What do the IPhone and stone tools have in common?

Why is Apple so successful?  I’m sure this is a question that many companies lose sleep over at night wondering about.  Looking at this question from a strictly anthropological perspective I have the answer.  Apple did two very important things right with their business strategy that clearly resonates with people all over the world.

The first thing Apple did was to make their brand something people not only wanted to buy, but also wanted to associate themselves with.  Even when early on they were beaten at dominating the home computer market by Microsoft their computers still had a mystique around them.  Even in the early years, a clear distinction developed between a Mac user and a PC user.

Their computers were technically easier to use, they had a more intuitive user interface, which Microsoft later modeled their Windows operating system after.  Even though they were more expensive than an IBM-clone-Microsoft computer they were still sought after by graphic artists and other visual-arts based professionals.  Calling one's self a "Mac User" was clearly a badge of honour and did signify as being someone different from the average computer user.  Identifying with the other has always had a certain appeal for people, we like to associate with specific groups and feel a connection with others who share our interests and especially share the way we think.  For well over two decades Apple has cultivated this image with its products and the obsessive way in which people follow its brand is clearly visible.  With the introduction of the portable IPod, the IPhone and the IPad, we come to the next piece of their success.

The second thing Apple did was create a hand held device that not only delivered on its promises but also gives a tactile interface that other hand held devices could not equal.  What the significance is of this type of finger interface (and not thumb interface) relates to, is with the stone tools our ancient ancestors used to use on a daily basis and rely on for their survival.

For approximately 1 million years during the Stone Age, the Acheulean hand axe was the most popular and widespread tool technology on the planet.  This technology has been found everywhere in the old world from South Africa to Europe and in parts of Asia where this tool represented the most advanced technology to date the world had ever seen.  According to archaeologists the reason for the widespread popularity of the Acheulean hand axe was its versatility (nicknamed the Swiss Army knife of the Stone Age).  It had a point for digging or piercing, two long edges for cutting, it was slightly larger than a person’s hand, and this gave it additional weight for crushing nuts and other vegetable matter.  

When the edges got dull, it could be retouched (sharpened) and be ready to use again.  The IPhone (and IPod touch) fits perfectly in the hand, and by using the touch screen people interact with the device on a more intuitive level, by spreading, sliding and tapping.  This creates a more natural interface that people clearly respond to.

By combining the behavioural tendency people have for wanting to be part of a group and a device that people interact with on a more natural level, Apple has developed the perfect brand.  In my opinion, this is how Apple made people want something they didn’t even realise they needed, because it resonates with them in this profound and meaningful way.

The IPhone, IPod touch and IPad are more than just communication devices, they are used for entertainment, artistic expression, photography and that’s just for starters.  Add the vast number of software applications (Apps) available and these devices are more versatile than any one person’s needs.  I realise it is a little insulting to compare the wondrous IPhone to an Acheulean hand axe stone tool.  The point here is that if the success of a stone tool is based on its usefulness to people all over the world, then this is the key to why the IPhone is also just as popular.  I’m sure Steve Jobs wouldn’t mind having the IPhone compared to a tool that lasted a million years, I’ll bet he would love to see the IPhone last that long.

What this means for market research and consumer trend specialists is that people are willing to spend money and time on something that they can use instinctively and easily.  Also by cultivating a mystique and trendiness around a product really attracts people to it.  But the caution here for marketers is a movement or trend must be real and sincere, for any long term benefit of a brand to accumulate and develop, people need to believe in a brand.  Now with the success of the touch smart phone and tablet computers, the cat is out of the bag and people will now expect and demand all their devices be as intuitive and natural to use as Apple devices.