Steve Jobs fact #65

I was reading excerpts from a Steve Jobs biography at the weekend, which included many examples of his attention to detail and need for control. A few years ago a source revealed just how detailed focused Steve was – apparently he signed off on every single piece of creative. Every. Single. Piece. Undoubtedly it was Steve Jobs’ personal vision and identity that we see in every piece of Apple advertising. And whilst the products evolved, the ads under Steve’s guidance retained a cohesive identity and visual appeal. And how successful has this been for Apple. For me, the iPad outdoor ads that I have passed nearly every day on the tube to work, still remind me of those first iPod ads. And then I recall the excitement of that first iPod – the way the rubber surround on the ear phones felt so different. The way the product was so luxuriously packaged and neatly designed. Few global companies are fortunate have the organisational set up, or ability for their leaders or brand managers to have such control, to implement their vision. And rather like Governments – personnel come and go, so there are few brand guardians who are granted enough tenure and control to deliver such a single minded legacy. But we know that from the research we do here at Ipsos, that time and time again a single minded vision, delivered across platforms, is the key to successful advertising. These so called “brand guardians” can come in all shapes and sizes. For example: long standing relationships with ad agencies can deliver a similar outcome – they can know the brand and creative history better than some of their clients. So who is the Steve Jobs in your organisation? Who ensures that a successful, single minded vision, is delivered year on year across portfolios? And if you don’t know who it is in your organisation… maybe you need to appoint one. Louise Brice is a director in Ipsos ASI and wrote this article for the MediaWeek blog.