What can we learn from the Apple mission statement, and how does the brand differentiates itself from the rest? Continue reading to learn more!
According to Forbes, Apple is:
- the world’s largest tech company in 2022 (for the 7th straight year!)
- the 1st company to reach a market value of $3 trillion — greater than the GDP of the UK!
- the first publicly traded U.S. company to reach a market capitalization of over $2 trillion and doubling in valuation over the last two years, from 2021
From the above, we can see that Apple is firing on all cylinders, despite being so expensive. Ever wondered why?
Well, it cannot be stressed enough the benefits of a mission (and vision) for any establishment. A mission statement helps a company to provide the ideal vision for its future.
It directs the company’s growth and provides a yardstick by which to gauge the success of the organization’s strategy. It serves to encourage employees to think about how their actions will impact future business success and positive company culture.
The company’s success can be credit to the Apple mission statement, as well as its vision and values, which gives the company a clear focus. We will examine the mission alongside its vision and values, with a view to understanding how they contribute to the brand’s success.
So, how does the mission statement of Apple relate to the success of the brand and what does it mean? Let’s take a bite and find out.
Apple mission statement
“To bring the best user experience to customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.”
Purely on technical level, this Apple mission statement is a prime example of what a well-written mission statement should be: succinct, simple, and easy to understand. It can be divided into three components:
- best user experience
- innovative products, software & services
- quality service delivery
Let’s examine each.
Apple mission statement
1. Best user experience
Apple products are designed for both performance and aesthetics. Look at their line of iPads, iPhones, Macs, among other products. In the looks department, they’re outstanding, with slick and sophisticated appeal. In terms of function, Apple products are optimized for user-friendliness and excellent performance.
They’re are known to have user-friendly interface and innovative features, providing outstanding experience to its consumers. In 2020, Apple introduced robust location and Bluetooth permissions in iOS 13.
In 2021, it unveiled its iOS 14 ad-tracking function. Privacy features like these help protect user data and improve their experiences.
2. Innovative products
What started as a smartphone company upgraded to launch new product categories, such as the iPad. Apple envisioned the tablet as a hybrid of smartphone and laptop, with the capability to double as both.
Since then, it’s been one technological stride after another with the result that Apple now has five distinct segments: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Services & Wearable, and Home & Accessories.
Through their differentiation strategy, Apple designs products that will cater to the unique needs of its target market. With a focus on standards in product design, functionality and usability, the Apple software and hardware solutions have been a reliable help to a diverse market segment, including business, education, government and healthcare.
In the healthcare sector particularly, Apple has increased its presence and made positive impact with innovative products like the Apple Watch which detects heart irregularities.
Its Apple Health Records function for iPhone users lets patients access and track their health and fitness metrics through their mobile phones. AirPods were next, as they paved way for wireless headphones to become mainstream.
Apple also developed its subscription services to include music and video streaming, video games, fitness and cloud storage.
With new inventions and upgrades to expect every so often, all eyes are always on the next Apple products.
3. Quality service delivery
The next thing to take a look at when it comes to the Apple mission statement is quality service delivery.
Apple is as interested in serving as it is in selling. This attitude is reflected in the company’s well-equipped customer care systems, which feature tech support, AppleCare, and App Store. Apple handles everything from sales and repairs to design and development.
In 2020, an investigative research gave Apple a rating score of 51/60 for online support and 34/40 for phone support, with both total 85/100 on overall tech service support.
This score shows clearly how committed Apple is to delivering quality services and support to its customers.
Apple mission statement: quality service delivery
How does the Apple mission statement relate to other components of the brand?
1. Brand name
In a 1980 presentation, Steve Jobs said that they gave Apple the name partly because he liked apples, and partially because Apple is ahead of Atari in the phone book.
Atari was an American-owned company that produces, publishes, and distributes interactive entertainment software for gaming platforms. Steve worked with the company at the time.
In his biography, Steve said he was “on one of my fruitarian diets” and had just returned from an apple farm, and thought the name sounded “fun, spirited and not intimating.”
He specifically said the name epitomized “simplicity” and “sophistication,” which is only fitting for a brand whose mission is woven around such values as best user experience, quality service delivery, and innovative production.
