Whether you’re an iPhone user or not, it’s hard to deny the unmistakable genius behind Apple’s marketing of the iPhone. It’s not the most powerful phone on the market. Since my profession includes building mobile apps, I’ve had the opportunity to try most smart phones on the market today, and many of them (especially the Windows Mobile) ones, are more powerful, and more “extendable” – there’s simply so much software available for Palm and Windows Mobile to increase the functionality of the those other phones.
But yet, the moment I got an iPhone I realized that it was a whole new playing field. In some distinct and unequivocally compelling way, it removed all the complexity usually so inherent in other smart phones. It didn’t try to be the best at everything; it simply decided to be the best at what Apple thought mattered most… usability.
It didn’t try to do more, it tried to do less, but do it better. That’s a novel idea in today’s scramble to increase complexity (often mistaking complexity for progress, which I discuss here).
And it succeeded in a big way. Simple things like how you make phone calls, manage voice mail (with their visual voicemail feature), access weather, maps, stocks, messaging, the internet, and more. They picked the few specific areas they thought meant the most to people and did them better than everybody else. And in so doing, they won the hearts and minds of a very large segment of the upper-end smart phone consumer base. And now, by releasing a $199 model, they’ll extend that market segment to a far broader base, a move that will likely send all the other carriers spinning on their heels (as if they weren’t scrambling already).
So what’s my point? My point is that in many ways, each of us are marketers. If you’re a parent, believe me, you’re a marketer. If you’re a teacher, you’re marketing your message. In your career, whether you’re “labeled” a marketer or not, marketing yourself is core to what you do.
There are compelling lessons to learn from the story of the iPhone.
What did they do? They picked a few things that they thought mattered most to their target, they made them fun, accessible, friendly, usable, and engaging. They brought “functionality” down to the level of the people.
In your marketing, whatever it may be, you’d be wise to consider ways that you might change your message, or your approach, pick a few things that matter the most, and make them more friendly, accessible, and engaging. Customize your message to your audience.
For Apple, they weren’t the first to build a phone. Many large and powerful companies with unthinkable budgets have been building phones, powerful phones rich with features for a long, long time. But Apple broke the mold, not holding themselves hostage to tradition.
In what ways can you break the mold, and do what you do remarkable better just by making it easier, or more digestible, or more engaging. Not watered down with fluff, just simplified.
Rusty
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About Rusty Lindquist
This is great. Thanks for writing. Simplicity and complexity we are always balancing something. Thanks for laying out the mobile marketing analogy.
I do teach. I’ve been to a lot of “how to teach” classes-most uninspiring. I’ve heard a lot of sermons-many too easily forgotten. This was a very simple message, that had all the great sermon-teaching elements in it. And I found it one of the more helpful things I’ve heard. This summer I’m going to attempt to teach my 8 year old son to read. And I’m going to try to keep it fun, accessible, friendly, usable, and engaging. I hope to be just that much better of a parent because of your words. Thanks.
Life would be so much better if we could simplify it. I’m going to look at mine and see what complications I can eliminate. One thing I love about the Book of Mormon is that it makes truth “plain and simple”. So easy to understand. I don’t think the Lord meant for His gospel to be complicated.