‘Never Been Its Creativity, It’s That Discipline Around Consistency’: Why Apple Remains Dominant

For this year’s FutureBrand Index — the tenth look at the brand perception of the PwC top 100 companies — the survey took a look back at the results from its 2014 index to see how the landscape has changed.

And despite what FutureBrand Australia chief executive, Rich Curtis describes as “the ongoing rise of brands in China”, the continued success of Apple over the ten-year period is the biggest takeaway from the findings.

As Curtis explained on the most recent Mumbrellacast, although Apple is generally considered to be a design-led company, it’s not through innovation that the tech pioneers have kept in the good graces of the consumer.

“I think the secret source to Apple has never necessarily been its creativity,” Curtis said on the Mumbrellacast.

“I think that’s – for all and sundry to see – I think it’s their discipline. And I think if there’s anything to be taken out of the study, it is that discipline around consistency.

“Over a long period of time now, Apple have been very disciplined and very consistent in and around how they’re building their brand. And so it’s no coincidence that those attributes of consistency and seamlessness — quite specifically those two attributes out of the 18 that make up the Future Brand Index —  have grown significantly.

Curtis said Apple’s focus on consistency and seamlessness is important for “what it really demonstrates”.

“Apple is the poster child for that brand strength: brand success as a consequence of being very consistent over a significant period of time – and in the way in which your brand goes to market, it has that seamlessness to it, in that it shows up in a joined-up way that it isn’t siloed, but it feels part and parcel of the connected experience.”

The other major takeaway from the study according to Curtis is the proliferation of non-US corporations.

“The top 10 in 2024 is not dominated by U. S. brands as it was 10 years ago,” Curtis noted.

“Never has the world been more global, in terms of its outlook, you know, we certainly see that in some of the macroeconomic dynamics that are at play for better and for worse, these days.

“But, you’re seeing a much broader dynamic suite of countries represented, and I think it talks to the increasingly globalised nature of things.”

By Nathan Jolly

Source: Mumbrella