What does Apple's success tell us? Is it because their products are cost-effective? Of course not. Enterprises that believe that cost performance is the highest pursuit will not be able to appreciate the feast of brand value.
Behind Apple's products, it embodies Apple's product management ability and brand value management ability in the brand management system, which enables it to grasp the strategic commanding heights in the value chain. The collection of these brand-new management concepts is the "systematic brand management" that I have been working hard. Behind these new management ideas, the management ideas and paradigms of China enterprises will also be pregnant with great challenges and changes!
It is not difficult to imitate the appearance of apple products. However, it is not easy for China enterprises to learn the essence of Apple's management, and how to be brave in innovation, be good at designing unique products and create high-value brands like Apple.
In the brand management system of enterprises, product management is the most important management content, because new product management is not only the pursuit of product cost performance, but also the pursuit of product added value, which is the most important management content to achieve brand value promotion.
Traditional product management and marketing (actually sales) management are often the most important in the management system of local brand enterprises. Most enterprises still stay at the level of product basic performance, communication and promotion, and communication is easy to stay at the level of single-level indoctrination advertising communication. Under the pressure of market competition, most enterprises choose to imitate and follow suit because it is difficult to build competitive products, hoping that the cost performance and promotion of products can solve the sales pressure. Therefore, going with the flow and getting quick success and instant benefit have become the business philosophy of many enterprises. This management concept will produce corresponding HR strategic orientation, that is, enterprise resources and HR costs tend to be sales-oriented talents rather than brand-oriented talents.
This misunderstanding lies in not understanding the systematic characteristics of brand management. In fact, this systematic feature has existed since the brand was founded, which determines that brand value management (also known as brand value chain management) has become the main content of enterprise management, that is, the relationship management between brands and products, prices, services, supply chains, channels and consumers. If the brand system does not match or is not perfect at first, it will inevitably lead to the dislocation of brand positioning, product price and consumer demand. This is also the reason why many China brands are born with deficiencies and faltered from the beginning.
As early as the iMac era, Apple showed great core competitiveness led by product innovation. Apple's success is inevitable, because under the leadership of Jobs, Apple already has the ability of "systematic brand management".
Some domestic researchers believe that Apple's success lies in Jobs' personal charm. I think the personal charm of entrepreneurs or CEOs is very important, and their personal abilities can often determine the success or failure of enterprises. However, it is fragile for an enterprise to rely solely on personal ability. Only by using personal ability to influence enterprises to establish excellent corporate culture and management system is the fundamental way to last forever and have a strong brand.
Apple tried the lessons of Jobs' departure and decline, because at that time, Apple had not established the innovative culture and management system advocated by Jobs. Jobs once left Apple to start a new stove, but eventually lost the brand soil and foundation that suits him best. What kind of soil does Jobs need? This is the soil for the spread of professionalism culture. In my opinion, Steve Jobs is the most scarce brand management talent in brand enterprises, that is, an "expert manager" with artist characteristics and aesthetic ability, especially in fashion, such an "expert manager" is particularly precious. Such brand managers are also good at boldly absorbing, identifying, attracting and managing creative talents, such as designers. The salary of Apple's designers is 50% higher than that of designers in the same industry. So it is not surprising that when Jobs left Apple to start his own business, the role of a versatile entrepreneur was not suitable for him.
The economic changes brought about by globalization and the Internet era are not only changes in resource allocation, but also alternating changes in consumption trends caused by global product circulation. Consumers' pursuit of product individuality is getting more and more intense, and the pursuit of brand individuality is the ultimate development. Therefore, every successful brand represents a huge or distinctive personalized consumer group, and each brand's "consumer group" represents a kind of cultural identity, in which they feel their sense of belonging, trust, pride and understanding. Apple brand crowd is such a personalized consumer group.
The personality of Apple brand is unique and simple, and the business model presented by Apple is also simple. However, this simplicity is aimed at professionals who have mastered the ability of brand management. For our enterprises in China, it is not easy to master this simple management ability. Although the "local innovation" or "fresh creativity" that many enterprises are keen on have certain immediate effects, they cannot fundamentally break through the bottleneck of enterprise development. China's economic development concept and management level lead to a large number of China enterprises willing to be at the lowest end of the global value chain, and become sweatshops and profit sources of these brands of Apple, which is the sorrow of our country and nation.
How to create high value-added products, how to carry out high-profit value chain management, and how to enhance brand value through systematic brand management, we still need to give up arrogance, vanity and impetuousness after short-term success, learn from Apple with an open mind and heart, and deeply understand and apply it in management practice. The management concept of enterprises in China needs innovation, and so does the management paradigm of enterprises in China. The biggest bottleneck faced by enterprises in China is innovation!
Of course, Apple's brand strategy is not impeccable, such as its arrogant attitude towards the China market, whether the single product strategy in the mobile phone field is suitable for the rapidly evolving fashion trend in the mobile phone market, which leads to the disintegration of its brand positioning and the innovation bottleneck of product innovation. It's just that these are beyond the scope of this article, and I will do detailed research on other carriers in the future.