From Product Innovation to Emotional Resonance: Take Apple as an

Example

Zicong Wei

Suzhou Fenghua International School, 215000 Jiangsu, China

Keywords: Product Innovation, Emotional Resonance, Omni-Channel Strategy.

Abstract: In today's fiercely competitive market environment, brand marketing has become a key factor for the success

of enterprises. This research focuses on how brands in the new era can achieve a leap from product innovation

to emotional resonance with consumers through omni-channel strategies. It takes Apple as a case for in-depth

analysis. Through case analysis and literature research, it is found that Apple relies on continuous product

innovation, such as the continuous upgrading of the iPhone series, combined with a full range of online and

offline marketing channels, including the visual display of the official website and the experiential marketing

of offline stores, it has successfully established a strong emotional connection with consumers and achieved

the improvement of brand loyalty. Research shows that enterprises should pay attention to omnichannel

marketing strategies and combine product innovation with emotional resonance to improve brand

competitiveness. So that the product stands out in the fierce market competition.

1 INTRODUCTION

This study focuses on omnichannel marketing, an

emerging and increasingly important market strategy.

In the current business environment, with the rapid

development of technology and the increasing

diversification of consumer needs, traditional

marketing methods have gradually become unable to

meet the growth needs of enterprises (Li, 2010).

Omni-channel marketing, as a strategy that integrates

online and offline resources, and aims to provide

consumers with a seamless and unified shopping

experience, has become an important part of modern

enterprise competition. Especially for sole

proprietors, how to stand out among many

competitors through effective marketing means and

gain market share is of great practical significance.

Through this all-round marketing method, enterprises

can more accurately target customer groups and

continuously interact with consumers through

multiple channels, to improve customer loyalty and

satisfaction, and finally achieve long-term brand

building and market share.

In this study, Apple's marketing strategy, as the

core object of analysis, is important exemplary, and

representative. Through its strong brand effect and

innovative product lines, Apple has successfully

applied omni-channel marketing to practical

operations, forming a comprehensive marketing

system that complements online and offline. Apple's

success lies not only in the uniqueness of its products,

but also in its accurate market positioning and the

effective integration of multi-channel marketing.

Apple has combined with traditional physical retail

partners through its own retail stores, official

websites, App Store and other online channels to

achieve multiple contact points covering consumers,

thus improving its market penetration rate and user

stickiness.

To further verify the effect of omni-channel

marketing, this study adopts literature analysis as the

main research method (Yang, 2007). The advantage

of the literature analysis method is that it can

comprehensively and deeply sort out and summarize

the research results of predecessors, and reveal its

advantages, disadvantages, and differentiation in

actual operation through the comparison of different

channel marketing methods (Spirit, 2020). In this

way, it can provide a more scientific basis for the

strategy formulation of omnichannel marketing from

the perspective of theory and practice. At the same

time, through literature analysis, researchers can also

learn lessons from the successful experiences and

failure cases of different enterprises, providing

valuable references for sole proprietorships in

implementing omnichannel marketing.

Wei, Z.

From Product Innovation to Emotional Resonance: Take Apple as an Example.

DOI: 10.5220/0014112600004942

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management (APMM 2025), pages 291-295

ISBN: 978-989-758-791-7

291

The ultimate goal of this study is to understand

and master diversified marketing theories and

practical methods and provide strategic guidance for

enterprises in the omni-channel marketing

environment. To achieve this goal, the research not

only analyzes from multiple angles and examines the

integration effect of different channels, but also

explores the depth of the implementation of

marketing strategies. Through a comprehensive

analysis of different marketing models, it aims to

provide insights with theoretical and practical value

for future marketing practices and promote

enterprises to achieve sustainable development in the

fierce market competition.

2 BACKGROUND

In today's digital brands, there are endless marketing

"traps" of various manufacturers, and consumers are

usually induced by diversified and high-quality

marketing methods to make irrational consumption.

The development of marketing strategy is

indispensable for the control of data and accurate

step-by-step operation. Most companies have

continuous follow-up technology iteration and

product innovation, but why has Apple always been

at the top of the market in the field of digital products?

How can Apple provide personalized services and

products for different customer groups? How to enter

the market, open up the market, expand the market

and occupy the market through multi-faceted

expansion, multi-channel trade and multi-

dimensional summary?

As one of the oligarchs of digital products, Apple

realizes its own "followers" through a variety of

means. From a macro perspective, Apple mainly

promotes efficient innovation strategies and high-

quality user experience to attract high-quality

consumers. However, its means are roughly divided

into name and reality, and the name is similar to

advertising marketing, brand stories and value

propositions, etc. are actually similar to retail

strategies, hunger marketing, etc. These two means

make full use of the concept of "people", that is, why

people buy goods and how people buy goods. In

hunger marketing, Apple will never let its products

overflow in the market. It has always been in short

supply. It captures people's vanity and irrational

behavior to create an illusion that people can't buy

without buying, thus inducing consumption and

maintaining the high value and scarcity of products.

