Apple is a company that has always had a knack for marketing. Apple’s marketing strategy has helped them grow into the worldwide powerhouse they are today. Apple’s annual revenue quadrupled in the last ten years. Apple generated 274 billion in revenue in 2020, 50 % came from iPhone sales. Apple Music has 72 million subscribers, Apple TV+ has over 40 million. In this blog-post we will explore what are the reasons why apple is so successful. And what are 7 things to learn from Apple’s Marketing strategy in general.
Apple is led by Apple Inc. Steve Jobs was Founder and Former CEO of Apple. The current Apple boss, Tim Cook, has been in charge since 2011 when Steve Jobs passed away. He plans to retire from Apple at the end of this year.
Apple is known for having an iconic logo which can be recognized even by those who don’t own any of their products or know anything about them at all. Apple has had great success when it comes to their marketing strategies because they have found many different ways to engage customers and consumers across all age groups. Some important factors about marketing strategy that Apple employs are as follows:
Make It Simple And Easy To Understand
Simplicity is the core value that Apple has been following since day one. All the products they’ve created are easy to use and understand. they are aimed to make their customers enjoy the experience. Apple was founded on the basis of innovation and creativity. They do not compromise with anything less than that. They want to give their customers an experience which is unique and different from others. When you are launching a new product or service, always keep it simple, stupid (KISS).
Ken Segall, a creative director at Steve Job’s agency for 12 years, who also designed “Think Different” campaign, talks about Simplicity as a mission in apple company. A mission to simplify business processes in general and marketing communications in particular for their customers.
“Talk about the power of simplicity. All that came out a very simple idea. Enrich lives. It described what Steve was doing with Apple, and so with this philosophy the Apple Stores were the perfect representation of the brand”
According to a Harvard Business Review research article, for a consumer, simplicity is the biggest driver towards a purchase.
“The marketer’s goal is to help customer feel confident in their choice. Just providing more information often doesn’t help.”
In this age of information overload, it’s not easy to keep things simple. It requires lot of creativity and innovation. And Apple seems to have perfected this.
In short, Apple has perfected KISS and science backs it up.
Be Different
Apple believes in marketing your product in a way that is different, but relevant to the audience.
Apple created their own operating system for iPhones because it wasn’t widely available at the time. It was called iOS which stands for iPhone Operating System. They also implemented Face ID as an alternative to fingerprint scanners which were being used by other companies such as Samsung and Google. And they’ve always been ahead of everyone else when it comes to technology; this is why you can get ebooks from iTunes even though Amazon originally invented them!
This kind of marketing strategy requires creativity on behalf of the company and its employees. So not many organizations do it successfully, but Apple does a great job with this. Apple’s unique value proposition for iPhone offers a unique customer experience eg. “your life in your pocket”. The iPhone we are using today simply allows us to do much more than its predecessors.
Marketing through social media channels, Magazines & TV
Social media is a huge part of any company’s marketing strategy nowadays, especially when it comes to Apple.
The launch of their new products is important for people who want to be updated about the news first hand so they’re all ready when it’s released in stores or online. To make sure consumers know what’s going on without having to search for information themselves, Apple advertises its latest updates on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube as well as their website which keeps people up-to-date at all times.
It is the key principle of Marketing strategy that Apple follows religiously, which has helped them gain customer trust over the years.
It’s very common to see ads for Apple products in magazines and on TV. These ads usually show a close-up of the product with a white background, as well as some text explaining what it is.
Apple is the most valuable company in the world and it has more cash than any other US public corporation. As such, Apple can afford to do marketing campaigns that are really large in scope with huge budgets behind them.
Marketing To The Heart

A lot of Apple’s marketing campaigns focus on emotional responses and memories. The “Think Different” campaign for example, was created because Apple wanted to have a different approach from other companies by putting emphasis on what makes them unique rather than their products.
Apple uses another technique in their marketing mix that focuses more on nostalgia with ads like ‘Hello Again’ which brought back classic Mac models in order to emphasize memory and emotion. Rather than focusing only on features or specifications.
With both campaigns, they manage to capture audience attention while also maintaining brand identity through uniformity in messaging between different platforms such as website banners, social media posts etc.
Create A Need For The Product
Apple has done a great job of creating an emotional need for their products. Marketing campaigns like “My First Mac” and the infamous 1984 commercial are two examples. That show how consumers can develop both personal desires as well as societal needs to purchase Apple devices.
“My First Mac” which was created to tell parents, who might not know how to use computers themselves, how their children can learn from an Apple device.
Apple wanted to have a different approach from other companies by putting emphasis on what makes them unique rather than their products.
Marketing Strategies like these show that it’s okay to break away from traditional advertising tactics.
Follow up with Advertising after Launch of New Products
Apple makes sure after the launch of their newest products that they keep the momentum going by producing TV commercials and social media campaigns. This is important as new technology becomes more accessible, consumers have a short attention span for any particular product.
Apple does not release a single product to cater to just one need or requirement. Because they believe in catering to different markets with their wide range of products from laptops, iPods, iPhones, watches etc.
Partner With Other Companies

Partner with other companies who have similar values/customers in order to create synergy. This will help customers buy into your “brand.” For example, Apple partnered with Nike so their watches can work seamlessly together. They also partner’d with IBM because they share many common clients. Finally, they pair their products (iPhones 7S) with laptops, earphones etc.
Apple’s marketing team uses a concept of “pairing” their products with something else; pairing Apple laptops with professional design, Apple watches with fitness enthusiasts, etc.
What lessons other companies can learn from apple’s Marketing Strategies over the years?
Companies, big or small, can learn from the Apple’s Marketing Strategies. One of the most important lessons they can take away is to use social media to their advantage. And create a more personable relationship with customers by using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Snapchat. They also need to partner up with other companies who have similar values/customers in order to create synergy that may catapult growth of a company.
Why is Apple so successful globally?
Apple has been successful because they have continuously evolved their products and marketing strategies by listening to the wants/needs of customers. This caused them to create a more personable relationship with consumers. Which in turn allowed them to grow internationally.
Such marketing and sleek products have enabled Apple to stay true to its identity, while quickly expanding sales in over more than 100 countries.
Apple ensures that their e-commerce website has a uniform look and branding regardless of country and language.
Moreover Apple customer support is excellent and works seamlessly with all their products eg. I-phone, I-pad, MacBook air and Apple watches etc.
Apple Marketing Conclusion
Apple is a company that has been around for over 40 years and they have mastered the art of marketing. All their products are aimed to delivering an experience of satisfaction, productivity and happiness. If you’re an Apple customer, then you know that few companies are as good at marketing their products and services than the Cupertino-based company.
It’s not just about advertising and promotions. It’s also how they develop new product releases to keep customers interested in what comes next. One way that this is done is by listening to feedback from current customers on how they use (or don’t use) a particular feature or service in order to better anticipate what would be most useful for future development of features, platforms, etc.
And if you’re looking for some inspiration when it comes time to market your own business online – whether a small start up or large enterprise – there may be no better place than Apple’s strategy.
No doubt copying someone blindly is not a good idea and can backfire but learning from the best and getting inspired to create your own strategies is the best principle.