September is one of the most hectic months for a lot of people in the United States. Schools are starting, leases are expiring, and the ever so important latest edition of the iPhone gets released onto the market. This year’s rendition of Apple’s main attraction is the iPhone 13, featuring many of the same features that the iPhone 12 possessed last year. Some key differences include Apple’s most powerful chip to date, the A15 bionic chip, as well as a smaller Face ID notch and longer battery life. Although Apple seems to release a similar product every year, they are still able to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in sales year after year. We will now examine Apple’s marketing strategy and how they continue to do this.
One of Apple’s biggest appeals to consumers in the US is how they brand themselves. The company paints the iPhone as a beacon for individuality and creativity. No matter where you go, the iPhone will allow for a means of self-expression. This can clearly be seen through their TV ads and commercials, along with many of the campaigns they deliver to their consumers. For example, in one of the new commercials for the iPhone 13, the phone is followed throughout the day by a deliveryman that uses a motorbike. The commercial follows a unique narrative as many specific features are highlighted corresponding with the man’s day, which includes cinematic mode when he takes a video of other cyclists, as well as night mode when he takes this girl on a date. These specific examples show how differently the iPhone can be used and cater to the consumer’s sense of freedom and choice.
In addition to the iPhone’s focus on self-expression, the ecosystem that Apple has created for its users has been a major influence on consumers year after year. Although some androids may have better performance numbers than the iPhone, the Apple ecosystem makes it so easy to store data and use multiple different products under the same account. Tim Cook and co. continue to push this ecosystem through the interconnectivity between their MacBooks, iPads, Apple watches, and iPhones, making it one of the biggest selling points for their new products.
At this point, because the iPhone has already proven its value with constantly evolving technologies and a brand that is world renown, they do not need to be constantly pushing out their product as before. However, the main attraction for the iPhone is a yearly conference they give before the release of the iPhone. This promotion has become extremely effective at generating enormous amounts of anticipation for the iPhone’s release and has proved over and over again to be successful at what it's meant to do, not only with Steve Jobs, but with Tim Cook as well.
The iPhone has now integrated itself into the lives of most Americans. Through its incredibly smart and consistent marketing efforts, we now see this phone as an extension of ourselves, and our lives.