Apple’s tagline, coined in 1997 by its (supposed) rebel leader Steve Jobs, is “Think Different.”
Like all marketing taglines, it invokes an emotional response that helps you identify your tribe. And like all great taglines, it’s abstract enough that we can fit it into our personal worldview.
“I want to be different. I think of myself as different. These products are the flags that show the world that I’m different. I’m buying.”
Recently, Apple has made or at least threatened a couple of moves that seem hypocritical to the “Think Different” slogan. They’ve limited the use of AirDrop in China and threatened to drop Twitter from its platform. Although they’ve not released a formal statement as to the reasons, one can infer the following:
- They have limited AirDrop in China due to pressure/alignment with the Chinese government
- They have threatened to drop Twitter due to pressure/alignment with the political left
I often wonder how Steve Jobs would handle the current cultural climate. He loved to pit himself and his company against the establishment, but like many silicon valley moguls, he seemed a bit confused — a businessman with a Cali progressive twist.
Both of these moves seem to go along with establishment thinking rather than thinking different. But is it hypocrisy?
Whenever we raise an eyebrow at a tribe that appears to be acting hypocritical, we must remember that their true ideology is gaining and maintaining power.
The rest is just a tagline.
