In the several weeks since Steve Jobs passed away, much has been written about his vision and passion for innovation and design. If we hadn’t just published our book—BrainBranding—Activate the Brain—Stimulate Your Brand—my co-author, Robyn Winters, and I would have sworn that Jobs had read it when he rejoined Apple several years ago.
In our book, Robyn and I discuss the four buying styles that are the result of the four different ways people (customers) think. I won’t go into the details about those buying styles here (of course, you can learn all about it in the book by going to Amazon.com and search BrainBranding.) However, we believe that Apple is an excellent example of a brand that appeals to all four buying styles in everything they do. I converted to a Mac not long ago, and I was totally impressed by that experience, both from a product and a store perspective. During my transition from PC to Mac/iPhone/iPad, It became obvious to me that Apple understood the four buying styles that Robyn and I were writing about in our book.
For example, Apple’s products appeal to the Trendsetter Style with both leading edge technology and design. Their thorough product information and quality attracts the Investigator Style. The Coordinator Style likes the way Apple makes it easy to shop their products and stores in an organized, convenient way. And the people working in the stores provide give their customers the personal service and support that the Relater Style looks for in their shopping experience.
Take a trip to your local Apple store and you’ll experience first hand what it means to have a brand that resonates with these four styles. Whether it’s the dramatic exterior, like the one in Manhattan, or the remodeled interiors that make the merchandise pop and almost invite the customer over to try them. Graphics are consistent with the design and graphics of the products as well.
If you want information (as I did), it’s right there and very accessible as well as being easy to understand. Still an Investigator? Ask any of the associates who have the answers without the intimidation of some computer store geeks. If you do your homework online before making the trip, the information is there as well to help you determine what you want and what one model does over another. Easy to navigate, the stores and the website make it easy for the Coordinator to get the job done quickly and easily. I lived through a remodel of my Apple store while learning the ropes and like Disney they just keep making it better for the crowds of people who always seem to be in the store. Did I mention the staff? It’s really satisfying to see that in this day of labor cutbacks in retail, Apple still has plenty of associates who actually seem to like their job. More importantly, they actually seem to like helping customers. My analogy is it’s like having a brother or daughter who understands the technology and who makes it easy for you to understand.
And that’s why the Apple brand is so successful. Steve Jobs was a pioneer and will be sorely missed not only by his company but by generations to come. His real bottom-line success, I believe, is that he understood the different types of customers out there and steadfastly created an organization that made sure that they satisfied each and every one of them and their buying style preferences.