Apple usually renders some distinctive cultural

colors to its products to enhance their product value

and image. For example, the special customized

design styles of "birthday apple" and "love apple" will

make consumers feel fresh or representative, and then

consume and buy. This strategy not only improves the

added value of the product, but also meets the

emotional needs of specific occasions.

The eve of Apple's occupation of the market was

continuous technological innovation. Until January 9,

2007, former CEO Steve Jobs released the first

iPhone, which adopted a touch screen operation and

a design without a physical keyboard for the first

time. Since then, the iPhone has become an epoch-

making product. Product, which also makes Apple the

dark horse of the digital session.

3 LITERATURE REVIEW

In brand marketing in the new era, with the

development of digital technology and the continuous

changes in consumer demand, the data-driven

marketing model has gradually become mainstream

(Cai, 2019). The view of "marketing is to sell

products with numbers" put forward by Kevin Claes

is one of the core concepts of "data-driven marketing"

(Cui, 2018). Data-driven marketing emphasizes

helping enterprises make more scientific and accurate

decisions in the process of product marketing and

promotion by collecting, analyzing, and utilizing a

large amount of consumer data (Yu, 2017). By

analyzing consumers' purchasing behavior,

preferences, emotional reactions, and other data,

enterprises can have a clearer insight into market

trends, to formulate marketing strategies that better

meet customer needs and improve marketing

effectiveness. Emotional Marketing was written by

Scott Robinett, which points out that the current

marketing concept is no longer to attract consumers

with the quality and value of products but to give full

play to the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

brought by emotional value to customers, to drive

consumer desire and enhance consumer resonance. In

today's competitive market, consumers not only pay

attention to product quality and service quality but

also pay more attention to the emotional experience

brought by products or services. Emotional marketing

can be aimed at this by touching the emotions of

consumers to establish bonds so that consumers can

establish a sense of identity and loyalty to their

brands.

Philip Kotler proposed the 4P combination

marketing theory, product, price, place, and

promotion (Wu, 2016). This output makes sales more

systematic and professional, providing a systematic

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framework. Enterprises can formulate comprehensive

and effective marketing strategies through

comprehensive analysis and optimization of these

four elements.

In addition, data-driven marketing strategies also

provide strong support for omni-channel marketing

(Huang, 2016). Omni-channel marketing requires

enterprises to achieve seamless docking of

information and resources between multiple channels

to ensure the consistency of consumers' experience at

different contact points. Through data integration,

enterprises can obtain real-time data in all channels,

ensure the coordination of marketing activities of

different channels, avoid information duplication or

omission, and improve user experience. For example,

between its online stores and physical retail stores,

Apple integrates user information through data

sharing and analysis, ensuring that customers'

purchasing experience in different channels is

consistent, thus enhancing the influence and market

competitiveness of the brand.

In general, the data-driven marketing model

provides strong support for the implementation of

omni-channel marketing, which can not only help

enterprises identify target customers more accurately

and improve marketing efficiency, but also optimize

resource allocation and improve customer experience

(Qiu, 2015). Through this model, enterprises can gain

more advantages in market competition and

maximize brand value. Therefore, exploring the

combination of data-driven marketing and omni-

channel marketing is of great significance to brand

marketing in the new era, especially in the successful

practice of innovative enterprises such as Apple, data-

driven marketing has become an important force to

promote the sustainable growth of brands.

4 CASE ANALYSIS

Theoretically speaking, Apple makes full use of the

advanced and perfect service process of technology to

meet the various requirements of most consumers. Its

stores are global and growing steadily and pays

attention to online and offline omni-channel

marketing (Liu, 2014). The interface of Apple's

official e-commerce platform is neat, and the layout

is clear, which allows customers to directly lock

themselves. The demand, the search function is

powerful and intelligent, personalized

recommendations fit customer preferences, and push

multiple related products to improve customer

experience and purchase conversion rate. At the same

time, it is equipped with a perfect after-sales

guarantee. Offline physical stores create a good

experience environment, the decoration style is close

to local characteristics, simple and fashionable, and

divided in the store (Li, 2023). Clear areas such as

sales experience area, after-sales service area, etc.

However, it is expensive, the process is cumbersome,

and there are very few branches that cannot take care

of all customers, which also leads to Apple's

oligarchy rather than monopoly. Scientific and

technological innovation is always the leading

concept of the industry. Apple's annual equipment

update, and technological breakthroughs have also

made it an unstoppable sword in the international

digital field.

In summary, Apple's marketing strategy in the

digital product market is constantly changing

according to the background of the times (Cai and

Chen, 2024). Innovation-driven, emotional marketing

and omni-channel strategy have achieved a leading

position in the global market. However, in recent

years, there has been no great breakthrough in

technology, resulting in poor reviews. In the digital

era, more scientific and technological innovation is

needed to achieve economic benefits.

5 DISCUSSION

In today's surging digital wave, brand marketing is

undergoing profound changes. From product

innovation to emotional resonance, the brand

marketing omni-channel strategy in the new era has

become the key magic weapon for enterprises to win.

Apple is a model, which is worth in-depth discussion

and analysis.

