iMac

In the first half of 1998, the coolest computer to own was anything made by Sony. They'd entered the computer market with the intent of shaking things up and they did. Gone were beige or black computers. The Vaio 505GX was the tiniest notebook computer most people had ever seen. It was a feminine shade of gray mixed with lavender. The color was similar to the chairs at Tokyo Narita Airport. This notebook was an overnight success. It was a sign of success to carry a 505GX notebook into a business meeting. Everyone was envious.

All of this ended in mid-August.

With the release of the Bondi Blue iMac (Aug 15, 1998), Apple was back on everyone’s radar. Jobs had done something that no one else could do and that was to make Apple relevant again. With the iMac, Apple topped Sony in setting the standard for “cool” when it came to technology... and Apple was only getting started.

In 1997, Apple was left for dead. A new rumor popped up every quarter about who was going to buy Apple. No one expected them to survive. Looking back on what Apple achieved over the next 10 years, one would have to assume that Jobs had a big plan. Apple was a forgotten computer company. No one thought about Apple when buying a new computer. The business buyer certainly would not buy an Apple. They needed to play it safe. They needed to buy from Dell or HP or someone who would be around for a long time. Apple was risky.

Apple had to overcome a huge barrier. They did this by going to someone who didn’t know any better. They targeted someone who was not afraid to buy an Apple. Their logic was counter-intuitive and brilliant. 

 

James Snider is the Business Development Director of Accelerant Marketing Alliance, LLC == Marketing, Communications and Design. 

Corporate Marketing Department ... one hour at a time.  www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider