The Marketing Lesson Of Steve Jobs

The marketer’s role is to educate, not sell.

Allison Johnson, former head of marketing at Apple during six years (2005-2011), was recently interviewed on stage at the 99U conference.

She shared many stories about Steve Jobs, including one I found particularly interesting about his vision of marketing.

(CC) Charis Tsevis

For Apple’s co-founder, marketing is very different from sales: Its mission is to educate customers about a given product and help them make the most of it. Therefore marketing differs from sales in purpose, approach, timing and implementation.

Too many companies still confuse marketing with sales, thereby confounding means and ends, short- and medium-term, inward focus and outward focus.