The Cult of Apple

“I want to put a ding in the Universe” – Steve Jobs

If that is what Steve Jobs originally aimed at that, he has succeeded beautifully. Apple products have a made a great mark for them – and are easily among the most talked about in their respective domains. There are a number of brands that have created waves, are well known and respected, and have great value. Yet, none have inspired that fanatical following and the cult status that has been bestowed on Apple, except maybe Harley Davidson!

Many analysts and observers have tried to explore the reasons of this epic fan following – entire books have been written around it. Some have even likened it to religion, and with good reason – a devoted, almost fanatical fan following, the messiah like personality of Steve Jobs (who came back from oblivion to raise the company to still greater heights), belief in the superiority of their product, and always an abiding enemy to oppose (IBM, Windows, Samsung etc) – all hallmarks of religious bearings. Apple fans line up for DAYS before a product launch to get their hand on the offerings – even though they will reasonably not need the devices immediately.

The rather enigmatic personality of Steve Jobs has also contributed a lot to the development of the Apple cult. Coming down from his “perch” once a year to introduce cutting edge products and then going back to his cocoon lent an air of curiosity to Jobs – which ultimately reflected in the Apple products. The fan following of Apple products transcends beyond mere brand loyalty – and many brand managers would probably give their right arms to achieve this effect!

The Apple product themselves have set new standards in product design, applications and innovation, that easily make them the best in class. And while a new product or its iteration is introduced only once a year, Apple fans occupy the remaining time by engaging in fierce anticipation of the next release. The product themselves are used by technically influential users – who constantly engage in conversation about the product. This readily attracts the casual observers, who are intrigued by the devotion of Apple fans and extend the discussion – and thus become a part of this endless cycle.

But naturally, this overt display of devotion to Apple by its fans has drawn its fair share of detractors, and they tend to go to the other extreme – simply deriding anything Apple. The recent events regarding Apple suing Samsung over a perceived design infringement, and then winning a substantial award has further provided cannon fodder to Apple critics. Many independent observers agree that Apple may have gone too far in its battle with Samsung, to the extent that its goodwill is hurting in public eyes. The events have also placed much focus on the less than optimal conditions in the OEM facilities located in China.

I recently read an article that gave a glimpse of the tremendous anticipation and desire for Apple products. The article was about how some gray market dealers in a Delhi market have procured the latest iPhone 5 devices from abroad, and are selling them at highly inflated prices – as high as 1.25 lakhs! The surprising part (or perhaps, not so surprising part) of the story was that there was a sufficient number of people that were ready to pay the price. Mind it, iPhone 5 has not been launched in India and no telecom carrier has announced its intention to launch the nano SIMs that the device will use! So, the first buyers in India will use it probably as music players – although very costly ones. Or perhaps, just a way to show off!