In a recent opinion piece, my colleague Danny Mendez expressed his view that Apple is only limiting themselves by how they allow their products to be distributed and utilized; however, Apple’s grossly popular public image and current success is based only on the work of Apple’s marketing team to create an image of elitism, popularity and exclusivity.

First, it is worth noting that Apple’s numbers are skyrocketing; with over a million iPhones sold in less than 4 months, a new lineup of iPods hitting stores, and a newly-revised iMac walking the streets, Apple has just mounted the next plateau of its success.

If it is as my colleague alleges, that Apple’s technology is expensive and nearly unattainable, what with sparse retail locations and little distribution in major electronic retail locations, how could Apple possibly be snowballing success and sales so quickly?

The answer is that very same exclusivity that keeps Apple from distributing its technology to multiple retailers, and from involving itself in business practices that would seem to be only beneficial.

Apple isn’t just a great technology company. Apple is an idea. Apple is an image. Apple is a finely-tuned machine that creates a desire in consumers’ hearts to be part of whatever it is Apple has going.

It isn’t just about shiny white casings and trendy commercials; if Apple were to start distributing its products en-mass to large retailers, they would lose the exclusive image they’ve worked so hard to create, thus killing consumers’ desire to be part of something exclusive.

In respects of distribution of their products to large retailers, Apple handles themselves much like Bose (who, also, sell products based on an image, not on the actual electronics); Bose creates sound-perfect, trendy environments in their retail locations so consumers understand the idea behind being a Bose owner. Apple creates the same environment in their own stores, and if they were to allow Best Buy, Circuit City and others to throw their computers up, willy nilly, the image of Apple would be tainted.

Mendez also argues that Apple is doing itself a disservice by “refusing” to change its ways and promote integration in corporate America; nothing could be further from the truth. Apple and Steve Jobs would be thrilled to grab hold of the businesses of America. However, corporate America is so entrenched in the Microsoft world of technology, it is the corporations and businesses that fear switching to Apple, not the other way around.

Where Windows-based PC’s are relatively cost effective, a complete overhauling to an Apple-based business would be fairly expensive; IT departments would need to refocus the training of their employees to become Mac-centric, and productivity would definitively drop as employees work to switch focuses to Mac.

That, however, is not reflective of Apple’s refusal to take over the business world.

Mendez continues by holding that iTunes is not efficiently distributing music and video as they still conform to DRM protection; those allegations are simply laughable, as iTunes is the second largest distributor of music behind Wal-Mart, and Steve Jobs has already expressed his own displeasure over having to use DRM protection.

In truth, the only reason Apple uses DRM is because the entertainment industry demands the protection be used; Apple could not have achieved its current status if it refused to play by the rules implemented by the music industry currently. Most notably, the European Union has deemed the distribution of DRM-protected material in violation of consumer rights, and Apple more than willingly is working towards abandoning such protections.

If Apple were to abandon its “niche market,” as Mendez calls it, they would become just another computer and technology manufacturer with nothing going for it but flashy white cases and nifty media player designs. The fastest way Apple could go down the drain is to abandon the elite image it has worked so hard to create; be prepared for Apple hype to reach even higher level of hysteria, and don’t expect to see Apple trying to be more like the Dell or Hewlett Packard…after all, look where they’re at, and look at where Apple stands…enough said.

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Entry was posted on Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 11:09 am under Apple, Microsoft, Opinion.

Read more entries by Triston McIntyre.
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