Apple's Crush Conundrum.

Today’s Marketing Cookie is about the power of brand positioning and the impact of consistent messaging.

When a business embraces positivity as its core brand value, it sets a powerful tone that resonates in the market. By consistently communicating in a positive manner, these companies become well-loved for lifting spirits and brightening days. Brands that radiate positivity attract customers who appreciate feeling uplifted and supported in their interactions. Many of the world’s most successful brands have positioned their identities around positivity.

On the opposite pole, negativity has its own compelling pull. In advertising, leveraging fear can be highly effective. Brands can tap into primal instincts, triggering a response that’s hardwired into every human. Fear-based advertising is powerful because it addresses deep-seated anxieties and concerns, making it almost impossible to ignore. Whether it’s the fear of missing out, the fear of loss, or the fear of danger, these messages resonate deeply and provoke immediate reactions.

Both brand positions and tactics are viable and powerfully attractive. However, when a brand gets its wires crossed and switches poles to communicate in a tone that contradicts its established identity, it can lead to disaster.

Traditionally, Apple has been a champion of creativity and innovation, positioning its products as tools that enhance human potential. However, the recent "Crush" campaign depicted many creative tools like pianos, paint cans, and books being literally crushed into the shape of an iPad, suggesting that technology was destroying human creativity and craftsmanship rather than enabling it.

The timing of the ad was viewed as tone-deaf by critics, as many creatives are already anxious about AI potentially replacing their livelihoods. Instead of celebrating creativity, the ad was perceived as Apple arrogantly suggesting its technology could replace traditional human creativity, damaging its reputation and undermining the positivity that has attracted so many loyal fans.

Within two days, Apple's VP of Marketing Communications apologized, admitting, "we missed the mark with this video," and the company pulled the ad from television. Quickly admitting a mistake seemed like Apple was moving back to its place of positivity, but as of this morning, the “Crush” video remains available online, continuing to gather millions of views. One has to wonder why.

Admitting a mistake and pulling a TV commercial but not fully cleansing the video's existence on every promotional platform Apple controls reduces the integrity of the apology. It’s like spilling a glass of milk, cleaning up half of the mess, and intentionally leaving the rest on the floor for everyone to see. 

To fully return to its positive brand position, Apple must remove the video entirely and pivot the brand tone back to embracing and enabling human creativity. Once the video is removed, Apple can work to restore the power of its magnetic attraction to its uplifting brand identity. Yet, day after day, the "Crush" video that Apple apologized for remains online. Today’s fortune says, “You have a magnetic personality.” Will you make it fully positive or negative?