Apple mobile phone marketing strategy!

An excellent brand is inseparable from excellent products, but it is also inseparable from excellent marketing strategies.

Apple is a typical case in this regard.

In order to build momentum for the new iPhone 13, which was launched last month, Apple specially released three short films: "Hollywood in Your Pocket", "Full of Doubts", and "Everyday Heroes". Although each story is different, what is similar is that each short film contains several rapid camera switching scenes to express the movie-level camera function of Apple camera. Many netizens couldn't help but exclaim "Thirteen Spices" after seeing a short video of this scale.

It has become a feature of Apple that new products go viral as soon as they are launched. From the classic commercial based on Orwell's novel "1984" to the annual heartwarming Chinese New Year commercial and interview with Mr. He in China, Apple's marketing activities always create a wide range of waves.

The reason why it has such a loud voice is definitely closely related to the marketing methodology that Apple has been adhering to for many years.

1. Building a brand with “values”

As early as 1977, Mike Markkula, one of the founders of Apple, proposed the " Apple Marketing Philosophy" in his business plan: it includes three core points: resonance, focus, and indoctrination. He also pointed out that a good company must learn to indoctrinate and must do everything it can to convey its value and importance from packaging to marketing in order to strengthen the brand in the minds of consumers.

From then on, Apple set the tone for "values-based marketing." Although times are changing, Apple has always been building its image as a pioneer and technological humanist based on this.

1. Values ​​Marketing

In fact, if products are the key to a brand’s attraction to consumers, the values ​​emphasized by the brand are not only the first impression it leaves on consumers, but also the soul of the brand.

Compared to other brands that often focus on simple promotional language such as product selling points and product positioning, Apple is more willing to explore deeper and more grand issues in its advertising blockbusters, in order to position the brand as an innovative and anti-traditional image.

Apple's classic commercial "1984"

For example, in order to promote the Macintosh computer, Apple likened IBM, which had a monopoly on PCs, to "Big Brother", the mind controller in the novel "1984" in its "1984" theme advertisement, while Apple was the rebel that intended to challenge the dominance. He also points out that it was because of the launch of the Macintosh computer that the real 1984 would not be like what is written in the book.

The bold and ironic advertisement concisely presented Apple’s goals and brand philosophy, and fired the first shot in Apple’s value marketing.

The classic advertisement "1984" became the beginning of Apple's value marketing, but value is actually a rather grand and metaphysical topic. It is difficult to sow a new and unique brand image into the minds of consumers with just one eye-opening advertisement. Moreover, consumers are also changing, and educating consumers and spreading brand concepts is by no means a one-off task.

To this end, in shaping its brand image, Apple has always adhered to the same core of "innovation and humanity" and combined it with the development of the times to make a more modern interpretation.

For example, between 1997 and 2002, Apple launched the Think Different advertising campaign. In the "Think Different" advertising campaign, Apple pays tribute to people who have promoted human progress in science and technology and art, such as Einstein, Picasso, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan, to further illustrate the brand's vision of changing the world.

It is precisely because of the emphasis on conscious-level publicity that Apple not only gives its brand a unique value label, but also uses its personalized brand image to form differentiated memory points, ultimately playing a role in strengthening the technological and artistic genes in its brand image. Of course, being associated with so many celebrities also helps Apple elevate its own profile.

Think Different

In addition to extending the time dimension to penetrate consumers' minds, Apple's values ​​​​also permeate into holiday marketing. Although on the surface, it is different from marketing campaigns such as "1984" and "Think Different" that focus on innovation and change, its core logic is people-oriented and aims to gain consumer recognition on the premise of arousing user resonance.

For example, during the annual Christmas period, Apple launched a series of advertisements that featured "Misunderstanding," "Surprise," and "Holiday," all of which promoted "warmth" to cater to the humanitarian tone that the brand has always insisted on shaping and to narrow the emotional distance between the brand and its users. When the warm tone is matched with an unconventional image, it creates a technological and humanistic spirit that is widely known to the public.

2. User co-creation

It is important for a brand to consciously create a specific image, but this is always a one-way process. How to make users recognize the brand from the bottom of their hearts and consolidate user loyalty has become the next topic of brand marketing.

In order to promote camera pixels and configurations, major mobile phone manufacturers often fall into the vicious circle of "listing numbers and performance". However, such abstract numerical parameters cannot directly and clearly highlight the attractiveness of the product. Also for the purpose of product promotion, Apple chose to go beyond the brand perspective and focus its marketing on users. It regards users' works as the biggest selling point and achieves the goal of product promotion and user loyalty cultivation by creating user co-created IP.

Since 2007, with the advent of the iPhone, Apple has launched an annual global photography competition (IPPA). Apple users around the world can participate in the competition, and contestants are also required not to use any PS tools. In 2014, Apple also launched the Shot on iPhone outdoor advertising campaign in major cities around the world, using photos taken by users directly as advertising materials, with only "Shot on iPhone" left on the entire poster. In 2019, Apple continued to hold the Shot on iPhone Challenge event on social media, encouraging iPhone users around the world to pick up their phones to capture the beautiful scenery around them and upload them to social networking sites.

Shot on iPhone

The benefits of user-created creative IP are self-evident. First of all, this is a process that allows users to take the initiative. Once users are willing to actively participate, it will spread through social media and social circles. For Apple, every user is a walking billboard, greatly expanding the reach of the Apple brand.

