Gobe, of course, is referring to Apple’s financial tailspin in the mid-1990s, when the company seemed in danger of going bankrupt. At the time, their products were mediocre and their branding was a disaster.
“Before Steve Jobs came back, the brand was pretty much gone,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons Apple’s name has been changed: to rejuvenate the brand.”
Apple ditched the old rainbow-hued Apple logo in favor of a minimalist monochromatic one, gave its computers a modern, colorful look, and simplified the messaging in its advertising. It has done wonders, Gobe said.
Gobe argued that, in some cases, branding has become as powerful as religion. “People’s connections with brands transcend commerce,” he said. Gobe cited Nike, sparking customer ire when it was revealed that the company’s products were assembled in sweatshops.
“They weren’t mad at the products,” Gobe said. “It’s about the ethics of the company. It’s interesting how emotionally involved people are.”
According to Gobe, emotional brands have three things in common:
* The company projects a humanistic corporate culture and strong corporate ethics, characterized by volunteering, support for good causes or involvement in the community. Nike made a mistake here. Apple, on the other hand, seems deeply humanistic. Its founding ethos was power to the people through technology, and it remains committed to computers in education. “It’s always about people,” Gobe said.
* The company has a unique visual and verbal vocabulary, expressed in product design and advertising: this is the case with Apple. Their products and advertising are clearly recognizable. (So is Target, or even Wal-Mart, Gobe said.)
* The company has established a “sincere connection” with its customers. This can take various forms, from building trust to establishing a community around a product. In Apple’s case, its products are designed with people in mind: “Take the iPod, it brings an emotional, sensory experience to computing,” Gobe said. “Apple design is driven by people.”
Gobe noted that Apple has always projected a human touch, from the charisma of Steve Jobs to the notion that its products are sold for the love of technology.
“It’s like having a good friend,” Gobe said. “That’s what’s interesting about this brand. Somewhere they’ve created this really humanistic relationship, beyond business, with users and they’ve created a cult relationship with their brand. It’s a big tribe, everyone is one of them. You are part of the brand.”