Are you enjoying this mission statement example? You can also check out these ones:
- Amazon Mission Statement: All You Need to Know in 2022
- Adidas Mission Statement: All You Need to Know in 2022
- Nike Mission Statement: The Ultimate Analysis in 2022
- 104 Incredible Mission Statement Examples (in 2022)
2. Logo
There are several interesting myths floating on the internet about the meaning of the Apple logo.
The original Apple logo shows Sir Isaac Newton under an apple tree; this was the apple that inspired Newton to formulate his theory of gravitation. This Newton-Apple theory is meant to depict how to the Apple computer is the inspiration to help you achieve greatness.
Another source has it that the logo was inspired by the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When the couple took a bite from the apple, their eyes opened and they became knowledgeable, which is what happens to you when you use Apple computers – you gain access we to knowledge.
While the above theories and others like them are not what the designer himself, Rob Janoff, thinks of the logo, they are all remarkably logical and make a lot of sense.
However, according to Rob, the current Apple logo was simply just an apple to resonate with the brand’s name. The design was created solely from an aesthetic viewpoint but had a bite taken out to differentiate it visually from, say, a tomato or cherry.
Did you notice how “bite” sounds like the computer language “byte”? A happy accident and fitting one for a tech company!
Apple’s logo is simple, sleek, and sophisticated – qualities we expect from a tech brand that prioritizes innovation and product design.
3. Tagline / slogan
“Think different.”
Of course, we can’t talk about the Apple mission statement without discussing their tagline (slogan).
Since the launch of this slogan, Apple has revolutionized how it views technology and the world, and has since then secured a top position as one of the most innovative producers of tech products and services.
Apple’s tagline / slogan: Think different. Apple mission statement.
The campaign was anchored by the memorable “Crazy Ones” spot which celebrates some of the world’s time-honored visionaries, such as Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, Mahatma Gandhi, among many others “who see things differently.”
Steve Jobs believed that “…you always had to be a little different to buy an Apple computer.” In his exact words:
“I think you had to really think differently when you bought a Mac. It was a totally different computer, worked in a totally different way, used a totally different part of your brain. And it opened up a computer world for a lot of people who thought differently… And I think you still have to think differently to buy an Apple computer.”
If you’re an Apple user or are familiar with their products, you will agree with us that their computers and smartphones are significantly different from those from other companies.
While most other computers operate under Microsoft’s Windows, Apple computers use macOS. From function and performance to even terminology, the difference is clear, and Apple products seem to be the favorite among users.
Apple vision statement
Now that we’ve talked about the Apple mission statement, let’s take a look at their vision statement as well.
Like a mission statement, a company’s vision guides the decision-making processes, strategic management, and operations of the establishment. It serves to make sure every decision takes the organization closer to its mission and goals.
Apple’s vision is “to make the best products on earth and to leave the world better than we found it.”
Two fundamental elements make up this vision statement.
1. Product design leadership
Key phrase: “to make the best products on earth”
Apple is an industry leader when it comes to design of smartphones, laptops, and similar devices. The company delivers premium quality products in the market, from iPhones, iPads, iPods, to Macs, and more.
In spite of its great strides in product design and development, Apple continues to improve its position in the tech market; it continues to push boundaries for novel innovations.
Apple mission statement & vision: product design leadership
In 2021, Apple launched the new iPad Pro with an winning M1 chip and ultra-fast 5G. The industry-leading M1 chips enhances the performance of iPad Pro, making it the fastest device among its peers.
5G is the future and the new iPad Pro is enabled for 5G network and has speed thresholds of up to 4Gbps. Apple is confident that they can depend on this groundbreaking tech genius to secure their position as industry leader for many long years.
2. Carbon neutral
Key phrase: “…to leave the world better than we found it.”
As something reflected in the Apple mission statement as well as vision statement, the company seeks to achieve zero net climate impact on all of its operations. In 2020, the firm revealed that it would commit to ensuring that its devices are carbon neutral by 2030.
In its 2020 Environmental Progress Report, Apple states its plan to reduce emissions by 75% and to create innovative solutions for total carbon removal by the same 2030. In the words of Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO: “With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change.”
Values
On top of the Apple mission statement, the company’s core values determine how the company and its staff interact and operate within and outside the workplace. The following elements make it up.
