Businesses need to know WHY they exist. They need to have a clear set of beliefs that run through the veins of the entire company, so anything it produces has the DNA of that company’s belief system. Because without sharing a part of your heart, no one will care, and your company will never be on top. This brings me to the iPhone 5(s) and the new Nokia Lumia 1020.
Apple’s strategy in selling iPhones has never been, “WE HAVE THE BEST CAMERA, FASTEST OS, LONGEST BATTERY LIFE, HIGHEST QUALITY DISPLAY, CHEAPEST PRICE, AND EVERY OTHER PHONE SUCKS!” because they know it’s not about buying a product, it’s about building trust. Apple may not always have the best camera, or longest battery life, and is hardly ever the cheapest smartphone on the market, and yet you’re still comfortable with the thought of buying an iPhone. Because what Apple BELIEVES is what they are selling. And if I BELIEVE what they do, then I can trust them with my money. Simon Sinek, author of ‘Start With Why’ suggests Apple’s ‘Why’ statement as sounding something like, “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo, we believe in thinking differently.” And you can expect that from all Apple products. Other computer/phone companies apparently don’t believe this, however.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 (first off, terrible name), is Microsoft’s/Window’s/Nokia’s/everyone but Apple’s new smartphone, it seems. This is the phone with the cheesy, extremely fictitious commercial about parents trying to take quality pictures of their kids’ play and jumping over each other and head-butting people and climbing in rafters to try getting the best shot. Although filled with iPhones and iPads in the commercial acting as all the “terrible” camera phones, the highlighted product comes in the end where two people sitting in the far back of the auditorium are taking the best/clearest pictures with the new Nokia phone… I absolutely despise this commercial.
What Nokia, and their affiliates are telling me that they believe is, “You should buy our product, because it takes better pictures than that stupid, dumb, iPhone thing.” I don’t like the reasoning that “this is better, because it’s not that.” You see, without having a clear set of beliefs in your business, you’re constantly trying to make better ‘stuff’, while in the meantime, chopping down the competition to get ahead. I don’t believe in that. Sure, you may have a better camera and other cool features, and for that…. CONGRATULATIONS, you are a commodity. A thing people will use until your precious numbers drop (because it’s really not that great) and you’re forced to create a better thing.
Another phone, which I can’t remember the name (some Android thing), has a feature in which you shake the phone and whatever app you’re in, the phone immediately goes into camera mode………….. Speechless. WHY do I need that in my life, though?
So, in no way am I saying everyone should eat the forbidden fruit that is Apple and go out and buy all their products (although I’m typing this on a Mac), what I AM saying is that people will trust and be loyal to your brand if you start with simply telling them… Why.