In my recent blog article about storybranding, I discussed conveying the story behind your brand. Where your business came to be and why you are passionate about what you do.
Now I want to share a story with you about a company called Apple. From the earliest days, their owner instinctively understood that design was the magic door to creating “insanely great” products that would surprise and delight users. They embedded a reverence for design into their culture and constitution.
With the mindset that the “product is the marketing”, Apple garnered market share more effectively than advertising about it does.
When you’re thinking about your 2013 marketing and business plan, take a step back and think about your own business culture and its internal realities. From this point forward, use a mindset that will set you apart from other similar companies. Get in touch with your customers and predict with what their wants will be, not just what they currently are. Put your customers at the centre of your innovation environment.
“Empathy and human-centred ethos are the foundation of great design, because they place the customer first, not the marketers, analysts or financial or engineering experts. To design like Apple, you must find your own unique and differentiating design voice and apply that voice with discipline.”
This article is inspired by the book “Design Like Apple” by John Edson. It translates into more than product marketing. It teaches us to look at our core business philosophy. Marketing is a great way to build your business, but marketing a product or service that has predicted customer needs is pure genius.
Start fresh in 2013 and brainstorm ways to update your internal customer reality so they aren’t just customers, but raving fans. Start thinking about how you want to look back at your business legacy. This will help give you clues on the direction to take and core philosophies and practices you want to integrate into your business.
