Congratulations… The Apple Advantage

Posted by Simon in Apple with One Response

A shiny new Time Capsule 500GB arrived at my door today. Receiving a package that you know is packed with shiny new electronics is always exciting, but receiving one from Apple ramps up my expectations somewhat.

There’s definitely something about the way Apple packages their products. This is, after all, just a wireless router, but opening it is like unveiling a piece of jewelry. You open the box like a book, revealing the Time Capsule, presented to you. I wanted to make sure that I got everything right. I know how complicated wireless networks can be, I’ve already got one, so I wanted to make sure I got this right.

So I took the unusual step of reading the manual. Not something I’d usually do, but I felt it important this time. While reading the manual, however, I came across the following, right on the first page.

I was struck by the phrase used. Most companies Thank You for buying their product. They are grateful for your custom and hope you will return again. Apple, on the other hand, take a completely different approach and Congratulate You on buying their product. This conjures up two thoughts in my mind. Firstly, Apple is congratulating me on making the right choice, the choice to buy an Apple product over another manufacturer’s. Secondly, it’s almost implying that I’m lucky to be in possession of this piece of engineering. Making it seem rare and special, even if it’s not. While the MacBook Air may be difficult to get hold of, I’m not aware the Time Capsule is in the same situation.

The net result is every time you open an Apple Product, be it a £30 iPod shuffle or a £2000 Mac Pro, you feel important, special, privileged even. It’s something very few brands, even luxury ones, can pull off.

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