Apple branding: the story behind the world’s most valued brand

It’s official. Since 2023, Apple has been the most valued brand in the world, with revenue exceeding $383 billion. We all witnessed the rise of this tech giant over the last decades and it’s safe to say that no one is too surprised by this accomplishment.

But despite the beautifully designed products that Apple keeps presenting to its customers, we must admit that it took a little more to make the brand the best in the world. 

Need any hints?

Showstopping product releases, superstar founder and CEO, and ads that take your breath away. 

You guessed it – their brilliant marketing strategy made this tech company the most successful brand in the world.

So how did a company that started selling computers from a garage become a tech giant that stands behind the most famous bitten apple in the world? 

Let’s look at Apple’s story.

Company history – building the most recognizable brand identity on the planet

When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak released the first Apple I computer in 1976, they couldn’t even dream of the success the company would have today. Or maybe Steve Jobs could. But one thing is clear, neither Steve Wozniak nor the rest of the world saw it coming. 

They started with a vision to deliver the first personal computer compact enough to fit everyone’s home. So the Apple I and soon an upgraded brother, the Apple II, were born. 

From the get-go, one thing was clear. Apple’s marketing was all about the customer. But, the challenge was real – how do you market a product that people never had or needed before? 

So they focused on customers’ needs and preferences. And even more importantly, how the product can become an intrinsic part of their lives.  

An approach that Apple has remained recognizable for to this day. 

In one of the first ads for Apple II, they showed the computer on a kitchen table in an everyday setting – as if it’d been there for ages. And the copy? It was all about how simple and fun it is to use this new, completely unknown gadget.

No complicated tech lingo or images of big screens and a bunch of wires involved. Just clean and simple print advertising for a clean and simple product. 

As we know today, the company was nowhere near stopping after the success of the Apple II. They went on to produce the first Mac in 1984, released the first laptop in 1991, and amazed the world with the release of the first smartphone, the iPhone, in 2007.

All following the same approach – creating beautiful and simple-to-use products and using marketing to make them irresistible to everyone. From a stay-at-home mom to a Wall Street broker or a college student.

And you could say they’ve been quite successful at this attempt. In 2023, the company announced that they officially crossed the mark of 2 billion users worldwide.

Why Apple’s brand strategy is so irresistible

How do they make their marketing efforts look so effortless and simple? 

Well, anyone working in marketing will know – making something look simple is everything but simple. It takes great understanding of the product and a unique marketing vision to build a brand like Apple.

Here are the four main characteristics of Apple’s brand strategy that have helped them build a valuable brand image:

1. Advertising campaigns with an emotional appeal
2. Consistent look across all the company’s products
3. Straightforward yet unforgettable brand promise
4. Friendly, monochrome logo for global recognition

1. Advertising campaigns with an emotional appeal

One of the best Apple ads of all time is definitely the “1984” ad created for the release of the first ever Macintosh computer. The ad features a dystopian scene where the masses are getting brainwashed by a higher power, while the true hero prevails. 

This is followed by powerful messaging about the release of the new Mac. The computer that will have the power to overcome Orwell’s predictions and empower people in the face of conformity. 

Quite a statement for a company that sells personal computers, right? 

Well, that’s precisely the point. Apple creates ads that connect with you emotionally, making you want to be on the right side of history. Where innovation, progress, and exciting new technologies take place. And in this place, you’ll want Apple products. What else can I say except – genius.

2. Consistent look across all the company’s products

Another significant aspect that helped Apple build a recognizable brand is its slick and consistent design across all products. Today, we all know the look and feel of Apple products. They are simple yet luxurious, beautiful yet subtle. And in the world of faceless technology, we can all tell which product is from Apple and which one is from the “other brands.”

But why is that so important for branding?

In branding, you want to create a recognizable experience for your customers. And design plays a big part. You want customers to know what to expect from your products without surprises. Ideally, your product becomes so recognizable that it’s the first thing that comes to people’s minds when thinking about your product category. 

Once you achieve this, you have a powerful brand. Because it means people are buying a perception of your brand instead of the product they need, and this is where Apple is doing a brilliant job.

3. Straightforward, yet unforgettable brand promise

Apple makes everything simple – so simple that I’ve already used the word 10 times in this article. Anyway, back to the brand promise. 

“Think different” – that’s all they needed. It’s short, clear, and, most importantly, it communicates everything Apple is about. Thinking differently, inventing products, and finding unique ways to solve problems is what Apple has been doing for decades and what has put them in the position they are in today – being the most valued brand in the world. 

