Apple has to be one of the greatest success stories of all time. The beginnings of Apple started with Wozniak assembling a simple built computer machine. It was in the summer of 1971 Wozniak 21 and Jobs 16 were introduced to each other by a mutual friend Bill Fernandez. Wozniak had shown Jobs his simple built computer machine and this impressed Jobs to the point Jobs believed he could sell it for a profit. It was here they would form a strong friendship because they not only shared a passion for computers, but because they were both known as outcasts and for the first time they had a great understanding, admiration and respect for each others abilities, personality and intellect. They would begin the Apple project by selling some of their possessions: Wozniak's HP scientific calculator and Jobs' Volkswagen, they raised $1300 and assembled their first prototypes in Jobs bedroom. When the project became too big for the bedroom they moved the project into Jobs family's garage, it was on a huge wooden work bench that served as their first manufacturing base. The computers were hand built by Wozniak and first shown to the public at the Homebrew Computer club. After selling a number of the machines Apple was established on April 1, 1976 and went public on December 12, 1980.
So the question is how has Apple been able to maintain its great success? Apple has maintained its great success with its ability to understand what the consumer wants before the consumer even knows what they want; Apple effectively creates wants by their constant creative innovation and unique design which is stylish, user friendly and affordable. They have also been able to create a brand in the high technology world just as Chanel has in the fashion world. People can easily recognize an apple whether it's the I-Pod, the I-Phone, the Mac Air or the I-Pad. It has become a product that defines one's identity in how they desire to be seen by society that is a person who is highly innovative, intelligent, stylish and apart of the in crowd. This is pure marketing genius.
This marketing genius of Apple has seen this company out perform beyond the business world's expectations. While so many companies are struggling to break even in the current recession Apple is getting stronger by the day. The last three years has seen Apple's profits soar, take a look at these figures:
A profit of 8.2 Billion in 2007 followed by a profit of 11.2 Billion in 2008 and most recently a profit of 17.2 Billion in 2009. That is more than a 100% growth in profit from 2007 to 2009- Incredible!
With these profits and Apple's constant innovation, what will they think of next? My bet is another great innovated product that we never thought we would want or need, but will end up on our wish list.
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