The Magic of Apple (Or Genuine Caring – Part 2)

Once again we were reminded last week of how powerful Apple is in the consciousness of many (this seems to be a January ritual at this point).  The kind of buzz that was created around the unveiling of the iTab, was hard to disregard.

And it was quintessential Apple.

Perfect pitch hype in launch campaign that was, once again, astounding to witness. Everyone I know was somehow thinking or talking about it at some point… and the best “joke” I heard that day was that the iTab would be announced by President Obama during the State of the Union address (which was that same night)  – which was funny – but also not…let’s face it…if someone could pull off that ultimate marketing stunt, wouldn’t that be Apple?  And does anyone not think that Barack (or his girls) owns a Mac?  Even Frank Rich in the NY Times said that there were more people anticipating the Steve Jobs speech than Barak Obama’s State of the Union address.

So what is it about the Apple experience that makes it so compelling? A lot of things. But to me what is most continuously amazing is the completeness of the vision and then… the totality of the follow through execution all of which is about creating the holistic product which is not one specific “product” – but is Apple.

Apple is such a total ecosystem where everything is completely thought through as contiguous whole –  fitting together tightly and with a precision that basically has no gaps:   From the design of the iMacs and MacBooks to the iPhone / iPod experience (and now the iPad ) to the elegant, easy to use, almost flawless operating system to iTunes and the Apple Stores, to the website and the other online properties (such as me.com) to the launches – it’s all part of one almost indivisible whole.               One thing: Apple – The Brand as a Product:

Identifiable; of exquisite quality; inspiring the customer; respecting the consumer’s intelligence; a recognizable and complete customer experience. Yes. It costs a bit more…but ultimately you get what you pay for.

I am typing this on my MacBook Pro and when I think about it – it makes me laugh how passionate I feel about this machine!!! I love it! Isn’t that ridiculous? …But true! The MacBook is not an operating system and not a piece of hardware… it’s a complete Apple experience. Thought through. It has a distinct character all its own and it’s a beautiful thing. Even though it’s just a tool – and there are a many of these – it’s unique. Bravo Steve Jobs and Apple

So why don’t all service and goods providers think like Apple? Why can’t all them create the ultimate, contagious, complete exquisite experience that Apple has? Don’t they WANT customers like me (for life) to be writing adoring articles about them, looking for excuses to visit their stores and websites to spend money just to be “close”…How hard is it?

At the end, I think it’s all about intention. If you have it you will be there. You will do what it takes, you will go the distance, you will transcend. All you need is to think clearly, all you need to do is really want to.

It’s good business.