It’s a crazy internet meme — you’ve probably seen the Blendtec guy already — but when I saw him destroy an iPad today, it gave me an idea. Blendtec’s literal blending of an iPad made me think of the way Apple has aggressively cannibalized its own lucrative markets to provide greater opportunity.

Think about it. Since the iPod launched, Steve Jobs has been on a path of brand destruction. With each successive iteration of the iPod, to the introduction of the iPhone and its variations, the iMac and MacBook Pro computers, and now the iPad, one thing has been in common: make sure the customer buys more of our stuff before they buy more of anybody else’s stuff. Brilliant idea, if you’ve got the product to back it up, and you’ve got the customer trained to believe in planned obsolescence.

Continue reading “Will it Blend? Apple Brand Cannibalization and New Opportunities” →