What small businesses can learn from Apple

Consumer Report recently announced that they would not endorse the new iPhone 4. How did apple respond? (a) Did they issue a recall? (b) Offer an immediate fix. (c) Go into a state of panic? Or (d) do nothing. The answer is (d) according to Jessica Mintz And Joel Schectman who wrote the article “With Apple's fans, iPhone maker may not need to respond to Consumer Reports”

Apple, it seems, simply sticks to their story of a software glitch (although most seem to disagree with that argument).  Why could apple get away with this whereas another company would get crucified (...like Toyota recently)?  The answer according to the article and further examined in the book "Conversation Capital: How to Create Stuff People Love to Talk About" by Bertrand Cesvet, Tony Babinki, and Eric Alper of Sid Lee is the "Apple Experience". When consumers buy Apple products, they are not just buying a product but an experience.

This experience starts at the Apple store where consumers literally get to sit down with an “apple expert” who walks them through product functionality to the Zen like experience of opening the “thoughtfully” designed package to the transformational change an apple user undergoes upon using an Apple product (instant image change from the average Joe to innovative, creative, and cool). Given this, so what if you lose a little bit of signal if you cover up a certain portion of the phone...As everyone seems to say...Just go buy the Apple cover that fixes the problem.  

So what does this mean to all the budding entrepreneurs with new products out there...simple...copy Apple's formula for success. That is, make sure that you not only create functionally designed products but also make sure that you create an experience for your consumers. 

You should touch your consumers on every level of contact. Consumers should not only have stories about using your product, but they should also have positive stories about other aspects, such as purchasing your product (are you offering consumers a unique way to purchase your product? e.g. Adidas allows you to customize the coloring on your shoe) or phenomenal customer services (are you going out of your way to make sure that your consumers are heard? E.g. Four Seasons.

So repeat this statement to yourself about 50 more times than you think you should....”create experience by over-delivery”