The Mac Observer

Editorial

Apple’s Knack for Growth

TMO Talk (3)

Every company wants to grow in revenues and earnings, but not all succeed. Apple seems to have a knack for growing in any technology and any geography it touches. It's no accident.

One of the aspects of today's Apple Earnings Report is that Apple has a special knack for growing in markets and growing the popularity of its products. Not every company is able to do that. I believe it's because Apple is a very practical and feedback oriented.

By that I mean that Apple, first off, understands is customers. That's done no so much by self-serving, outsourced, delusional market surveys as listening to its own younger employees who are in touch with the youth culture. I have seen this myself as an Apple employee. So when Apple puts a video camera and an FM radio in an iPod nano, it's not just featuritis, it's a fundamental recognition of the ways in which young people communicate and entertain themselves.

Secondly, Apple pays very close attention to initial sales results and doesn't let poor performance linger. Issues that may come up with a different culture or language are attended to immediately, and any Apple executive on foreign soil who doesn't instantly fix sales problems is replaced. Quickly.

Finally, Apple's products are designed in such a way that the joy factor generates word of mouth marketing for Apple. Because Apple pays so much attention to industrial design, simplicity and the "just works" design, customers love to tell their friends. After all, there are so many other frustrating products, poorly conceived and implemented, that it's no wonder Apple's customers vent their frustrations by focusing on what does work. And using social media to spread the word.

As a result of these factors, Apple is able to grow its revenues in just about any market it enters. That bodes well for the iSlate/iTablet/iPad. Those who believe that the Apple tablet will fail typically base their opinion on the functioning of the product and how it fits in with their own particular needs and preconceptions. However, understanding Apple's knack for growth, described above, is what's really relevant.

Post A Comment or Log-in. Need an account? Register here.

1 Observer Comment

Thanks, John—nicely done. One interesting note from the earnings conference call was that 58% of Apple’s revenues came from outside the US. They usually don’t give sales per country, but did mention that sales were well up in France, Spain, and Italy. Another point of interest to me was the capital investment planned for 2010. I can’t remember the exact number, but it was well over $1B and only a minor part was for retail stores. The rest was for facilities (the new campus in Cupertino?), infrastructure (servers?) and manufacturing. (Does Apple help suppliers with their capital investments?)

 

Recent Headlines - Updated May 27th

Sat, 10:00 AM
MacOS KenDensed - MacOS KenDensed: Apple’s Patent Lawsuit & Antitrust Shuffle
Fri, 5:58 PM
News - Sotheby’s to Auction Steve Jobs Atari Memo (Photo Gallery)
5:42 PM
Free on iTunes - 3 Free iOS Apps for News Hounds
3:00 PM
Rumor - Nest Thermostat Reportedly Coming to Apple Retail Stores
2:40 PM
Particle Debris - The TV Industry’s Dreadful Little Secret
2:33 PM
News - Mobile Devices Account for 20% of Web Traffic in US, Canada
12:49 PM
News - Apple Now Offering “Free App of the Week” for iOS
12:21 PM
News - Tim Cook Declines $75 Million Dividend Payout
11:25 AM
News - Absinthe 2.0 Provides Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1
11:09 AM
Quick Look Review - F18 Carrier Landing (iOS) is a Boatload of Fun
10:51 AM
TMO Appearances - Jeff Gamet talks Cool Apps & Accessories on Not Another Mac Podcast
10:12 AM
Hot Forum Topic - Forum Poll: Which is Your Favorite Photo Sharing Service?
 

The Mac Observer Reader Specials

  • Macsales.com SuperSpeed SSDs from $58. Transform your Mac with an SSD Solution of up to 960GB! You won't believe it's the same machine! Once you experience an OWC SSD, no going back! - Macsales.com
  • Mac RAM Upgrades: MacBook Pro 16GB kits $475, 8GB Kits for $119.99! iMac 16GB RAM Kits (4x 4GB) for $229.99! Mac Pro Memory 32GB Kit for $399.99, 64GB Kit for $889.99! Mac Hard Drives 2TB Seagate SATA II for $249.99! Click Here!
  • Macpokeronline.com If you're using a Mac, then you've gotta check out PokerOnAMac.com. Online casinos and poker rooms are literally giving away cash and the casino sites at Poker on a Mac do the unthinkable, they actually reward! Join today, the download is free!
  •  Looking to find online casinos for mac? We can help you find the best real money casino sites where you can play your favorite casino games including blackjack and slots.

Apple Stock Quote (AAPL)

Loading...

Hot Topics

TMO Express

Join the TMO Express Daily Newsletter to get the latest Mac headlines in your e-mail every weekday. Find out more!

Top Deals From DealBrothers.com

Recent Features

Support The Mac Observer

We noticed you may be running AdBlock on your computer. It takes real money to run this site and to deliver the news, tips, and opinions you love to read.

If you wish to block the ads that pay for the creation of our content, we ask that you instead support TMO Directly, either with a $5 monthly recurring contribution, or a one-time donation of any amount of your choice. Thanks!

Subscribe with Paypal Donate with Paypal