{"id":21839,"date":"2024-07-22T15:47:15","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T15:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/?p=21839"},"modified":"2024-07-22T15:56:23","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T15:56:23","slug":"steve-jobs-1997-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/steve-jobs-1997-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"How Steve Jobs&#8217; &#8220;Think Different&#8221; Speech Saved Apple"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>TL;DR<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Steve Jobs\u2019 1997 \u201cThink Different\u201d speech marked the beginning of Apple\u2019s greatest comeback story of all time. From a net loss of $1.05 billion in 1997, the company registered a profit of $309 million in 1998. With this speech, Steve Jobs brought back clarity and focus to Apple\u2019s product line, distribution, and marketing communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>So What<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The keynote is packed with lessons for marketers and communicators. Jobs had discovered the effectiveness of brand-value-based advertising over the traditional product-focused approach. And \u201cThink Different\u201d became one of history\u2019s great advertising campaigns. Here\u2019s where it started.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FDD5G2_6hdA?si=WjvdVJFsabSkc-Ut\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" frameborder=\"&quot;\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine working for an organization teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. In early 1997, that was Apple. No one knew then that Steve Jobs\u2019 return to the company\u2019s helm would herald a revolutionary transformation, redefining the tech industry and its marketing practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the key drivers of this turnaround was Steve Jobs\u2019 1997 speech, entitled \u201cThink Different.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After Jobs was forced out of the company, Apple lost its way. It had an unclear product line with a lot of side bets (remember the Apple Newton?). Its slow and inefficient distribution compounded the problem, putting the company on the path to bankruptcy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When he returned as interim CEO in 1997, Jobs adopted a humble but decisive approach to addressing the organization\u2019s shortcomings, as well as overhauling its marketing communication. Here are the communication techniques Jobs used to set new standards in marketing and branding, pulling off what many would call The Greatest Comeback Story of All Time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21841 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jobs-Return-Timeline.jpg\" alt=\"Job's Return Timeline\" width=\"800\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jobs-Return-Timeline.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jobs-Return-Timeline-120x300.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jobs-Return-Timeline-410x1024.jpg 410w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jobs-Return-Timeline-768x1920.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Jobs-Return-Timeline-614x1536.jpg 614w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Created with Canva.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2>What Jobs Did<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To save the ailing giant, Steve Jobs ended the costly warfare between <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/gates-vs-jobs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apple and Microsoft<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, agreed to support Microsoft products on Apple devices, and securing a $150 million injection of capital from Microsoft in the deal. With the immediate danger of bankruptcy averted, he went to work:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He simplified the product range, eliminating 70% of the products and renewing focus on the remaining 30%.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He overhauled distribution, focusing on consumer needs and realistic timelines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He adopted effective communication strategies, focusing on brand values instead of technical specifications.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He launched the \u201cThink Different\u201d advertising campaign.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He created a clear vision and communicated it successfully, securing the buy-in of employees and stakeholders.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI came out of the meeting with people who had just gotten their project canceled, and they were three feet off the ground with excitement because they finally understood where the heck we were going.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-21842\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/3.jpeg\" alt=\"Bar chart of Steve Jobs' Return\" width=\"780\" height=\"588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/3.jpeg 884w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/3-300x226.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/3-768x579.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jobs managed to do more with less.<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Created with Canva.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2>Why His Approach Worked<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Steve Jobs\u2019 1997 speech \u201cThink Different\u201d was the first salvo of his Apple turnaround strategy and \u2013 as it would later turn out \u2013 the mother and father of inspirational business speeches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What made it so good? Here\u2019s what communication and marketing experts can learn from it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Clarity and Focus: Simplify the Message<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jobs simplified many aspects of Apple\u2019s existence as its new interim CEO. He ended the \u201cwar\u201d with Microsoft, simplified the product range, and redefined the marketing approach of the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By ending the fierce competition with Microsoft, Jobs gave Apple a new chance for greatness. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jobs dropped 70% of the products Apple had lined up to free up resources needed to make the remaining 30% successful. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI couldn\u2019t even figure out the damn product line after a few weeks\u2026I started talking to customers, and they couldn\u2019t figure it out either.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He reinvented and simplified Apple\u2019s marketing approach. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019re not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us. No company is. And so we have to be very clear on what we want them to know about us.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Deeming a technical specifications-focused marketing approach too complicated, he opted for value-based marketing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>As a marketing professional, focus on key points to simplify complex messaging. Focus less on the tech specs, and more on the value they get.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Engagement and Excitement: Inspire Your Team<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/steve-jobs-inspired-employees-and-customers-through-passionate-communication\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vision and passion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are contagious. People like to know where they\u2019re going and what they must do to get there. Clarity can be incredibly liberating and exhilarating. That explains why people who understood Jobs\u2019 vision for the organization didn\u2019t mind having their projects canceled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to get back to the basics of great products, great marketing, and great distribution.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><b>Communicate a compelling vision to your team to lend direction to your passion and get people to buy into your ideas.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Customer-centric Approach: Listen and Respond<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jobs identified slow manufacturing supplier and distribution channel pipelines as some of Apple\u2019s most significant weaknesses. He overhauled these pipelines, removing inventory from them and focusing on communicating with customers in real time about their needs. No one is smart enough to guess five to six months in advance what the customer wants, Jobs said in his speech.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The customer defines the direction of the organization\u2019s distribution efforts, according to Jobs. He promised his audience significant innovations in the manufacturing and distribution side of the business to align it better with its customers\u2019 needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Align your organization\u2019s short and long-term strategy with the needs of your customers based on the feedback they provide.<\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h3>Brand Values: Communicate Core Beliefs<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through the success of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/are.berkeley.edu\/~sberto\/2009Got_Milk.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGot Milk?\u201d campaign<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Jobs realized people responded better to brand values than product-focused advertising. He aligned Apple\u2019s \u201cThink Different\u201d campaign with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cthe misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes,\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people capable of out-of-the-box thinking and innovation, making their genius the guiding compass of the organization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By defining Apple\u2019s brand values, Jobs also proclaimed his vision for the company: an innovator willing to go the distance to change the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21844 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/4.jpeg\" alt=\"motivational quote\" width=\"325\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/4.jpeg 325w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/4-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/4-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/4-50x50.jpeg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Created with Quozio<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Determine why your organization exists, what it wants to accomplish, and what values your brand stands for, and communicate it to people.<\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h3>Emotional Appeal: Connect on a Personal Level<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Steve Jobs\u2019 marketing techniques are customer-centric. The \u201cHere\u2019s to the Crazy Ones\u201d ad of the \u201cThink Different\u201d campaign is a skillfully crafted appeal to emotion, humanity, and temerity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its message resonates deeply with the audience to this day, as it unites us in our humanity. It is also a textbook example of emotional storytelling in ads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9-ZB2O8azI8?si=nMVaATyFVjSaab0H\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" frameborder=\"&quot;\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apple celebrates the accomplishments of people like Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ganhdi \u2013 and by aligning with these great historical figures, the company implies its products will also change the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Emotional storytelling always engages the audience.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>If you\u2019re looking to create high-quality content that resonates with your audience, you can \u201cthink different\u201d with the award-winning Media Shower marketing platform. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/user\/free_trial\">Click here for a free trial<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marketers continue turning to Steve Jobs\u2019 1997 speech Think Different for inspiration. Learn what communication techniques he uses and how his messaging works. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":21840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[459],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21839"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21839"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21848,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21839\/revisions\/21848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}