Advertising,  Blog,  Brand Management,  Business Strategy,  Marketing,  Personal Branding

What Can We Learn From Steve Jobs? A Marketing & Communications Genius

November 20, 2018

There’s not many people in the world that don’t recognize the name “Steve Jobs” – the man that changed how we live our lives forever. We’ve all been influenced by his work in one way or another.  Most of you, because of his entrepreneurship, inventions and brains that made Apple one of the largest, most valuable brands ever.  Although, Apple isn’t what it is today just because of it’s products. A large part of their success is due to their successful marketing strategy.  If you didn’t already know, Apple wasn’t always successful, it was actually failing for a long time until Steve Jobs rejoined the company and brought along something that changed Apple and marketing as we know it, forever.

Steve Job’s Marketing Principles

  • If you touch someone’s heart – that’s limitless
  • Focus on your core values, what you or your company represents
  • Keep it neat and simple (Stay away from making your communication technical and complicated)
  • Stay relevant (Being relevant in people’s minds is the only way you’ll be relevant outside)
  • Focus on a single message

Before you continue on to my breakdown of his strategy, I highly encourage you to watch the video below.  Not only marketing strategy but pay attention to the way Steve Jobs is communicating to his audience. Even though he’s speaking to his own employees that might have worked on the project, he truly connects with his audience while including all of his principles above. Principles of marketing are interconnected in how we communicate daily – especially when it comes to public speaking. 

 

What did you think? If that didn’t move you, I don’t know what will. Personally, this is my favorite presentation/speech of all time. It’s simply changed the way I approach marketing, business and the way I communicate daily. 

Lets First Talk About Presentation and Technique

The way he’s communicating to his audience is considered his own personal marketing strategy. Did you see how simple he kept it? A great communicator doesn’t try and impress their audience with large words or complex statements. A great communicator, is only great, if their audience leaves the room with your message in their mind. You might think, well what if my audience is all smart and can understand what I’m saying. NEVER assume that! Never speak as if you were talking to the smartest person in the room, speak as if you were educating someone for the first time. Remember, your marketing should be an extension of the way you speak when you aren’t around to do it. Now, this obviously isn’t the same when you’re presenting how to write code to computer science majors but when you’re selling a product, everyone is your audience.  If you limit your audience, you limit your business.

The first few minutes of his presentation, Steve Jobs educates, inspires and motivates his audience. Before he presents them with Apple’s new advertising campaign, he builds them up and gets them to believe in his vision. The simplest way to get your audience to listen and connect, use words like “we” and “us”. People are more likely to pay attention to you when it seems like they’re part of the conversation.

“The ones who see things differently…”

Now, lets get to communicating your message. How do you communicate your message if you’re the one that sees things differently? You have to dig and simplify.  Go back to exactly what it is you’re trying to accomplish and try and communicate it in one simple sentence. If you can’t, then keep trying till you have one sentence.  That one sentence is now the foundation of your communication strategy.  Your presentation, conversation, marketing etc…should build on top of that one sentence.

“Think Different” Commercial

One of the most successful advertising campaigns in history. Two words that were used to build the majority of Apple’s success.  I love that they chose famous historical figures that have impacted the world the most by not following the rules.  Just like Steve Jobs.  This commercial does a great job in connecting to everyone by speaking to the “misfits and rebels”.  Not everyone is a misfit or a rebel but everyone wants their life to have meaning and impact the world in some way.  This ad makes you believe that anything is possible when using an Apple. They focused on the psychology of a person and asked themselves, what do people want out of life? Then found a way to communicate that by using Apple, you can get what you want out of life – just like the others that changed the world. 

For example, if you own a restaurant that sells Indian food, how can you tell people they need to come eat at your restaurant? First, your job is to convince them that they need to eat Indian food for their next meal, how would it benefit them if they did? (or more often because if you’re not Indian, you’re not likely eating it as often) Second, is to tell them why do they need to eat at your restaurant? Let them know why your restaurant is the better choice than the one down the street.  If you only do step one, then you allow them to look for one.  Give them a dream and provide them the solution. 

You can apply the same methodology above when it comes to your personal brand. Communicate your value first then your attributes.

SO…Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently —

Think Different. Be Different.

-Rushi

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and comment below. 🙂

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