Although the marketing machine that was Steve Jobs died Wednesday, those who learned from him said his legacy will live on forever.
In addition to creating an array of products including iPods, MacBooks, iPhones and iPads, Jobs, co-founder of Apple, was also known for his marketing skills.
From helping to design stores made of glass to creating colorful advertising campaigns, Jobs and Apple were an example in marketing.
“I think that Apple had really great products to market,” said Kelley Finan, senior manager of external communications at OU. “They were innovative, exciting, attractive and easy to use. When you look at all these things, it was really easy to market their audience because they knew exactly who their audience was.”
After creating the products, Apple and Jobs strategized for the products’ launching, often hyping them up in advance.
“Jobs made his product launches just like a Vegas show,” said Mark Krumel, senior director of creative services for Communications and Marketing. “It was something that people would anticipate for months in advance. Apple only releases small tidbits of info about their new products. Everyone then begins to watch, wonder and grow suspicious of what happens next.”
After the products are launched, Apple then goes all out on advertising.
“When Apple designs a campaign, you feel that campaign from every touchpoint, including television, direct marking, online, radio and print,” Finan said. “It hits people from every angle so you can’t escape. This is a brilliant marketing strategy that is targeted to the audiences that Apple and Jobs needed to reach.”
OU students often find themselves at the receiving end of these advertising campaigns.
“I have never been to a city and not see an Apple logo or advertisement,” said Dylan Rhodes, a freshman studying mechanical engineering. “Now anytime I see one, I will think of Steve Jobs.”
Although Apple’s co-founder has died, its marketing efforts will continue, Krumel said.
“I think that no matter who is at the helm, Steve Jobs has left a number of plans in place,” he said. “He was a visionary far enough in the future, and he has seen things that we don’t even know will exist in three to five years. I think Apple will still continue to be successful under Tim Cook’s leadership. It’s as if Jobs had left him a map.”
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