A few days ago we published the results of the satisfaction survey for desktop computers in the United States, where, once again, Apple once again leads the ranking as the computer with the most satisfaction among its users.
However, this is not just the case with Apple Mac computers. The iPhone range has consistently ranked first in smartphone satisfaction rankings since its launch, and the Macbook laptop range has also ranked first in the rankings of consumer satisfaction in the United States.
It is clear that this classification is not obtained thanks to a single factor, but is the sum of more. Let's review the most important:
Quality in manufacturing materials
Apple has made aluminum and glass the hallmark of its products. At least as long as the competition's level of imitation is so brash and complete that it's hard to tell the original from the copy.
Furthermore, both glass and aluminum have infinite recyclability, which also aligns with the sustainability and social responsibility strategy that Apple places great emphasis on under Tim Cook.
The manufacturing process that Apple developed so that its laptop cases were made of one piece, which it called Unibody, has endowed its computers with a rigidity and strength that makes them capable of withstanding the hectic pace of life of today without their owners having to fear for their integrity.
In addition, Apple has progressively eliminated the weak points of breakage, such as locks, doors, removable parts, etc. so as to form a compact set, both in mobile phones and laptops.
Easy to use
Probably one of the characteristics inherited from its original launch in 1984, ease of use, consistency between applications and intuitive management, have established the "myth of the Mac" as an easy-to-use computer.
Historically also benefited by the absence of viruses, and - later - by the robustness and security of having adopted a UNIX structure for the pillars of the operating system, Apple has managed to innovate and advance its platforms without betraying the maxim of placing the user in the center.
Privacy
The explosion of social networks and the continuing scandals both for the theft of passwords and personal data and for the trade in users' personal information have placed this topic at the heart of the benefits of using Apple products.
On both mobile phones and laptops we keep all our personal information: credit cards, phone numbers, addresses, photos, etc. Being able to use these devices with the certainty that no one will be able to enter and take them away is something capital that is increasingly important in the minds of consumers.
Software
What had always been the weak point of the Apple platform, which due to its small market share was not attractive to software developers, has undergone a 180-degree change with the appearance of the iPhone and the App Store.
Suddenly, everyone was developing applications for iPhones and not other mobile platforms.
Apple has invested in minimizing the need for basic software on its computers, both Mac and MacBook, including applications that could solve productivity needs (with a plus of style).
Thus came the free downloads of Pages, Numbers or Keynote, or those of iMovie, iTunes (now Music), GarageBand and iPhoto (now Photos).
In addition, Apple will soon face the definitive revolution in the macOS platform with the transition to the ARM architecture, which will allow you to migrate apps developed for iPhone or iPad to Mac with minimal conversion work.
Suddenly, the Mac will have access to all the applications that have been developed for iOS.
Marketing
And - of course - none of this would work without a marketing strategy capable of effectively and convincingly communicating the benefits of the company and its products.
Apple has been working on it for many years, ranging from giving each innovation a name that everyone can memorize and repeat (something that many of its competitors have not understood, and continue to adopt gibberish names for their products).
From Cupertino, product presentation events are prepared as if they were world shows, broadcast live and received by tens of thousands of spectators.
Apple marketing works hard to select which messages will be conveyed and how, and strict discipline is applied so that every worker in the company who has contact with strangers, especially the media, repeats the same message, almost even with commas. in the same place.
This is how Apple has managed to impose its products on people's minds as an affordable luxury, an object of desire.
Where to buy Apple products.
It may seem unthinkable to many, but there was a time when Apple products could only be sold at Apple Authorized Resellers (known as Apple Premium Resellers or APRs).
Until Apple began its forays into consumer electronics, its products could not be found outside of that channel.
If you wanted to buy Apple laptops you had to go to an authorized reseller or an authorized wholesaler. Now, on the contrary, almost any department store and small store can have Apple hardware for sale.
Another anecdote that is easy to forget, and which shows that despite its success, Apple can also be completely wrong, is that when it announced the iPhone, its initial intention - and therefore it was put on the market - was to sell it only through. telephone operators, excluding their own sales network.
This has led to many distributors signing up as phone stores, in order to access Apple's iPhone and sell it in their stores. Soon after, Apple rectified and allowed Apple phones to be sold in virtually any environment.
Conclusion
Despite everything, even the company's block products have their detractors, and its continual innovation sometimes leads to slips (as with the butterfly keyboard it has included in laptops) that force it to correct.
Yet nothing seems to affect the millions of people who queue up or wait weeks for the latest product from Cupertino every year.
And it is, when you make the quality of your product your main strength and hold on tight, it's easy for you to win a mass of loyal followers who will follow you wherever you go, hoping you make their day again.
