Think Different

If there ever was any doubt about the “features or benefits?” argument, this story should settle it.

In 1983, Apple launched their computer, LISA, which incidentally was the last project Steve Jobs worked on before he was unceremoniously fired. The product launch featured a nine-page ad in the New York Times spelling out the computer’s technical features. Nine pages of geek talk that nobody cared about.

Not surprisingly, the computer was a disaster.

What made Steve Jobs different was that he came back, and clearly learned a lot from his mistakes. The next Apple launch had just two words: “Think different.”

Today, Apple is the largest technology company in the world.

What changed?

Instead of putting technology first, Apple put people first. Their stories. Their lives. Their challenges. The story of Apple isn’t about Apple, it’s about you.

Tapping into people’s stories—how your product benefits them—is too powerful to ignore. You can do the same by identifying what your customers want, defining their challenges, and offering a tool to express themselves. Ultimately, people don’t buy the “best” products. They buy products that best “relate to their own story.”?