There is a lot to learn from the success of wearable technology. Apple Watch success was a big part of the best quarter in Apple's history. In 2018, Apple watch success contributed to Apple's quarter.
The wearable technology reached with over 50% growth in revenue and double-digit growth in every geographic segment. Apple isn't the only brand that experienced success.
After generating 7 years of losses, Fitbit went from flab to fab generating over $700 million in less than five years. Whether you are in the fitness or technology industries or not, there are lessons to learn from Apple Watch success and Fitbit.
It's important to know that Steve Jobs and Apple made visionary moves that paid off years later. In the year 200o's, Apple was investing heavily with a negative bottom line. In 2014, it made 57X the revenue from 2001. After decades of work, they went from crazy to genius overnight.
Whether you even knew about Apple Watch success or Fitbit until now or not, there are lessons to learn from their success. Their results speak for themselves.
Ever wondered how the success of Apple Watch and Fitbit could be replicated? Discover the secrets to why the fitness trackers walk themselves off the shelf.
10 Lessons to Learn
There is lessons to learn from Apple watch and Fitbit success. Apple revolutionized technology and made a movement. There is a good chance you are reading this on an Apple device. Although many people today have no idea, neither Apple or Fitbit is an overnight success story.
Apple was co-founded the company in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, In 1983, with an ineffective marketing strategy and decreasing sales, Jobs was removed from the company.
Steve Jobs came back in 1998 and the company experienced some profitability. The payoff came much later with Apple being the first company to reach a trillion. Fitbit has a much shorter history.
Fitbit was born in 2007 with a mission to live a healthier and active life. The founders Eric and James realized wearable technology could bring a great experience to fitness. It took them years to figure it out before generating 9 figure results in less than five years.
The end of 2018 finished with Apple watch success dominating with over half of the market share. At the same time, Fitbit quadrupled its sales at the end of 2018. Apple watch success and Fitbit results provide valuable lessons learned for any business.
Both learned from early challenges and continue to refine their marketing and business. While the Apple Watch success benefits both for the Apple brand and wearable technology users, Fitbit focuses on fitness and lifestyle impacts.
No matter what business you are in, you can learn from them. Here are 10 lessons to learn from the success of Apple Watch and Fitbit.
Apple Watch Success
Passion fuels purpose. Purpose fuels profits. Apple watch success and Fitbit both underline how and why passion is important. If neither of the founders and the companies had passion, likely they would have quit long ago.
Passion is everything. It is the driver that keeps you persisting long after any sane person would. It's what keeps you overcoming the setbacks all entrepreneurs face. It builds rock-solid resistance and it builds resistance against the naysayers who won't support your vision.
If you don't believe in your vision, how will anyone else? The most successful entrepreneurs are passionate and purposeful about their mission and movement. The services and products help drive the impact on people.
Successful entrepreneurs and companies are passionate about their missions. They’re passionate about what their products or services mean to the lives of their customers. They’re passionate about making an impact, disrupting industries, and changing the world.
How are you passionate? Does your brand demonstrate passion? How often? What could you do to increase your passion?
Inspiring Values
Apple watch success and Fitbit both tie to inspiring values. It's about connecting with people on a deeper emotional level far beyond the products. Steve Jobs and Apple talked about it's important to leave a lasting impacting about value with marketing. Fitbit focused on changing lives in health for people.
Both bands ultimately focused on inspiring values from the inside out. It's important to think about how your business is inspiring values in the community. Do you have values written out for the company? Are you reviewing then daily? How do you share them with others?
Mastering a Mission
Mastering a mission helps ground you on where the brand is going. It helps you and the business get over any temporary pain. Building a brand requires being a representation of the brand yourself.
Apple watches' success may be tied to some of the best speeches in corporate history given by Steve Jobs. One of his speeches is still considered the best presentation of all time. He spoke with passion and mission mastery. The world listened.
Are you mastering a mission? Speaking to people about your mission and message is essential to build your brand. How often do you communicate the mission? Do you believe in your mission? How clear are you when you share?
Sharing Hope
Anyone can sell a product. When you share hope, you share possibilities. Apple and Fitbit both share hopes and dreams. Their marketing strategies connect with people's emotions.
Apple connected sharing hope, dreams, and vision of changing the world. Fitbit connected to fitness, activities, and results of a better body and life. Businesses globally could learn from them in every way.
How do you share hope? Do you share the vision? Are you showing results?