Secondly, for a brand, the presentation of product performance is the most powerful advertisement. With the help of user propaganda, Apple can directly "show off its muscles" to potential customers, effectively increasing the persuasiveness of its products and allowing users to experience product quality from a more objective perspective.

Of course, Apple's continuous launch of multiple events and high-profile promotions around the world not only help to attract new customers, but also satisfy old customers' love of sharing while enhancing their pride in the brand.

2. The Importance of Localization

Whether it is value-based marketing, user co-creation of IP or the Shot On iPhone series of commercials, Apple's marketing style has always been relatively restrained. In order to maintain the brand tone, this marketing method is also extended to the Chinese market.

Since 2012, the contribution of the Chinese market to Apple has risen rapidly. According to data from the US data research company IDC, Apple's mobile phone share in the Chinese market has increased from 3.2% in 2010 to 13.6% in 2015, an increase of more than four times in six years. Faced with an increasingly large consumer group, Apple has increased its investment in marketing in China.

However, because Apple entered the Chinese market relatively late and there were cultural differences, it did not choose to directly import its marketing strategies from overseas markets. Instead, it played the sympathy card in the Chinese market and made localized changes.

1. Holiday Marketing

in the country, the Spring Festival has become a major marketing highlight for Apple.

Since 2015, Apple has started producing Chinese advertisements, launching a series of widely circulated New Year advertisements such as "Made in New Year", "Congratulations" and "Old Records".

In order to avoid the problem of acclimatization when it first entered the Chinese market, Apple invited a local Chinese team including film director Ann Hui, art director William Chang, and photographer Christopher Doyle to produce its first Chinese New Year advertisement, "Old Records", to ensure that the content it produced was in line with the local cultural tone and public sentiment.

Three Minutes

Similar to the Shot On iPhone series of advertising campaigns, Apple began experimenting with shooting short films with iPhone phones in the Chinese market in 2018, and later launched "Three Minutes", "A Bucket", and "Daughter". Of course, Apple’s annual New Year short films also continue the tradition, all of which are collaborations with well-known directors such as Jia Zhangke to ensure the quality of the short films while incorporating local culture.

Not only is Apple exporting commercials, but as its marketing efforts in China progress, its marketing style of "letting products speak for themselves" is also highlighted. In order to highlight the performance of its products, Apple maintains its usual style and never mentions the product in its commercials. It only uses commercials comparable to movie standards to indirectly highlight the quality of the iPhone camera.

The benefits that Apple has gained from its holiday marketing campaign that focuses on warmth are obvious. As a key marketing node, the Spring Festival has characteristics such as high attention and high user sentiment, which brings greater discussion to Apple. Themes such as family and home can also create a more considerate brand image for Apple. It can be said that Apple has captured the hearts of users in the Chinese market by relying on the humanistic sentiment it has always sold.

2. KOL Marketing

Of course, Apple's localization strategy is not limited to holiday marketing. Establishing connections with professional KOLs who have their own fans and strong ability to sell products is also one of Apple’s strategies to penetrate the Chinese market.

Although KOL marketing is also applied in overseas markets, the situation in China and abroad is different.

In overseas markets, since 2017, a number of Apple executives have cooperated with KOLs such as YouTube blogger MKBHD in the form of dialogue to promote brand and product concepts. Compared with Apple’s relatively mature marketing strategy in overseas markets, KOL marketing is only a part of its marketing combination, which serves the function of reaching circles.

As for the Chinese market, KOL marketing has become a very effective means for Apple to break out of the circle in its marketing strategy in China.

Compared to overseas markets where there are annual developer conferences for product promotion, Apple actually lacks such opportunities in the Chinese market, and product promotion is relatively weak. Therefore, vertical KOLs have become an important channel for Apple to speak publicly. Not only can they ensure the professionalism of the content and the accuracy of the audience, but they are also in line with the sense of technology and geek image that Apple has always attached great importance to.

For example, in 2019, well-known digital media Zealer and iFanr interviewed Apple’s vice president of global product marketing Greg Joswiak and other senior executives. After the release of iPhone 12 in 2020, Kaiann Drance, vice president of iPhone marketing, was interviewed by Zhong Wenzhe of Tencent Technology via remote connection.

Judging from the communication style of KOLs cooperating with Apple, there is a trend in the Chinese market of gradually shifting from focusing on product promotion to conveying values. In addition, KOL marketing can also enrich the layering of the brand image, allowing consumers to understand the product and brand connotation from a comprehensive perspective.

For example, in 2021, Mr. He, a UP host on Bilibili, interviewed Cook. Unlike the previous KOL marketing, which mainly discussed more professional topics such as 5G and iOS14 operating system, the conversation between Cook and Mr. He mainly involved topics that Apple is good at, such as education, young people, the Chinese market and culture, and diverse values.

Judging from the trend of Apple using KOL marketing in the Chinese market, Apple has clearly begun to pay attention to Chinese Internet public opinion and is actively conducting value marketing, which it is good at, targeting young people. This will not only help Apple build a more sincere brand image, but also complete the puzzle of its value marketing in the Chinese market.

Apple's strength lies in its ability to tell stories. No matter in which market it implements marketing activities, Apple always adheres to the three core points of resonance, focus, and infusion, and interprets the brand's humanistic and technological image in an appropriate way. The brand values ​​it advocates are integrated with its outstanding product experience, becoming a distinctive label of the brand.

Author: Guo Ruiling

Source: New Marketing Engine