Apple utilizes a highly unorthodox marketing communication strategy in social marketing activities. One could expect that a global technology giant would rely on a massive social media presence and use various ways to reach the audience. However, Apple’s approach is entirely different — the global brand does not have a consistent marketing communication strategy on the most popular platforms (Kubbernus, 2021). Given the size of the company, Apple could easily afford to hire a large team of professional content managers. Therefore, a highly restrained social media presence is a deliberate choice rather than negligence on the company’s part.
Apple’s marketing communication is loosely based on two fundamental principles. Most importantly, Apple fully utilizes the advantage of having a loyal customer base. Kubbernus (2021) offers examples of Apple’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. In the Facebook case, nobody from the Apple support team responded to various customer complaints because an army of loyalist followers quickly came to offer solutions and defend the favorite brand. In regard to Instagram, Apple provided its page for user-generated or user-created content commissioned by the company (Kubbernus, 2021). Overall, Apple does not generate exclusive social media content and lets the customers promote the products.
Secondly, Apple compensates for the lack of a clear marketing communication strategy on social media with the active involvement of key figures within the company. For example, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, promoted the iOS 14’s privacy features by making fun of Facebook on his personal Twitter account. Cook promised that, unlike Facebook, iOS14 would ask the users whether they allow tracking of their activity. This ironic tweet got over 112 thousand likes, demonstrating the superiority of personality over the brand (Kubbernus, 2021). Therefore, one can state that Apple distances its brand from marketing communication, leaving this role to loyal customers and key people in leadership.
Reference
Kubbernus, C. (2021). What is Apple’s social media strategy? Here’s everything you need to know. Kubbco.