Persisting Determination
Most businesses fail in less than 10 years. Apple and Fitbit experienced numerous failures on their journey to success but did not quit. The choice to persist at all costs may be the second most important lesson learned from both of these brands.
Passion keeps you going well beyond the point of sanity. There is a choice to do the work and take action day in and day out. Not everyone takes it. Champions are made when they choose to keep going against all odds.
Are you practising persisting determination? Do you choose to get up every day and fight for your vision? How do you inspire others on your team or community to do the same?
Looks and Quality Matters
Apple and Fitbit created great products with great design, simplicity, and functionality. The looks and quality of the products matter. Apple and Fitbit knew the cooler the products look, the better. They foresaw what the world needed before the world even knew, we entered a new era of personalised fashion.
For Steve Jobs and thousands on his team, product quality came first with marketing strategies. In a famous quote: Steve Jobs on marketing said:
“It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want...
Are your products best in class? What could you do to improve the design? How could you exceed expectations? How could you simplify your products and services?
Experiencing the Brand
The best brands understand providing people with an opportunity in experiencing the brand goes far. Apple and Fitbit have included this in their marketing strategies. With Apple, you are given personal hands-on experience, demos and tutorials to make sure you are set up for success. Apple took experiencing the brand to new levels.
Fitbit created a movement via social media to help people move and form communities. In both cases, the brands organically and authentically created raving fans.
How do you offer opportunities to experience your brand? Are there hands-on demos? Do you listen and learn so you improve consistently?
Making a Movement
Making a movement is where marketing is going today. Apple watch success and Fitbit are largely due to this. Technology, smartphones, and social media changed the game when it comes to marketing.
Taking your vision and mission and making a movement online to start helps draw people to you. They want to be a part of what you are creating.
Sharing your story and vision with passion will resonate with people. Keep talking and before you know it, you will have a community that can't stop talking about you.
There are many ways to do this online. Keep in mind that Apple or Fitbit didn't have when they first started. Everyone starts at zero. Know who you are talking to. Authenticity and integrity will help in making a movement faster.
Are you making a movement online? How are you using social media? Do you use influencer marketing? Are you using live events?
Learn from Failures
Too many times entrepreneurs and companies don't learn from failures. They either sweep failures under the rug, keep repeating them or blame others for their failures.
Taking ownership of wins and losses is part of leadership. Even if the loss was something outside of your control, it is still an opportunity to learn. The best entrepreneurs and CEOS adopt a mindset of overcoming obstacles.
Apple watch success and Fitbit largely demonstrate this in every way. Despite the obstacles both businesses have faced, they persisted and learned from their failures. This leadership ties to humility and coachability as well.
How could you learn from your failures? Do you talk about lessons learned with any project? Do you have a community that openly and respectfully shares lessons learned?
Disrupting Industries
Disrupting industries takes tough skin. Apple demonstrates this from the iPod to the iPhone and now with Apple watch success. Fitbit understood it was disrupting fitness and technology simultaneously.
When you disrupt with vision and innovation, people get uncomfortable. Apple and Fitbit were not immune in any way. It's important to understand this and prepare yourself mentally.
Disruption and innovation should never end. The best creators and CEOs know that technology, media, and methods will change. The ability of Apple and Fitbit to resist and persist contributed to their success. The leaders knew that fighting for their vision and mission was necessary to succeed.
When you look at your business, are you disrupting? Are you thinking outside the box? Do you implement creative strategies? Are you taking risks? Do you challenge the status quo?
You are not born to fit in. You are born to stand out. Your business should be the same.
Learn from the Success of Apple Watch and Fitbit
Apple watch success and Fitbit show us lessons learned in many ways. It's easy to celebrate success because we see it. The passion, vision, and determination led both brands to overcome obstacles along the way.
There is no arguing that Apple and Fitbit have both experienced success through innovation, disruption, and movements. As the leaders and brands persevered, the path was revealed step by step.
With a will to win, decades after starting, Apple reached a trillion in sales. This win includes a history of many failures. By making a movement, Fitbit succeeded in reaching profits after years of losses.
These lessons from the success of Apple and Fitbit may apply to your business no matter what industry you are in. These principles of passion, purpose, and profits are timeless. It's important to create a culture that makes movements.
To start improving your business today, start applying these lessons learned. For the next 90 days, choose 1-3 lessons to apply. Learning from the failures and successes of others is wisdom. It can prevent you years of pain when you apply the lessons learned.
What action will you take next to improve your business with these lessons learned?
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