If we boil this question down to why Apple haters and/or Android users consider Apple users part of a cult, we end up with the simple fact that they don’t fully understand Apple.
If they did, Samsung wouldn’t have to send out spies to Apple stores to ask people standing in line for the new iPhone 5C or 5S questions. To me, it’s so obvious why they stand there, and why Apple is still so freaking hot that an iPhone 5S gold is reported to be selling for $1800.
Samsung still believes that a bigger screen is innovation, and that being the best is a matter of checking off technical features on a list.
Apple users talk about the user experience. They are happy. We love Apple because Apple makes a huge effort to simplify our lives. I don’t think that I would stand in line to get a new iPhone, because I buy my stuff online and when it comes to iPhones, I buy them directly from the carrier, but I can understand why people want to stand in that line – it’s fun to be around others who like Apple.
In my case, I get my share of that from social media and, of course, in my daily life as well.
I got very happy when I found out that Tim Cook has started a Twitter account. I hope that he will use it as well. In the beginning, there was Steve Jobs, but there was also the Macintosh evangelist Guy Kawasaki. I also remember there were like Apple clubs you could join, for example, in Växjö, where I lived by then. Some people think Apple’s success is a cult thing, but I tell you, it’s more a sense of being part of something that makes a difference and to ”know” the persons that do the excellent job of developing Apple to what it is today and to what i will become in the future. It’s like a personal relationship to the brand.
I’ve blogged about my concern that I missed the chance to follow Apple on social media, and it’s a real concern. I’m writing a book about social media and have thought a lot about Apple and why they should or shouldn’t take part in social media, and I can’t come to any other conclusion than yes: Apple should step out and be part of social media. People expect a personal relationship with brands today, and that was exactly how Apple was built from the start, so it’s a natural thing that they should be present on, for example, Twitter.
