Thursday, May 26, 2011

What we can all learn from Apple’s retail success - Nigel Hollis Milward Brown


On Monday, I commented on Eric Tsytsylin’s post published on Branding Strategy Insider, on the power of the retail experience in a world transfixed by "hits," "tweets," and "likes."

As I was writing my post, another idea occurred to me. Maybe there is something else that we can learn fromApple’s retail success.
In the past, I have commented on the difference between Apple and Google in terms of their very different models. Google, the archetypal Internet brand with free services and open systems, and premium-priced Apple, which eschews the open model in favor of what Steve Jobs refers to as an “integrated” model.
The Apple products all exist within an Apple ecosystem that is very much under the company’s control. Sure, app developers have access to the code necessary for development, but what is accepted into the App Store is strongly controlled.
Eric’s post reminded me of this when, referencing Apple’s stores, he states:
The stores are closed-off physical spaces over which the brand has complete control – every Apple product is carefully displayed in an environment that reflects the simple, intuitive elegance of everything Apple does.
He goes on to say:
Yet for all of its pre-planned precision, is it the dynamic, unpredictable elements of the Apple retail experience that ultimately lures us in. People are free to touch, hold, and use every product in the store.
And then there is, of course, the human element – the tireless geniuses at their bar, the bubbly, all-knowing store representatives.
Readers will know that this model is precisely the model that I believe brands need to bring to social media. Control what your brand stands for, but be prepared to interact with your fans in an engaging and human manner.
Apple’s “controlling” business and brand model has helped to grow its company value over 800 percent in the last six years. Maybe there is a lesson for all of us in there. Know what it is your brand stands for, and make sure that it is reflected in everything it does.
Am I wrong?

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