Apple’s business success is attributed to its founder Steve Jobs’s design-focused, customer-centric approach. He provided leadership and enthused his team to create innovative, unique products and offerings. When internet access moved from desktop to mobile, he focused on building mobile devices and wearables.
Other competitors to Apple continued to be rigid to what they thought was their core sector. A one-time competitor in hardware, IBM was pushed into near irrelevance as margins in desktops and laptops had become razor-thin.
Jobs continued to design elegant and user-friendly products in each category. These included the iBook, the iPod, the iPhone, the MacBook, and the iPad. The iPhone and the iPod swept the market and became category bestsellers.
Apple re-invented the way we consume music. The original iPod was designed to hold around 5 GB or 1000 songs. It was far more than any other mp3 player at the time. iTunes store enabled people to download songs at a price point much lower than buying a CD.
Steve Jobs helped create innovative and unique products. He reached out to early adopters who drive the mass of consumers to follow their trends. Apple enchants Technology enthusiasts and visionaries. These people become the standard carriers for Apple. He made devices simple. Buttons were eliminated, software was made simple by removing features, and interfaces too were simple. Jobs was a master of putting together ideas, art, and technology in innovative ways. All these added to the user experience and resulted in building a dedicated following for the brand.
Apple has consistently targeted the middle to affluent-class market. These are people who will pay a little extra for a better experience. Millennials, professionals in the media and design fields, and music lovers are Apple product users. They like to experiment with new technology, slick design, and the great experience of Apple products. The average age of an Apple customer is 35 to 44. (Gaille, 2015).
Apple’s business success, in a nutshell, can be attributed to innovation in design and a customer-centric approach. The company’s organizational structure emphasizes design and is the company’s spearhead to success.