Learning Marketing from Apple.

Apple’s handling of the iPhone price issue raises many questions about what Apple can get away with unscathed.

A recent PcWorld article is asking whether Apple is the new Microsoft. Will Apple be the new bully on the IT playground?

Don’t look now, but the role of the industry’s biggest bully is increasingly played by Apple, not Microsoft. Here’s a look at how Apple has shoved Microsoft aside as the company with the worst reputation as a monopolist, copycat and a bully.

Here is the best statement:

iTunes for Windows‘ popularity isn’t driven by software product quality. ITunes is the slowest, clunkiest, most nonintuitive application on my system. But I need it because I love my iPods.

That is sooo true!

Of course Apple is far away from being a monopoly, unlike Microsoft is or at least was. But the monopolistic behaviour is similar.

Amazing, but considering the fact that the Apple brand is almost religiously embraced by its fans to an extent that could make the catholic church jealous, we can clearly see what makes Apple so successful:

Fantastic marketing.

While Microsoft always focused on either purchasing small(er) software shops to extend their portfolio or to dictate terms on their partners, Apple focused on marketing. Hey, it also worked for Nike in their battle against Adidas.

It all comes down to a simple rule: People don’t purchase products. People buy ideas, dreams or beliefs. And Apple sells exactly this. Apparently, they were rareley the first to launch certain types of products

Off the Record, a German advertising blog, pointed me to a site called MarketingApple by Steve Chazin, uncovering the secrets to Apple-style-marketing.

There you can find a PDF with „the five secrets of Apple Marketing„:

1. Don’t sell products. People buy what other people have.

2. Never be first to Market. Make something good greater.

3. Empower early adopters. Help your customer help you.

4. Make your message memorable. Boil the story down to its syrupy goodness.

5. Go one step futher. Surprise and delight your customers.

So there will be two good reasons for continuing to watch Apple: the fascinating products and how the fascination is nurtured by Apple Marketing.