Apple iPhone –
–BRAND IDENTITY–
iPhone is a product from tech company Apple, which is a widely known brand all over the world. Apple sells various products like computers, laptops, iPads and iPhones.
The iPhone is a modern take on the cellphone, with touchscreen and multiple other features that has been upgraded throughout the years. The iPhone is made for every day people but with a modern, sleek and clean design. The phone created by the company Apple has had huge success with integrating the market early, generations have grown up with different kind of technology development and seen the iPhone grow into a monster machine you can carry around with you in your pocket. The design for the phone is very simple with round shapes in the corners, neutral and ‘dull’ colours and very little text or other details. With technology advancing, so has the phone were you used to have an unlock button, that evolved to a fingerprint lock, that again evolved to the whole screen being touchscreen and fingerprint and facial recognition.
With more features and more demand, the iPhone’s exterior does not get reworked too much. Usually a new soft, simple colour, sizes would vary, maybe a thinner model, more or better cameras and glass is often used to give a feeling of luxury and elegance in an everyday phone. The price of a newer iPhone is always pretty steep, but every year people line up to get their hands on the newest model – brand loyalty to apple and their products comes from apple being strategic in making good products to the mass public with expensive and innovative features and with a beautiful, sleek and simple design.
The simpleness of the iPhone makes it attractive to every day people as well as luxury hunters who wants the top of the market products. The product isn’t overcomplicated and has endless possibilities for usage and therefor can appeal to business, children/teens, life-enjoyers, families and many more.
All the products come with their own chargers, operating system, they have iCloud (storage), Apple TV (streaming device), and they also sell products like Beats which they own after buying the company. Apple has stood their ground and shown people a new way of buying technology, which is to be loyal to apple as a brand and use them for what ever may be your need; computer, laptop, tablet, cellphone and so on. The iPhone has a design that is attractive, they have stores with the same white, clean design and displays, similar to their packaging and products, the whole comes together as a professional, creative and simple operation, this helps further the brand of the Apple products as the iPhone.
–CURRENT POSITIONING–
The iPhone is as said a well known brand, and is one of the most used phones, there will always be a newer version coming out with slightly small differences and people will line up to buy said item. iPhone has had some competition with android phones and especially with the brand Samsung. They don’t sell as many products as Apple do and is not as big but has given the iPhone a run for their money with yearly updates and designs very similar to the iPhone and some have switch over from apple products because of the lack of flexibility, especially when it comes to charging stations, dockings, headphone outputs and so on, but people have grown to adapt with their cellphones and then gladly takes on the new features and buys apples byproducts. But with their design they sell more than just a phone with a nice appearance and cool features, they are selling you an iPhone, a luxury item in which other people can see that you have invested in a high quality brand and you are a part of the trendsetters, the simple and creative people who cares about their products. The products is very user-friendly and has a various of features, they also have cheaper models and still brand every thing as an expensive, luxury brand and they are succeeding with their branding and how they are reaching their audience.
-THE STRATEGY OF iPHONE-
iPhone’s strategy has been simple from the start, they did not spend a lot on accumulating customers, but instead put their products in commercials, in the hands of celebrity and influencers who would showcase their products in a positive matter as well as product placement in movies and TV shows. Also having collaborations with headphone manufacturers and creating deals. Subconsciously your brain would see all these products and continue thinking about them, if your favourite actor/actress, YouTuber or singer had a product and was raving about it, you would want that product. Because of the bond people have with media and that something they like would only promote a product with a good standard. This has served Apple well since if one product is operating well, the other products are likely to have the same outcome.
With a product that is pretty expensive they have branded their items as luxury items and the iPhone is no different, but they rely on that money buys quality and longevity. Every year a newer version of the iPhone comes out and there will be different versions; Original, Pro, and a cheaper one so that they reach a wide audience and don’t exclude any parts of the social chain, and don’t eliminate elderly or children who would enjoy a simpler version, just as much as the photographic, technological person would enjoy as many features as possible for their everyday phone. Apple will prepare a launch and have sneak peeks, information and excitement for the new product months in advance of it launching. They have created an overall brand for designing, working, studying, playing, and end up with an overall versatile product. And therefor have many grown up with this product and its development and have loyalty to its brand.
-RESEARCH-
Apple was not the first one in the industry with coming up with cellphones, there were loads of competition. iPhone had to be different, and change how cellphones were used and also have possibility for changes and upgrades.
They wanted to appeal to the younger market, for learning technology and gadgets at an older age is time consuming, so focusing on generations coming after, who would grow up with the development of the different products and learn with the developers what worked and what did not. They would have had to research the competition, understanding what was needed in a cellphone, what would make you buy the same product over and over and covering universal needs. They had to understand that also being a fashionable looking phone it also had to be practical, user-friendly and made with good quality.
-BRAND IDENTITY – LOGO-
The logo of the tech company Apple is branded very well as it is indeed an apple. This logo is used on every single product, it being an iMac, iPad, iPhone, MacBook Air and so on. The logo is used without a word mark, monogram or any text as the apple represents the brand very well. It also has a bite taken out of it, this represents ‘the apple of Eden’ and conveys knowledge. The apple products have a sleek, clean and professional look with all their products, with a delicate placing of their logo. This makes the logo very readable when the products appear in magazines, tv shows and movies. There is no text you have to try to read, all you see is a clean shaped, soft lined and simple apple and almost everybody knows that represents a product from the Apple company. It has changed over time, and been experimented with, colours, texture, shadows and so on, but the hit is a classic coloured black or white/clear one. Using this shape and not changing the logo drastically over the years has made it noticeable and trustworthy because there is a constant element in which never changes. The Apple products have such a distinctive exterior with either a greyish/silver colour and has not really added other colours to their products other than darker version ones. This has also made an Apple product stand out even without being able to see or read the logo. The shape of the products and the colours match the cleanliness of the stores, their websites and their products. Easy, clear, with soft shapes and a leaf and bite taken out so it clearly reads as an apple and not a different fruit. The logo might either have a black, matte effect or a silver, sheer looking logo, these textures gives the products a high end feeling of luxury, and apples are considered healthy and nutritional and therefor you associate the logo with positivity.
The overall brand of the products and company is well designed and adjusted for their audience. They have created a clean and simple logo with a high end feeling, they have advertised their products in the same manner and has done very well with their brand.
Nadia Isabell Sommerfeldt 