‍

Context and perspective

It's been over 25 years since this video was recorded. Still, it remains one of the greatest speeches about branding I've ever come across. If you're considering a rebrand for your company, you owe it to yourself to watch (and re-watch) this clip for its timeless lessons. 

When Steve Jobs returned as interim CEO in 1997, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy, with losses of $1 billion that year alone. Before him, a revolving door of executives spectacularly drove down Apple's iconic brand into a soulless generic computer manufacturer. They even licensed the Mac operating system to clone makers, cannibalizing its own products.

The turnaround moment

In one of his first presentations to his staff, Jobs explained in his characteristic simple way how revitalizing the brand was critical to its survival. He then premiered the famous "Think Different" campaign TV spot to great applause.

Watch the video, and we'll discuss more on the other side:

Key lessons and takeaways

• Patience and action is crucial: If you look at the illustrated timeline below, the 1997 brand campaign didn't immediately result in a stock price spike. Without a new product to sell, the goal of the rebrand was to reframe the narrative and remind the world what the Apple brand stands for. Promises aren't enough, though. It still needed to execute and launch innovative products to get skeptical audiences coming back. A year later, Job introduced the candy-colored iMacs, then '1,000 songs in your pocket' with the iPod, and of course, the 'one more thing' that combined the iPod, phone, and internet communicator into a single device. (Watch here)

• Prioritize internal branding: Contrary to conventional belief, "Think Different" was as much an internal mantra as it was an external campaign. It galvanized Apple employees and became a rallying cry to challenge the status quo. Most importantly, Job backed up his word with action by eliminating 70% of the product line, dismantling silos, and returning to its roots as a customer-centric and innovation-led company

• Be bold and contrarian: My advice for anyone seeking brand strategy advice is to observe your industry norms and then explore doing the opposite. Markets are noisy and chaotic. Your brand will never stand out by being slightly better than your competitors. It requires a willingness to be radically different. Very few company leaders are willing to do that; they will avoid risk and find safety in industry best practices. This means those who are ready to do this we be the ones that will change the world and become deservingly memorable.