The success of a brand's communication, as much as the success of a corporate culture, is measured by the scale of its traditions: here, Apple's events follow a well-honed pattern that you can replicate for your corporate events:
- The announcement of the event
- The wait
- The show, which reignites anticipation
- The results
Step 1: The event announcement
Every year, the keynote announcing the iPhone takes place in the fall. And sometimes in the spring, Apple holds another themed keynote.
In 2019, from the announcement of the event to the conference itself, the Cupertino firm let rumors run free to build anticipation and suspense around the brand's new products. That year, invitations went out with a laconic description of the event: "it's showtime". More than an invitation, a promise, and above all a spark for the imagination!
The experience guests will come away with is not mentioned, no program is announced. Even the topic of the conference itself is teased! One caveat for anyone tempted to copy this too closely: only brands with enough authority can pull off these masterstrokes.
Step 2: Building anticipation for the event
During the wait, the public speculates since there's no program for the conference (which fuels the web with blog posts and news articles, further boosting visibility, while leaks and rumors from influencers circulate).
And in this case, the invitation itself is a clue about the event. Specialized sites and the general press alike started decoding the faint signals and building theories. Was the firm about to compete with Amazon and Netflix in streaming content? Why this guest list from the entertainment world?
Step 3: The show as the product of the event
At first, the event itself looks like a classic financial communication exercise. The company presents figures related to its various services. At the end of this presentation, the brand delivers a payoff: an announcement. This announcement is made with a strong celebrity presence (including Steven Spielberg).
There are some very good ideas here that etiquette purists will hate but that work well. Usually the speaker is announced. But after 1h38 Tim Cook disappears. Music plays in the background, an image briefly appears on screen. And then Oprah Winfrey steps into the light. Many audience members stand up. All the ingredients of the show come together: the teasing worked. Just like at the announcement of the very first iPhone, remember:
To sum up, the object of the anticipated event was an announcement, which itself generates more anticipation. This announcement isn't followed by any date. We'll have to wait until fall for details on the launch of Apple's streaming offer.
There were a huge number of photos, presentations of the service's general direction, and guest artists. But nothing else. While the public (the end customer) sometimes seems puzzled, the press is delighted. And that was exactly the goal of this conference and Apple's masterstroke: to boost awareness of a service that isn't even available yet, and to build anticipation for it.
Step 4: The results of the conference and the lessons
There are many lessons from Apple's keynotes. Tech Insider made an excellent video on the topic: the first thing to remember is that the event only has value because it's repeated.
Worth noting here is Apple's deliberate choice not to communicate any further, even after the event, in order to build anticipation both before and after the event itself, feeding the media frenzy.
But for the professional audience present that day, they left with the feeling of having witnessed a genuine Apple show experience, far more than a rundown of technical specifications.
Here the bet pays off, since every year the press waits for Apple, even though the brand's products have been much more criticized in substance in recent years. At the slightest release, Apple goes around the internet again, and it's this visibility (fueled by events) that helps guarantee the brand's staying power.
This type of event of course helps win new customers, not only for Apple's new streaming feature, but above all through the expansion of Apple's brand authority. The same goes for customer loyalty, which is also greatly improved: users are proud to be customers of a brand that gets people talking so much, and that has enough charisma to set the internet abuzz without even announcing a topic. The ROI of this kind of conference is measured in visibility and brand attachment, two areas where Apple already knows its subject inside out.
Apple's branding is so powerful because, for decades, they've been able to consistently create anticipation, the unexpected, and go against what's already being done: in the case of the apple brand, we can really talk about branding recognized for its pioneering spirit. Here the case is concrete: communication serves marketing and vice versa.
What lessons can I draw from this Apple case?
At Apple, the ritual is very simple and tied to the brand image. Apple pulled off the masterstroke of teasing an event that itself announces a new chapter and a new business unit for the brand.
The thing to remember here is that, just like Apple, you should make your event much more than an announcement, much more than an event: make it an experience.
Don't hesitate to create a clean, minimal invitation, add mystery and teasing around the event, invite the press if possible, etc. You can also use this type of template for other kinds of events: an amazing corporate seminar to thank your employees, for example.
In an event, never forget that success is measured by how you communicate beforehand.
