Inspiration from beyond hairdressing – The Big Apple
Innovative thinking
With each new innovation Apple proves its visionary prowess and with Steve Jobs back at the helm the pace has resumed. Surely it' no coincidence that the iTunes download platform preceded the iPod by 10 months – building a fan base before offering a tool by which to listen to digital music. Today iTunes downloads have topped three billion songs plus movies, shows and more. Innovation has spilled over into many of Apple's business agreements and began early when Jobs created an agreement with Xerox way back in the seventies that gave him early access to their Graphical User Interface – when it comes to graphics Apple remains a market leader. There followed an agreement with Apple Corp, the Beatles label that allowed them to use the name as long as they didn't go into music. Whoops! But most famously is Jobs coup in forging links with the company that might have killed his and that's Microsoft. In a 'friends close and enemies closer' move Microsoft invested a staggering $150 million in Apple in return for getting their operating system used on every Apple computer. Most recently Jobs has closed a deal with Starbucks who is the largest single provider of Wi-Fi internet access. The coffee chain will allow free access to iTunes in-store.
All in store
The design led ethos permeates through Apple's gorgeous retail outlets which are all about a hands-on Apple experience and educating customers on maximising their product usage. Visual beauty aside the stores offer ‘Genius Bars' where you can just queue up for a personal problem solving session and a ‘Studio' to work on creative projects with assistance. The spaces serve as a Mecca for the millions of Apple devotees and the web is alive with customer communities all sharing tips, knowledge and information. What began as a beer dream has turned into a cultural revolution which will last just as long as the Apple stays fresh.
With each new innovation Apple proves its visionary prowess and with Steve Jobs back at the helm the pace has resumed. Surely it' no coincidence that the iTunes download platform preceded the iPod by 10 months – building a fan base before offering a tool by which to listen to digital music. Today iTunes downloads have topped three billion songs plus movies, shows and more. Innovation has spilled over into many of Apple's business agreements and began early when Jobs created an agreement with Xerox way back in the seventies that gave him early access to their Graphical User Interface – when it comes to graphics Apple remains a market leader. There followed an agreement with Apple Corp, the Beatles label that allowed them to use the name as long as they didn't go into music. Whoops! But most famously is Jobs coup in forging links with the company that might have killed his and that's Microsoft. In a 'friends close and enemies closer' move Microsoft invested a staggering $150 million in Apple in return for getting their operating system used on every Apple computer. Most recently Jobs has closed a deal with Starbucks who is the largest single provider of Wi-Fi internet access. The coffee chain will allow free access to iTunes in-store.
The design led ethos permeates through Apple's gorgeous retail outlets which are all about a hands-on Apple experience and educating customers on maximising their product usage. Visual beauty aside the stores offer ‘Genius Bars' where you can just queue up for a personal problem solving session and a ‘Studio' to work on creative projects with assistance. The spaces serve as a Mecca for the millions of Apple devotees and the web is alive with customer communities all sharing tips, knowledge and information. What began as a beer dream has turned into a cultural revolution which will last just as long as the Apple stays fresh.
