Integrating Contact Planning and Internal Marketing: A Deep Dive into Apple’s Strategy
In an era where brands are not just seen as corporate entities but as integral parts of our daily lives, the way they engage with their audience—both externally and internally—cannot be overstated. Apple, a tech company known for its innovation and customer loyalty, offers a fascinating case study in understanding the complex interplay between the contact planning process, internal marketing, and brand perception. Drawing insights from the strategic framework proposed by Klopper and North (2011), alongside wisdom from Edward Freeman and Richard Branson, this blog post explores how Apple navigates these dynamics, highlighting its triumphs and areas for improvement.
Step 1: All Points of Contact
Apple carefully captures every potential interaction point with its brand, from product launches and advertising to customer service and retail experience. Internal marketing plays a central role here, as informed and passionate employees can significantly enhance the brand’s image. Apple’s retail staff, known as “Geniuses” and “Specialists”, is an example of this, offering knowledgeable and enthusiastic service that underscores the brand’s commitment to excellence.
Step 2: Primary Brand Contact Patterns
Recognizing patterns in how consumers interact with the brand enables a targeted strategy. Apple excels at creating an ecosystem in which each product complements the other, fostering long-term loyalty. The Bloomberg Intelligence annual iPhone survey highlights strong customer loyalty for Apple, with 93% of respondents indicating they would continue to purchase Apple’s products, significantly outperforming Android’s 80% loyalty rate. Despite a slowdown in the need for new phones, Apple’s customer base remains highly inclined towards purchasing the more expensive, highest-end Pro Max model. This loyalty and preference for premium models suggest potential revenue growth for Apple, even as the overall market for new smartphones begins to stagnate and consumers hold onto their devices longer.
Apple’s culture of innovation is evidence of the company’s stakeholder-centric approach, echoing Klopper and North’s (2011) and Freeman’s advocacy for value creation for all stakeholders. Nonetheless, diversifying these contact patterns to include more direct consumer feedback could foster even deeper engagement.
Image source: Apple
Step 3: Most Important Brand Contact Points
Focusing on crucial contact points, Apple shines with its product launches and Apple Store experiences. This is where internal marketing is crucial – employees embody the brand, and their enthusiasm during these events is contagious. Apple’s investment in employee training and empowerment reflects Branson’s lessons on the significance of passion and employee empowerment. Still, there’s room for Apple to enhance its online interaction points, ensuring they match the in-store experience’s vibrancy and effectiveness.
Step 4: Brand Contact Cohesion Strategy
For Apple, ensuring a consistent brand experience across all contact points is paramount. This is where internal marketing is not just important but essential. Apple’s internal communication strategies, aimed at fostering a unified corporate culture and vision, ensure that every employee, regardless of their role, understands and reflects the brand’s values. Adopting Branson’s approach of hiring for attitude and being visible as a leader are practices that Apple could emphasize more to ensure a coherent brand message internally and externally.
Apple’s recruitment video serves as an effective visualization of its internal marketing strategies and employee alignment, showcasing the company’s dedication to creating a cohesive brand experience across all contact points. Through a unified corporate culture, Apple ensures that its team not only embodies but also enthusiastically conveys the brand’s values and culture during critical interactions like product launches and in-store experiences.
Step 5: Managing the Brand Contact Cohesion Strategy
The ongoing management of brand contact cohesion requires continuous assessment and adaptation. Apple regularly reviews its brand contact points for consistency and alignment with its core values. However, embracing a more dynamic stakeholder-centric culture—where feedback from both employees and consumers is actively sought and valued—could enhance Apple’s agility in responding to market changes and sustaining its competitive edge.
Insights and Improvements
Apple’s strategic focus on integrating internal marketing with its contact planning process has undeniably played a significant role in shaping its brand perception. The company’s commitment to innovation, quality, and customer service, as reflected through its employees’ engagement and passion, sets a high industry standard. However, by fostering a more inclusive and responsive internal culture that values feedback from all stakeholders and ensuring that every brand contact point is as vibrant and effective as the next, Apple can continue to refine its brand experience, keeping it fresh, relevant, and deeply connected with its audience.
Drawing from the lessons of Klopper and North, Freeman, and Branson, it’s evident that a stakeholder-centric approach, coupled with an emphasis on passionate commitment and employee empowerment, is not just beneficial but essential for a brand’s success. For Apple, and indeed any brand looking to carve a deep and lasting impression in the minds of its audience, the journey of continuous improvement and adaptation in its contact planning and internal marketing efforts is one that offers immense potential for growth and connection.
In summary, Apple’s effectiveness in its brand contact process and internal marketing is a benchmark in the industry. The company has crafted a brand experience that is both cohesive and deeply resonant with consumers. Despite the high cost of Apple’s products, people still queue up to purchase the latest model. The strong connection between the brand and its founder, Steve Jobs, enhances its personal appeal. By presenting on stage new products himself, Jobs made the brand feel more personal and tangible, giving all stakeholders the feeling that everyone could emulate his success. Apple’s brand contact points are about being memorable, likeable and different: from its name to its design, products, and even packaging. Simplicity and innovation transferable all over the world.