Strategic Branding: Has Apple Found Its New “Pivot Point?”
In my branding presentations, I frequently discuss the importance of knowing your company’s “pivot point,” the common thread that runs through all your products and service offerings. Without that knowledge, companies tend to behave as commodities, and eventually get priced that way.
In the big picture, Apple has succeeded in walking to the beat of a different drummer. They have never really behaved as a “computer company,” although until just a year ago, that was their official name… Apple Computer.
At the iPad unveiling this past week, Steve Job reported that Apple was now “the world’s largest mobile device company.” Could he have just articulated their new pivot point?
Let’s look…
Are most of their products mobile?
Considering the number of laptops, iPods and iPhones they sell (in contrast to the big towers) then it would be safe to say yes.
Are they a “device company?”
That certainly takes them out of the limiting sphere of computer manufacturer.
Are they the largest?
Well, perhaps, (though Nokia might have an issue with that statement.)
My best shot at Apple’s pivot point would be to call them a “digital lifestyle provider.” That would expand them beyond the functionality and equipment positioning and allow them to incorporate music, video and e-reader services.
In pressing times, it’s more important than ever to differentiate your company, and its products and services. So before making your next move, have you thought about your pivot point? In Apple’s case, they might have just found their “core” strength…
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