Can Apple Survive without Steve Jobs?

What should a company do when the personal brand and the corporate brand are inextricably linked?

Let’s face it – Apple IS Steve Jobs. There are few companies in the world where the personal brand of the CEO and the corporate brand are virtually one in the same. Branson and Virgin. Gates and Microsoft are two others that immediately come to mind.

Although the CEO is always an important brand asset, it is rare that the CEO IS the brand. This clearly has both positive and negative implications.

Without Jobs, Apple wouldn’t be what it is. If he hadn’t returned to the company, it probably would have imploded (it was in a downward spiral for years). Jobs did a great job of hiring talent that was critical to the Apple transformation, so even though Jobs is the face of Apple, there is a solid team of professionals. And Apple now has 32,000 employees!

Yet, even with an incredible team of leaders and professionals, none has the visibility or credibility with the market – and now that Jobs is taking a medical leave, it will be hard to transition the brand value. It took years for that to happen at Microsoft as Gates passed the reigns onto Ballmer. Yet even today, when you think Microsoft, you think Bill Gates.

Apple has made many mistakes that could have a detrimental impact on the future of the company that changed computing, the way we listen to music and the way we use our mobile phones. The first mistake was not introducing us to other key leaders in the company. If we had started hearing from another visionary in the company, we would be more comfortable with Jobs’ leave.

The second mistake Apple made was the lack of information about Steve Jobs’ health (causing lots of speculation). We watched Jobs’ health deteriorate – but without word from Apple. When Jobs didn’t do his normal MacWorld keynote – everyone knew there was a major problem. That all could have been avoided if we had been introduced to another Apple face at high profile events and in the press.

Will Apple recover?

The way Apple handles Jobs’ illness from now on will decide the fate of the company.

Comments

[Jason Brett]

From a PR and branding perspective, your commentary has some merit. Certainly Apple is synonymous with Jobs, and it is clear that Steve has been the driving force behind Apple's product strategy and focus.

But to assume that the way Apple handle's Steve Jobs' illness has any impact on the fate of the company or it's brand is a false connection.

Apple has enjoyed her recent success based on quality product development and brilliant product marketing, coupled with superior customer service. Jobs drove those things, and hopefully built a culture within the company to continue delivering those things with or without him.

Apple's brand power is based on a reputation for quality, not PR skill.

[Pinny Cohen]

Apple certainly benefits from the aura that surrounds Steve Jobs, so they will obviously take a hit from that were he to leave the company.

I don't know that it would topple Apple, but it will certainly be worse off.

[Sue Brettell]

I've always wondered the same thing about Richard Branson. What would Virgin be without him at the helm – bringing his highly visible personal brand attributes of risk-taking, forward thinking, gung-ho enthused, woolly-sweatered beardiness? (The rumpled student image persists even when he's wearing a suit.)

Steve Jobs has a similar approach with an image that is consistently relaxed and informal. He looks like he'd be at home in an ad agency, on a film set or a student campus, just right for his target audience. He's become synonymous with Apple because he's not a "suit". It's deceptive of course, because he's an accomplished presenter and highly professional. Compare his keynotes with those of Bill Gates.

Apple aficionados enjoy being distinct and slightly rebellious. They adore attention to detail and cutting edge design and technology. As long as Apple retains it's image of exclusivity and creative genius, doesn't become bland like Microsoft, I'm sure it will survive.

Dare I start a debate about Bill Gates leaving Microsoft?