Apple's brilliant achievements come first of all

from its persistent and outstanding product

innovation ability. Take iPhone as an example, it

completely subverts the concept of traditional mobile

phones. From the original multi-touch technology,

people have said goodbye to the shackles of physical

keyboards and opened a new human-computer

interaction mode; to the continuous upgrade of high-

definition cameras, making photography a convenient

tool for the public to record beautiful moments

anytime and anywhere; and then to the smooth

running speed brought by powerful chips, satisfying

users' efficient processing The needs of various

complex tasks. These technological innovations are

not only functional breakthroughs, but also implicitly

change people's lifestyles, social patterns and work

habits, creating unprecedented value experiences for

users.

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293

However, Apple did not stop at product

innovation, but cleverly used omni-channel strategies

to closely connect products with consumers, thus

stimulating emotional resonance. In terms of physical

channels, Apple retail stores are like the temple of

science and technology, carefully located in the

bustling core areas of major cities around the world.

The decoration style of the store is simple,

fashionable and full of technological sense. As soon

as you step in, you can feel the unique brand

atmosphere. In the exhibition area, all kinds of

products are displayed in an orderly manner.

Consumers can freely touch and operate each product

at zero distance, and experience its exquisiteness in

person. And those well-trained, enthusiastic and

professional "Genius Bar" staff are always ready to

answer questions for customers and provide

professional technical support and personalised

suggestions for use. This kind of face-to-face in-depth

interactive communication makes consumers truly

feel valued and cared for, so as to plant the seeds of

favourability for the brand in the bottom of their

hearts.

Online channels are another important support for

Apple to build an emotional bridge between brands

and consumers. With its simple, clear and informative

interface design, the official website

comprehensively displays Apple's various product

lines, detailed technical parameters, rich software

ecology and intimate after-sales service, which

provides sufficient information reference for

consumers before making purchase decisions. At the

same time, Apple's official flagship stores on major

e-commerce platforms also ensure that consumers

can conveniently buy their favourite products and

enjoy efficient and fast logistics and distribution

services. In addition, Apple's social media account is

even more active. By releasing exquisite product

promotional videos, touching user stories, cutting-

edge scientific and technological information, and

creative brand activities and other contents, it has

attracted the attention and participation of a large

number of fans, which has greatly enhanced the

communication power and influence of the brand and

made the brand shape It is constantly vivid and

deepening in the minds of consumers.

More importantly, Apple has realised the

seamless integration and coordinated development of

physical channels and online channels. For example,

consumers can easily make an appointment for new

product experience activities or maintenance services

online, and then go to a nearby retail store at a

specified time to enjoy exclusive services; or

complete product customisation and purchase online,

and choose home delivery or in-store pick-up. This

online and offline omni-channel interconnection

allows consumers to feel the consistency and

coherence of the Apple brand in different

consumption scenarios and contact points, and

experience all-round and integrated high-quality

services, thus further deepening the emotional

identity and dependence on the brand.

In summary, in the journey of brand marketing in

the new era, Apple takes excellent product innovation

as the engine and the all-round and multi-touch omni-

channel strategy as the wing, accurately understands

and meets the emotional needs of consumers, and

successfully establishes a unique and charming brand

image in the hearts of consumers. This undoubtedly

provides extremely valuable reference experience for

other enterprises, that is, in today's increasingly

serious product homogenisation, enterprises should

not only focus on product innovation, but also build

an omni-channel marketing system and build

emotional ties with consumers, so as to be invincible

in the fierce market competition and win The long-

term favour and loyal followers of the fee.

6 CONCLUSION

In a word, Apple has embarked on an excellent path

from product innovation to emotional resonance in

the journey of brand marketing in the new era, and its

omni-channel strategy is a model worth learning

from.

Apple has established a unique position in the

hearts of consumers with continuous product

innovation, such as the remodelling of iPhone's

mobile phone functions and experience, and the

expansion of iPad's mobile office entertainment

scenarios. These innovative products have become

powerful partners for people's life, work and study,

making users have initial trust and favour for the

Apple brand.

The omni-channel strategy further strengthens

this connection and generates emotional resonance. In

the physical store, the carefully created environment

and professional and considerate service allow

customers to feel the charm of the brand and form an

in-depth interaction. Online platforms, whether it is

the detailed information of the official website, the

convenient shopping process, or the creative publicity

and user interaction on social media, have widely

extended the brand's influence. The seamless

integration of online and offline, such as online

reservation and offline services, offline experience

and online purchase, allows consumers to experience

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the consistency and care of the brand at various

contact points.

This enlightens other enterprises that they need to

do both in brand marketing. On the one hand, we

should vigorously invest in product innovation to

truly solve the pain points of consumers and give

products unique value. On the other hand, build an

omni-channel marketing system, integrate physical

and online resources, pay attention to every link of

interaction with consumers, and accurately convey

the brand concept and emotional temperature. Only in

this way can we, like Apple, establish a deep

emotional bond in the hearts of consumers, so that the

brand is not only a commercial logo, but also a

symbol of lifestyle and emotional sustenance, so as to

stand out in the fierce market competition and lead

the way for a long time.

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