1. Accessibility
Apple provides easy access to services in software, hardware, and other technologies to help organizations and its consumers achieve their goals. The brand’s App Store function in particular typically provides indispensable help to developers in creating and building applications and software.
Apple had to cut down the Apple Store commission to as low as 15% so that small developers can access its products and also gain the financial resources to build their business.
Apple mission statement and values
2. Education
Apple’s vision of “leaving the world better than we found it” is lived out in part through the company’s investment in and support for education.
Apple extends its technologies and expertise to schools, lending its support in the form of electronic learning devices like iPads and Macs, building infrastructures, empowering teachers, and even giving financial sponsorships to those who need them the most.
In fact, through the ConnectED initiative, since 2014, Apple has donated more than $100 million dollars worth of teaching and learning solutions to more than 100 underserved schools in the US.
In their own words:
“We’ve donated an iPad to every student, a Mac and iPad to every teacher, and an Apple TV to every classroom. And we’ve implemented a process that provides planning, professional learning, and ongoing guidance so every school can experience the transformational power of technology.”
It’s also interesting to note how the “education” component of Apple’s core values relates to the company’s mission itself. Apple markets its iPads and similar devices to schools using the slogan “When something’s on iPad, it’s automatically fun,” which is indeed “bring(ing) the best user experience to customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.”
Innovation, education and product design as outlined in the Apple mission statement
3. Environment
Apple has a planet-sized goal of a healthy ecosystem. Part of its targets is to leave the world better than it was before Apple came (and this is a never-ending mission).
To push towards this vision, the company placed a premium on making itself carbon neutral. This means making all its products with a zero carbon footprint and clean energy by 2030.
In 2021, Apple launched a carbon program called the Restore Fund, a multimillion forestry initiative designed to de-carbonize the atmosphere by approximately one million metric ton every year.
4. Inclusion and diversity
Apple is committed to inclusivity and diversity among its employees and other stakeholders in the workplace. In 2021, Apple fired one of its manager, Antonio Garcia Martinez, for promoting racist and sexist views in his book, Chaos Monkeys.
“The journey to creating a more inclusive workforce and better world begins with a commitment to a clear vision and accountability. At Apple, we take this responsibility seriously, and we are continuing to make meaningful strides toward creating a more inclusive and representative company.”
– Barbara Whye, Vice President
Apple mission statement
5. Privacy
If you an Apple user, you probably already know how privacy is a key feature of the brand. In fact, Apple considers the privacy of the users of its gadgets a fundamental human right.
For this reason, the company designs its products to protect user’s privacy and to give the user control over their information. Thanks to the innovation of the brand’s iOS – what you share and who you share it with is totally up to you.
6. Racial equity and justice
As a global leader in the tech sector, Apple understands its responsibility of fighting against injustice and racism at any and every level. To show commitment to this cause, the company donates millions of dollars annually to help lift women and communities of color out of discrimination.
It’s about “leaving the world better than we found it.”
7. Supplier responsibility
Apple products come from millions of trusted suppliers across the globe. From sourcing to recycling, the company ensures the highest standards in supplier performance evaluation based on health & safety, labor & human rights, and environmental practices standards. All participants in the supply chain are valued, respected, and safe.
Summary
From the Apple mission statement and other corporate statements as well as its values, Apple is at the top of its game. Everything is so well synchronized to a clear brand message of optimal user experience and leadership in innovation, among other things.
And surely, Apple has never taken for granted its commitment to providing premium quality products and services to its consumers. It has even gone extra miles to find ways to participate and cooperate in many different initiatives for environmental protection, justice and inclusivity, thus, fulfilling continuously its unending vision of making the world better than ever.
On a different note, Apple also does an incredible job from the technical perspective of what a good mission statement should be, ideally – short, direct and self-explanatory.
It reminds us of the Nike corporate statements in terms of how everything ties up so well together around the company’s mission and follow-up implementations (of course, we understand they are two COMPLETELY different industries).
So that’s it for now. We hope that you find this piece useful and can get inspired to use it as a guide as you write your own mission statement today.
Did you like the Apple mission statement? You might want to check the Apple SWOT analysis as well.
