how they became Apple customers. Some people say they use it because “Apple just works.” some say “They wanted a better solution” some say “Because they hate Windows” while others say “Apple is just amazing.”

And so when people share their experience of becoming a part of your community, know that you have won their hearts, which Apple has—by delivering an exceptional, unique experience to its customers in every single possible way it can. Again, for Apple, marketing is about proving value to its customers.

7. Killer Product Launch & Creating Hype

Did you see the recent rumor about the iPhone 17 Pro's new camera design?

Whether it’s subreddits, Twitter, Apple communities, or forums, people are anticipating that the new iPhone 17 Pro’s camera design will be a rectangular shape in horizontal mode, which if happens, will totally change the way iPhones look. But since it’s not has been confirmed by Apple, many doubt if it’ll happen—one of the top tech YouTubers, Mrwhosetheboss has claimed that if Apple did something, he’d shave his entire head.

This begs the question: Is it really true or Apple just creating hype? And the answer I’d like to say is: Totally hype. Whether it's true or not is just a matter of time, but Apple never clarifies or says that they are working on something because Apple DOES want people to talk about their products as they know: The more the hype, the more excited the audience gets.

Apple never fully declares what its building and what’s going to be the actual products. Because that’s how the company is able to create as much hype as possible about its future products, which I think is one of the greatest marketing strategies to sell more product units.

Apple also does an amazing job at doing the product launch. However, things are not as great as when Steve Jobs was around Apple. People just loved seeing him do product launches. Whether it was Steve Jobs launching the iPod, iPhone, or iPad, they were so, so good, and of course, they were masterclasses in how to market and sell a new product.

I mean just watch this Steve Jobs video launching iPod:

What do these Steve Jobs launch events have in common?

Showing people the “Innovation.” Whether it was the iPod, iPad, or iPhone, they all were revolutionary to people when Steve Jobs introduced them for the first time. And when something is innovative and revolutionary, all you have to do is market it well, which Steve Jobs did through the launches by telling people how the device will change their lives through examples.

However, after Steve Jobs' death, things have changed and Apple has slightly changed its product launching approach. The launches come with a pre-made video where not just one person, but the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook along with other great Apple team introduce Apple's new products to customers using different styles, places, visuals, and scenes.

For example, just look at the recent Apple event of 2024:

The video has 29 million views! Just mind-boggling, you can imagine how people love Apple’s products and how excited they get for new updates and launches. The video starts with showing real-life use cases of Apple’s products, which just instantly builds momentum amongst its customers, then Tim Cook the CEO of Apple starts the actual product updates by saying “Good morning, welcome to Apple Park.”

The video in itself is a masterclass on marketing products.

If you watch the entire video, you’ll notice that Tim Cook and other people who walk the audience through the product information—are great storytellers, know what information they need, and how to build excitement and hype so “We” customers are ready to buy the products as soon as they come in the market.

Moreover, Apple understands that if they just sit on a couch and start talking about the products, the audience will lose interest. That’s why the video starts from Apple Park, then the view shifts toward the office area, and then ends in a room that looks like a theater. Just amazing. This makes viewers stick around the video because they find it insightful, interesting, valuable, and informative.

Not many tech companies do this.

8. Building a Strong, Loyal Community

Until 1997, Apple had no strong community of loyal customers.

The Apple community started forming when Steve Jobs ran one of the most iconic ad campaigns of all time that you probably have heard of “Think Different.” It was an ad that challenged the status quo and let the people know what Apple really stands for.

Here’s how the ad starts:

Watch the full video:

People resonated with the ad so much that it made Apple more famous in one year than it did in 10 years. The ad helped Apple positioned itself from its competitors and started being known for one of the most innovative tech companies in the world. The prime reason the ad campaign was so successful was because the message wasn’t about selling people a product, but it was about building a community of people who saw themselves as different, rebellious, and innovative.

And from there, the Apple community just got bigger and bigger.

Today the Apple community is so big that it does free marketing for the company, I mean seriously, whether it's someone posting their new iPhone picture on Instagram, a 15-year-old guy uploading an unboxing video of his new MacBook on YouTube, or people discussing about the new AirPod 4 on Reddit.

It’s all free marketing for Apple.

Because Apple products are the symbol of smartness, greatness, and uniqueness, people don’t hesitate sharing and showing them in public. A good example I can give you is, you’d still open your iPhone on a metro train even if the screen is broken, and you'll absolutely feel no shame when people see it because it’s an iPhone. With other brands? No chance you’d do it.

The better the products, the bigger the community.

Today the Apple community is bigger than you can ever imagine. Hundreds of thousands of Reddit and Facebook groups, Discord servers, online forums, WhatsApp groups, and private communities are available online that discuss all about Apple. This indirectly helps Apple save hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing, because these online communities and groups do the job for Apple, for free. What’s more…there are even many personal websites just dedicated to Apple that talk all day, every day about Apple products, news, and business. For example the Cut of Mac. This website gets 400k+ websites visits per month alone!

Another example: Just these two subreddits have 10 million members combined, which is just mind-blogging. Anyone who just happens to be a new Apple user can join these groups and become a part of the community. Apple benefits from these communities and groups because these all work as marketing channels that help Apple sell more products, make more money, and impact more people’s lives

Apple also organizes events and workshops to let people join the Apple community. For example, Today at Apple is a program that organizes events at Apple Stores where anyone can join to learn more about Apple products and how to get the best out of Apple devices in video editing, photography, filmmaking, designing, etc.

Apple understands that having a community is very important because it helps build a word-of-mouth marketing engine that works 24/7 without spending a dime. But of course, building a community was not possible if Apple products and marketing were not good in the first place. The community exists because Apple’s products are great.

This reminds me of another great line by Steve Jobs:

Apple became one of the most successful companies in the world because Steve Jobs and the early team members worked really hard to build great products and innovate new technologies. Today Apple is still successful, and the most innovative company in the world with a total market cap of $3.8 trillion because Apple leaders, team, and employees work really hard every day.

Are you crazy enough to work hard every day to change the world?

Thanks for reading, catch you on the next one.