3) Stand for something.
When The Apple Computer Company launched in 1977, Jobs and Markkula outlined
three core company principles. First, Apple would empathize with customers.
Second, Apple would focus on doing a few things really well. Third, Apple would
impute its values (simplicity, high quality) across everything it did — not
just within the products themselves, but also through the packaging of
products, the look of its stores, and even the way Apple created press
releases.
When The Apple Computer Company launched in 1977, Jobs and Markkula outlined
three core company principles. First, Apple would empathize with customers.
Second, Apple would focus on doing a few things really well. Third, Apple would
impute its values (simplicity, high quality) across everything it did — not
just within the products themselves, but also through the packaging of
products, the look of its stores, and even the way Apple created press
releases.
Jobs did a remarkable
thing at Apple by insisting on a consistency of design and taste across
everything Apple did. Think that’s easy? Look at your company’s website. Do all
the sections look like they were made by the same invisible hand? Or does the
site look like a digital Frankenstein monster, with different sections cobbled
together that all bear the look and feel of whoever happened to make those
pages when that part of the site was built? And even if your website looks
consistent, does it mesh with your press releases? With your storefront? Your
trucks? Your product packaging? That unity is exactly what Jobs pulled off.
thing at Apple by insisting on a consistency of design and taste across
everything Apple did. Think that’s easy? Look at your company’s website. Do all
the sections look like they were made by the same invisible hand? Or does the
site look like a digital Frankenstein monster, with different sections cobbled
together that all bear the look and feel of whoever happened to make those
pages when that part of the site was built? And even if your website looks
consistent, does it mesh with your press releases? With your storefront? Your
trucks? Your product packaging? That unity is exactly what Jobs pulled off.
4) Spend money.
Jobs was a natural showman and a fan of big gestures. One great example was the
1984 commercial for the new Macintosh. As always, Jobs decided to go big. He
hired Ridley Scott, the director of Alien and Blade Runner, and spent $900,000
making the 60-second spot and $800,000 to run it one time during the Super
Bowl. (That $1.7 million spend would be $3.4 million today.) This was a huge
risk for the company, especially since it wasn’t clear that the ad would
succeed. In fact, Apple’s board hated the ad so much they didn’t want to run it
at all.
Jobs was a natural showman and a fan of big gestures. One great example was the
1984 commercial for the new Macintosh. As always, Jobs decided to go big. He
hired Ridley Scott, the director of Alien and Blade Runner, and spent $900,000
making the 60-second spot and $800,000 to run it one time during the Super
Bowl. (That $1.7 million spend would be $3.4 million today.) This was a huge
risk for the company, especially since it wasn’t clear that the ad would
succeed. In fact, Apple’s board hated the ad so much they didn’t want to run it
at all.
But the big bet paid
off. The ad generated as much coverage as the Macintosh itself.
off. The ad generated as much coverage as the Macintosh itself.
