Remembering Steve Jobs, Branding Marksman

With the passing of Steve Jobs yesterday, we join millions in recalling the tremendous impact that the co-founder of Apple® has had on our everyday lives. Though each of us connects with his business vision in our own personal way, to our group, Steve Jobs demonstrated the power of "emotional branding." From the organic ergonomics of Apple hardware to the power-of-me attitude of the 2002 iTunes campaign, to the eco-culture of Apple Stores, businesses both large and small can find a blueprint for their own brand strategy.

Marketer Marc Gobe, author of Emotional Branding and principal of d/g worldwide said, "The brand is all they've got. The power of their branding is all that keeps them alive. It's got nothing to do with products."

Jason Steed with Guy Kawasaki, Former Chief Evangelist at Apple Allegiance EngageSummit 2011

I understood this concept more fully when I attended a Voice of Customer conference in May with keynote Guy Kawasaki, Former Chief Evangelist at Apple, who said that a good brand respects people's time and attention. It "works with people, harnesses what they already think and do."

In today's post Secrets of a Genius in ViewsHound, Ian Howlett points out, "Everything pointed in the same direction—everything! There were no weird side projects with different values, different visions. The Apple brand became so strong under Steve Jobs because it actually stands for something, and everyone knows what that something is.

• Products: simple, beautiful, powerful.
• Marketing: simple, beautiful, powerful.

BRANDING ON ANY SCALE
So, where does that leave those of us who, unlike Steve Jobs, don't have the luxury of putting $500 million into building a cult following? It's for this very reason that I'm so drawn to brand marketing. The same principles apply on any scale, which leaves the door wide open. Here are a few starting points that embody the lifelong vision of the co-founder of Apple:

• Your brand should say less about who you are now and more about who you would like to become.
• Your brand is primarily what your customers, employees, and stakeholders say it is.
• Your brand should simplify your product pitch and marketing message.
• Your brand tells others about your people, not your product.

 
By Jason Steed :: Bio @jasonsteed On Twitter linkedin.com/in/jesteed On LinkedIn Jason is the President and CEO of Targa Media Inc., a Utah-based marketing and design firm. Jason places emphasis on customer profiling and relationship marketing through Web and print loyalty campaigns, social media, and events. Clients include Logitech, Departments of Health and Education, Yale University, Allegiance, Lifetime Products, and others. Jason chairs the Leadership Utah Alumni Committee and heads a Talent Pool of 30 individuals who share the same client loyalty-centric philosophies.