Your screen is smashed to pieces and your battery can hardly last a full day. You need a new phone.

You walk into Telstra and are faced with a range of options. Naturally, you gravitate towards the selection of shiny, new iPhones. They’re not only the best phone, but they’re also all you’ve ever used.

You pick one up and feel the anodized aluminium’s cool surface sink into your palm. Turning on the gorgeous super retina XDR display, your face is illuminated. You open the camera app and take a quick selfie. As always, it’s sharp as a tack.

There’s no debate, you must have this phone. Nothing else can compare, right?

The truth is, that super retina XDR display is actually made by Samsung, right in their own factory, using their own proprietary technology. And that ultra sharp camera that Apple is famous for, the one you know and love, it's actually made by Sony.

What does Apple do well?
‍

So, what makes the idea of buying a different smartphone feel like a life changing decision?

We could dive into specifications, comparing megapixels on the cameras and processing power but none of this really matters because there are a multitude of smartphones on the market that surpass the iPhone on all accounts.

Where Apple really excels is in their brand experience.

Take their website for example. You scroll through the page, images glide across your screen and are met with headlines that are short, punchy and clever. The further you scroll the deeper you dive into Apple’s brand experience. But their brand experience doesn’t end on their website.

By this point you know which phone you want, but you just want to have a look at one. To hold it in your hand. You head to your nearest Apple store. It’s architectural, surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. The interior is a modern, spacious ode to interior design. All their devices are meticulously laid out on the long, sweeping tables. Everything is exactly where it should be - in close proximity to the MacBook Pros, iMacs, iPads, AirPods and HomePods. All their products have a distinct familiarity to them. They are undeniably Apple in their design and their user experience.

You pay an exorbitant amount for the phone and head home. Peeling back the plastic you immediately recognise the familiar soft touch packaging, the same packaging that’s used across their whole ecosystem of products. The box is so nice you carefully put it back together and set it aside because you feel like even the cardboard and plastic that Apple makes feel like they are worth more than they are.

You pair your new phone with your current iPhone and within a few taps, it is transferring the entirety of its contents to your new iPhone. It recognises your existing MacBook & AirPods. The entire process is simple and seamless. What was once a painful process that might have seen you losing photos or phone numbers, is now a distant memory.

After a few minutes you check your phone and everything is waiting for you. Except now it looks better than it ever has.

Obviously, everything about this process was planned. Billions of dollars were invested in product development, marketing and high street retail fit outs. But if you really boil it down, all that Apple really cares about is their customer and how they make them feel.

‍

“So what? I want sales!”
‍

Apple has cultivated one of the most loyal customer bases in history. One that transcends price or performance.

This is because Apple is extremely careful in what they offer, and extremely considered in how they offer it. They could launch budget-friendly iPhones tomorrow and generate a lot of sales, but they refuse to risk compromising the brand experience - the very thing that is at the heart of Apple’s success.

Their approach to product development isn’t to be the first, but to be the best. Apple didn’t invent the MP3 player, but their iPod product line pushed the boundaries of what an MP3 player could be. The AirPods, iPhone, Apple Watch and iMac ranges are all born from the same philosophy: take an existing product and make it great - like only Apple can.

From analysing Apple’s end-to-end customer experience, we can learn a lot. They have made it clear they’re not just selling phones - every touch point in a consumer's journey from prospect to purchase is carefully considered.

From the advertising that draws them in, to the unboxing experience when your product arrives, you are able to tell your consumer who you are and what you’re all about.

When done right, this experience can make your customer fall in love with your company, forming a loyalty that keeps them with you for life.

Every time a consumer has an interaction with your brand you have an opportunity to build positive rapport. Laying down solid brand foundations early on and continually investing is key for your brands growth. If given the attention it deserves, your brand can be an asset that pays dividends for years to come.

‍