I think it’s fair to say that Apple has become one of the
most recognisable brands of our time, but where so many have failed, how is it
that Apple became iconic and a symbol of modern culture? More to the point, how can Apple still make profits in a world where the internet offers so many competitively priced competitors?
In my last blog post I commented on how Apple (in my opinion) had successfully created a unique environment in their stores where
rather than being encouraged to buy, you were encouraged to absorb the
experience. I went onto say that there is a counter-argument that experience does not always equal sales. However what I didn’t say was what my response to this
would be…
Although the Apple Store does not necessary motivate people
to buy products there and then, it does encourage customers to buy directly from Apple (whether that’s online or in store) rather than another store/site
(such as PC World or Currys). This is very different to
the norm where customers don’t feel obliged to buy from one particular company. So why do people naturally feel as if they have to be loyal to Apple?
As we all know the Apple Store essentially works as a showroom, where
customers are urged to browse and fully experience each product supported by expert 'evangelists'. This allows for a relationship to develop between the brand and the person, where one not only feels obliged to stay loyal but also
wants to stay loyal. Online - as you would expect - the brand shares many of the same attributes (space, minimal colours, expert help etc) allowing the customer to see
a direct correlation between the two.
Not many companies build that kind of relationship between brand and customer, website and store - perhaps this was another reason for HMV's problems.
Not many companies build that kind of relationship between brand and customer, website and store - perhaps this was another reason for HMV's problems.