How did Apple succeed in the marketing world without social media?

When you are using all sorts of social media on your iPhone, iPad or MacBook, do you know that the company which created all these does not even have a Facebook or Twitter account? Though all its products have a huge group of loyal users and fans, the brand itself does not seem to have much presence in social media. So how did Apple achieve its legendary popularity through marketing strategies? How well did Apple perform in telling its own story?

Two of Apple’s unique ads provide us some insights of its success.

1. The “1984” TV commercial

The TV commercial “1984” introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer. It was aired only twice: the first time was on December 31, 1983 in 10 local outlets; and the second and only national airing was on January 22, 1984, during a break in the third quarter of the telecast of Super Bowl XVIII by CBS. This ad was made before the social media era. However, it made people think about computers, particularly making them think about Macintosh to an extent that was even higher than the way people talk about social media now. This brilliant marketing position established Apple’s image of being extraordinarily innovative, and generated social discussions about the brand without putting too much effort on large-scale advertising.

2. “Think Different”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwXdGm89Tk

Apple’s “Think different” TV commercial in 1997 featured 17 iconic 20th century personalities in the black-and-white footage. The text corresponded to Steve Jobs’ vision for the company: people can change their life, mold it, and make it better with the products Apple offers. This successful ad not only garnered numerous awards and accolades but also restored Apple’s reputation as the company was previously losing market share to other brands. Again, this marketing campaign does not have large coverage but sparked discussions about the brand through its creative content of advertising.

Apple shows us that breakthrough products and innovative ads have the power to generate huge popularity without maintaining a presence on social media such as Facebook or Twitter. It is evident that social media is not everything in the marketing world. Simply measuring the buzz about a product on social networking sites does not provide an accurate assessment of how well a brand performs in marketing and advertising. In 2013, Apple has become the world’s most valuable brand in history according to Interbrand’s Global Brand Rankings in 2013, beating Coca-Cola, which has been No. 1 for over a decade. Different from Apple, Coca-Cola has had a long tradition of having active accounts across all social networks. Taking a different route, Apple projects its brand image through its storytelling commercials and innovative advertising concepts and becomes incredibly successful in marketing without being hypersocial.

Reference:

Bunham, D. (March 4, 1984) “The computer, the consumer and privacy,” The New York Times.

Friedman, T.  (October 1997) “Apple’s 1984: the introduction of the Macintosh in the cultural history of personal computers,” The Original.

Interbrand’s Global Brand Ranking: http://www.bestglobalbrands.com/previous-years/2013

Morrissey, B. (January 4, 2010) “Apple dominates social brand ranking” http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/apple-dominates-social-brand-ranking-101215