What makes a successful brand?

Brand wellbeing

With Apple posting net quarterly profit of $8.5 billion in its Q4 year end results what makes it such a successful brand?

I believe Apple and other brands will increasingly be successful when they focus on creating wellbeing. Here is how Apple’s success can be viewed through the inter-connected elements of our BrandCANBE™ wellbeing model:

Creating Meaning

Apple has clear purpose, values and strengths which are embedded throughout the organisation. In ‘Designed by Apple’ it describes the process of simplifying, perfecting, starting over and focusing until ‘everything we touch enhances each life it touches‘. With this in mind key products in line for launch include Apple Pay, a new mobile payments platform and Apple Watch, a wearable device that combines health and fitness monitoring with mobile computer capabilities.

With strong purpose, values, a focus on strengths and a passion for adapting to customers changing needs a brand creates meaning in the lives of it’s employees, customers and other stakeholders? With greater meaning comes stronger connection, loyalty and forgiveness.

Achieving More

Apple doesn’t sit on its laurels but has focused and ambitious goals linked to it’s purpose, values and strengths. On September 9, 2014, Tim Cook the Apple CEO talking about Apple Pay held up a wallet and said, “Our ambition is to replace this”. This ambition is galvanising Apple employees and building confidence in the market about the future prospects for the company.

Nurturing Relationships

Relationships are important to the success of Apple.  When a brand has high confidence, awareness and focus it is in the best position to know what it can do well and when it needs the help of others. Apple recognises its core strengths and engages the expertise of others where necessary. For example, with car companies for its Carplay technology, aimed at making it easier and safer to use your iPhone in the car.

Great relationships are built on understanding and it’s no secret that Apple spends an enormous amount of time observing customers using its technology. Its 3 point marketing philosophy, embedded from the companies incorporation back in 1977, included understanding customer needs better than any other company.  The key here though, is that Apple does what it says it will do and lives up to the promises it makes. 

Building resilience and sustainability

Over time Apple has developed a resilient business model whilst remaining true to its values.  Resilient organisations think flexibly in times of difficulty. At a time when the music player and phone industries were commoditising their products, Apple was adaptable and introduced radically simple and beautifully designed products that remade the company.

Engaging Positive emotions

This is the starting point for Apple. The first thing they ask is ‘What do we want to make people feel? The answer: delight, surprise, love, connection. When a brand creates emotions like that how can it fail to build loyalty? From the streamlined, intuitive range of products to the aesthetic and engaging stores Apple creates a consistent customer experience.

Some key questions for your brand

• How could your brand create greater meaning?
• What are the ambitious goals for your brand?
• How can your brand get better at nurturing relationships?
• How could your brand develop stronger emotions and experiences?
• How could your brand think differently and adapt whilst remaining true to its values?

With our unique brand consultancy your BrandCANBE™ all it wants to be.

Improveon helps improve brand, team and personal performance. Call or contact David now to find out how Improveon can help you build your brand.