Brand advocacy and Apple Computer

Steve Jobs believes that unlike most computers, Apple’s should be easy to use. Apple introduced the very first highly successful mass marketed personal computer in 1976 and, within a very short period of time, grew a fiercely loyal audience of computer enthusiasts who have bonded with Apple because of its dedication to an easy-to-use graphical user interface.

Today, Apple Computer continues to enjoy a high level of loyalty with a small group of core users who are fanatically devoted to everything Apple. In some loyal minds, using an Apple Computer translates into belonging to a superior part of the human race – the computer elite – who “get” why Apple Computers are better than all those other computers.

Despite its relatively small share of the personal computer market today, Apple Computer is tremendously successful at building upmarket brand loyalty. They do this by continually improving, adapting and evolving with the needs and values of their most loyal users.

The result? Every year as MacWorld Expo approaches, loyalists wait in anticipation for Apple to unveil innovations even greater than the year before. Meanwhile, Apple branded products sell at a significantly higher price than competitors who enjoy less brand loyalty.

Building loyalty to the point of advocacy like Apple Computer has achieved is about the total brand experience. In other words, making sure that each Apple user has an “ease of use” experience. That is why every Apple Store features a resident Mac genius ready to solve any Mac problem you may have.