What your brand can learn from the legacy
of Steve Jobs

October 28, 2011  |  by Cindy Maude

Steve Jobs’ death resulted in many reflections about his life and his role in creating one of the most innovative companies in the world.

What motivated Steve Jobs to do it well? What can we learn from his view on life that might inspire greatness in us too? And how do we incorporate that thinking into our own marketing and the experiences we try to create for shoppers?

During his commencement address to the seniors at Stanford University, Jobs shared his thoughts about how to ‘live before you die.’ What he said in 2005 inspired me to think about how this relates to marketing today.

With our focus on specialty brands at Callahan Creek, we believe those brands have the greatest opportunity to chip away at the market share of the big mass brands by appealing to enthusiasts and letting those enthusiasts carry their story until they eventually motivate the masses. The brands that do it well know that connection is key, authenticity is critical and everything matters. Brands have the same challenges as people. They, too, must learn to live, or the inertia will surely be the death of them.

Connect or die

As Brene Brown, research storyteller says, “Connection is why we’re here. It’s what gives purpose and meaning to life.”  Steve Jobs focused on connecting the dots, because as he put it, “Creativity is just connecting things.”

We, as marketers, strive to motivate consumers and shoppers by connecting them with the things that are important to them. The following is from a trendwatching.com report:

One of the 11 trends for 2011 is that consumers’ cravings for realness, for the human touch, ensures that everything from brands randomly picking up the tab to sending a surprise gift will be one of the most effective ways to connect with potential customers in 2011.

The report advised that the rapid spread of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook gives brands previously unavailable insight into consumers’ moods, wants and locations and also provides a new direct channel to deliver acts of kindness.

Specialty brands have the greatest opportunity to connect with their shoppers by communicating with enthusiasts about topics that are of interest to them. Women have a great need to connect with other women, but the demands of life make that difficult. Specialty brands can find great success by offering social sites for female customers where they can meet other women who are like them. One great example is Chico’s “Reviewing has its Rewards” promotion. It engages Chico’s customers, makes them feel special, connects them with other shoppers and allows them to share their opinions (which women love to do!). It also helps Chico’s get lots of great information – very smart! 

While shoppers are being more deliberate about their purchase decisions and are looking for a great value, they still make impulse purchases. And while shopping online is increasing, consumers still want the actual store experience where they can touch and feel and see the products. The 2011 U.S. Census report indicated that online retail sales in 2010 were at 4.3% while 95.7% of retail sales still occur in-store.

Connecting is critical to the life of your brand:

• Focus on the people who are craving a connection (which is everyone, by the way).
• Make their shopping experiences enjoyable and inviting so they want to stay and want to come back.
• Provide easy solutions for their busy lives.
• Engage consumers and shoppers with your brand and connect them with other people to share their stories.

You’re not fooling anyone: be authentic

Steve Jobs was giving thought to the subject of death when he said, “Your time is limited; don’t waste it trying to be someone else.” This is great advice for people, but it’s also great advice for brands and stores, as there is a high lack of trust in institutions of every kind.

According to trendwatching.com, 86% of global customers believe that businesses need to place at least as much weight on society’s interests as they do on their business’ interests.

But tying your brand to a cause or touting your green initiative or declaring that you stand for deep principles in everything you do can backfire if it’s not real. People have sensitive b.s. meters today, especially those category enthusiasts who buy specialty brands. Don’t waste your time trying to communicate something about yourself that isn’t real. 

A brand’s authenticity is especially relevant among women. Since they still make 80-85% of all purchase decisions, what’s important to them must be important to marketers. Authenticity is absolutely critical when marketing to women. Be honest. Be straightforward. Use models and spokespeople who look like they really use your product or service. The female brain can detect an imposter a mile away, and not only will she avoid the suspicious message, but she will tell her friends to avoid it as well.²

In the past, if a customer had a bad experience with a brand or retailer, that customer would typically let seven friends know about it. Today, with mobile devices and social networks, that message can reach millions. 

Today’s customers will reward you for your authenticity. 

From calligraphy to retail communications: everything matters

Steve Jobs never graduated from college. He quit after six months, but continued to ‘drop in’ on the classes that most interested him – one of which was a calligraphy class. Ten years later, when he developed the first Apple computer, he noted that everything he learned in that class was incorporated in the design of the Macintosh, such as the enhanced typography and the little things that made the Mac easier to use. “When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions,” Jobs said. The knowledge he gained about kerning, typography and the details that make a difference in how something is communicated drove the brand he built. He showed us that everything matters when it comes to design and communication.

Knowing what motivates consumers and shoppers also matters: how they think, what’s important to them, what a specific product or service is going to solve for them – it all makes a difference. But are you aware that there are many little things that matter too? 

Did you know that...

• People have a neurological preference toward rounded edges, and that we tend to avoid sharp edges and objects? ¹
• The male brain will gravitate toward more linear, blocky designs, while the female brain will go toward angles and curves, or that the female brain responds to different fonts than the male’s does?¹
• In lighthearted ads for snack foods, men react to slapstick humor while women ignore it? ²
• Boomers respond to clean, uncluttered images while teens enjoy multiple screens and fast-paced experiences? ²
• Neurological studies show that the smallest details in a package design can have outsized effects on the subconscious.²

These are just a couple of examples of the little things that could make a big difference in a brand or retailers’ communications. This is especially true when it comes to specialty brands, which are most often purchased by category enthusiasts. These enthusiasts do a lot of research before they ever even walk into the store; they are informed, and they pick up on every detail about the various specialty brands in their consideration set: What is the manufacturing process? What are the ingredients? Where is it made? Why is it best? How does it fit into my life? 

Everything can help inform store design, merchandising, packaging and brand communication. It makes a difference in consumers’ and shoppers’ brand engagement – and it makes a difference in a brand or a retailer’s ultimate success. 

Our job is to make the specialty brands we work with be the envy of every other brand in the category. We know the best way to do that is to help them connect with their consumers and shoppers, be totally authentic and pay attention to every little detail, because it all matters to their success.

Thanks, Steve Jobs. For Apple. For inspiration.

So what or who inspires you?

1 CPG Matters, 10/3/11: “Understanding Consumer Psychology Helps PepsiCo Improve Marketing and display Tactics in Stores”

2 “The Buying Brain,” Dr. A.K. Pradeep, 2010

3 Ted talk: The Power of Vulnerability, Brene Brown