I hate to say it, but this weekend I finally made my move from the PC/Android world to the heaven known as Apple. I purchased an iPhone4S.
Don’t get me wrong. The first computer I ever bought was a Mac. Back in 1989, I bought a used Macintosh for $1,000. Remember those small box-shaped computers that revolutionized the world of PCs as we know it? I loved my Mac, working my first job out of college. I was part of a hip community that was on fire to change the world.
It was short lived, when I started getting free PC products working for one of the largest computer product distributors in the world. While our marketing department ran their offense using Macintosh computers, the rest of our company were PC users, including me.
After decades of being completely satisfied with the likes of Dell, Compaq, HP and IBM technology, I got re-introduced to the brilliance of Apple when my kids started asking for iPod Shuffles, iPods, iPod Touches and iPads. When the next iPod rev was announced, my kids couldn’t wait to upgrade.
Today we have several Apple products in our home, mostly owned by our children. However, mom made the move to an iPhone4S this past weekend.
Yesterday, I finally had some time to tinker around with my new device. I finally set up my calendar, asked Siri to remind me of many business and personal appoints I have coming up, and then I visited the App Store.
It was a very enlightening experience. And, as I was downloading the apps to keep me socially connected, improve my photo skills, better organize my personal and professional life, open up new doors for music and entertainment and even more conveniently access daily spiritual reading to keep me inspired, it dawned on me that we can learn something about PURPOSE and POSITIONING from Apple’s app store experience.
Apple does an excellent job of nicely packaging their experience in a box. Their solutions are easy to understand, access and use.
When I work with clients on helping them position their products, services or company, I really try to get them focused on what exact category they are impacting – business, education, entertainment, finance, games, health, lifestyle, news, productivity, creativity, social networking or utility?
If they don’t fall into a known category, what new category do they want to create? Then the question begs, what exactly does your product, service or company do? What are the key features and benefits? Who is using it and why?
Every small little icon box in the App store simply answers these questions so the user can make a quick decision whether to download or not.
What if we all took this formula to promote an iPhone app into account when figuring out what our life’s purpose is? Or, how to go to market with a new product? I think we could all expect the brilliant outcome that Apple has proven.
For Apple, thinking outside of the box has actually turned into boxing up innovation and offering it on a platter for the taking. Little did I know I would receive a new perspective on Purpose and Positioning when I invested in my iPhone! What kind of App are you?
