The phrase “line extension trap” was coined many years ago by marketing gurus Al Ries and Jack Trout to describe the disaster that occurs when a company extends its brand into an unrelated field.
And now, reportedly, Apple plans on doing just that, which is… a terrible idea.
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in the 90s, he spent an enormous amount of time just focusing the company back on its core products. It was a company with so many models, no one could figure out what was wwhat.
And now… it’s exploding outward again. Unfortunately, without a strong central guiding personality, these things typically happen.
One thing I can assure you: If this is true and Apple launches a car, it’s time to sell your Apple stock. It will not go well.
(And in case you’re hopeful, the photo in this blog is actually just a concept by Liviu Tudoran.)
2 replies on “Apple and the line-extension trap”
I don’t agree 100% here. Apple can add a lot of value to the vehicle experience. Vehicle are only going to get more technologically advanced. At some point, they will be THE most advanced thing a consumer buys. Whether Apple chooses to partner or buy a vehicle MFG company, we’ll find out. To me, this is a bold play but seemingly natural extension of their pursuit of elegance and ease of use in a UX.