Regular readers will have already noted my admiration for all things Apple, but also my dismay that its recent marketing has sought to distance itself from its B2B heritage. This was illustrated in its campaign using comics Mitchell & Webb, suggesting the PC is for work, and the Mac is for home – ironic given that it was the design and publishing industries that kept Apple alive in the 1990s. I can’t blame Apple for moving with the times, but it seemed rather disingenuous to abandon its heritage and – more importantly – its core market in such a fickle fashion.
So naturally my heart was warmed by the news that Apple has had a road to Damascus-style change of heart, and is refocusing on the corporate sector for its iPhone product. The logic would seem to be simple: to take on BlackBerry, which is rapidly developing a stranglehold on the business mobile telephony market, where both usage and functional requirements are growing rapidly, making it highly lucrative.
Ironically, Apple’s bid to re-engage with corporate users comes at precisely the same time as a change in direction by rival Blackberry – targeting the consumer sector, and positioning it as a lifestyle tool rather than business accessory. As discussed in our news analysis article, in effect each one is moving into the other’s territory, and creating potentially bitter rivals from two brands which until recently would seem to have little overlap.
This potentially sets up a fascinating conflict between two of the leading lights of the technology industry. What both must consider, however, is that they don’t neglect their existing brand strengths and loyal audiences in the pursuit of new ones. Particularly in the current climate, woe betide brands that fail to keep existing clients happy whilst heading off into new territory.