4. Friendly, monochrome logo for global recognition

The first version of Apple’s logo was designed in 1976. It featured Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree, symbolizing the moment of inspiration that led him to come up with his ground-breaking ideas. 

A year later, the marketing wizard behind Apple, Steve Jobs, realized he needed a simpler and more approachable logo. And the famous bitten apple logo was born.

The logo was so well made that it stayed almost intact to this day, with only minor changes made in the colors. 

And the reason why the apple isn’t whole but bitten? The author says, it’s only to make sure people don’t mistake it for a cherry when looking from a distance. 

Five marketing lessons we can learn from Steve Jobs

There’s no doubt that Steve Jobs was a man ahead of his time. He had a unique vision to offer a completely new product to the world, understood customer behavior, and was somewhat of a marketing genius. 

His ideas and approach to marketing are often used in marketing courses and books worldwide. And most of us working in marketing are still amazed by how thoughtful and smart he was with marketing strategies.

So here are five lessons we can learn from Steve Jobs and his marketing approach: 

1. The power of brand identity
2. CEO’s personal branding can go a long way
3. Consistency, consistency, consistency
4. Sell a lifestyle, not just products
5. Beautiful and functional product design goes hand in hand with great marketing

1. The power of brand identity

The second we hear the word “Apple”, a powerful image comes to mind. We know it represents luxurious and beautifully designed high tech solutions. And we all want to be a part of their story. 

Besides selling smartphones or laptops, Apple is inviting us into the world of beautiful things and the latest technological advancements. And that’s the true power of a strong brand identity.  

The lesson that all of us in marketing can take from this is that a good product can only do so much to increase sales. You need to build a strong brand identity to make sure that customers establish emotional connections with your products and keep coming back for a long time.

2. CEO’s personal branding can go a long way

Today, we have many superstar CEOs. From Elon Musk, to Jeff Bezos, to Mark Zuckerberg. But back in the day, this wasn’t the case. When Steve Jobs started hosting his famous product launch events in a black turtleneck, Levi’s jeans, and white sneakers, he was the first to associate his tech brand with his personality.

To this day, we all pretty much consider everything that’s been done at Apple to be his work, despite the company employing several hundred thousand people worldwide. 

Just like with regular branding, personal branding has the power to build stronger bonds with the audience. This makes Apple’s customers feel as if they’re buying products directly from this tech genius and not a faceless tech corporation. 

3. Consistency, consistency, consistency

Successful marketing is all about being consistent. This refers to the language you use around your product, the visuals that depict your product, and even the look of your products. When it comes to Apple, this is definitely a job well done. 

Here’s how Apple has stayed consistent over the years:

• Product design – All products, including iPhones, Macbooks, and even the Apple Watch, follow the same design patterns.
• Marketing communication – They have extensive brand communication guidelines that clearly instruct what language to use and when to accurately represent the brand.
• Product launches – All product launch events are held at the same time every year. They take place in a big dark auditorium with a large screen behind the CEO showing what the latest line of products has to offer.
• Personal branding – First, it was Steve Jobs, and now it’s Tim Cook. Whoever is behind Apple has a significant and consistent presence when representing the brand. 

4. Sell a lifestyle, not just products

You know how all iPhone users simply keep buying one iPhone after another no matter how expensive this gadget gets. And even more absurd, no matter how many similar products enter the market.

Well, that’s what you get for selling a lifestyle instead of “just” products. Because now, an iPhone isn’t just a phone. It’s a status symbol that makes us feel like one of the “cool kids.”

And it’s clear from the early ads for Apple II that this story was built around Apple from day one. Showing potential customers the lifestyle they can have by buying the first personal computer.

So, instead of just communicating your products’ features, try to find that one element that makes your brand stand out from the rest. It can be about simplicity, sustainability, ethics, or even productivity – whatever resonates with your brand. Once you know what it is, build your story around it.

5. Beautiful and functional product design goes hand in hand with great marketing

Did you know that 55% of brand first impressions are visual? Steve Jobs knew that. 

But he also knew that functionality matters, too. One of his famous quotes on design is, “Design isn’t just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

And you can tell this by looking at any Apple product’s operating system. Though beautiful and luxurious, all Apple’s products are also incredibly simple and intuitive to use. Functionalities are designed to guide you through the product instead of forcing you to learn how to use it. And even Apple’s product packaging follows the same design philosophy.

This intuitive and functional design not only makes all Apple products easy to use, but it also improves consumer retention, as people love to repurchase simple-to-use products.

Final thoughts

Apple’s branding efforts have been so successful over the years that almost any marketing company has something to learn. Hopefully, this recap of Apple’s branding activities will be a helpful guide for your team’s marketing activities!

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