"Every product he crafts he regards as a sacred object, the primary aspiration of which is to incite naked lust."
It's hard to know if Steve Jobs really believes the products he develops are the equivalent of the tribal culture "fetish," but whether he does or not, he is able to impart that idea to those who will listen to him. That's part of the marketing genius he has.
My thought is that Jobs partly believes his own hype, but not completely. He knows he's a showman and performer, and in the business world, he's one of the best there is.
What's more important, he is able to transfer something of the superstition of tribal cultures into the minds modern-day people who should know better, but gladly follow their "prophet" of cool products, which many of his followers believe have a special, magical, inherent "spirit" residing within them.
Of course nobody says that, but the actions of the marketplace confirm it; not just recently, but over the years.
Now Jobs' challenge is to attempt to penetrate into the business world with his iPhone, which isn't as influenced by his marketing guru status. The practicality of business leaders keeps the influence of rhetoric, oratory skills and personality worship to a minimum. In other words, the products must stand on their practical funtionality, not the hyped magic a large number of consumers believe are inherent in an Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) product.
While businesses respect Jobs' skills in the consumer realm, they aren't as impressed by his abililty to understand what businesses want and need, as his track record has shown. They aren't as susceptable to being led as much as consumers are. In this area Jobs will have to prove himself.
Having said all that, in the consumer realm, Jobs is at about the top of the heap. His ability to get people to bypass their minds and buy into his vision of what they want and need, is probably unsurpassed in the business world today.
Communicating about his products in a way that is almost like a religious experience for the listeners, has been nothing other than genius. To believe about something like that, or at least make people believe you're a believer, is something worth exploring and looking at for any manager and marketing department.
My thought is that while Jobs is aware of what he's doing, deep down a part of him really believes what he's saying is true, and so is able to bring people along with him for the ride. The strength of his personal convictions about Apple products has been a powerful part of what makes him the "Captain of Cool."
People buy in, and so end up buying Apple products. Part of you has to be a true believer to make something like that happen. If nothing else, a part of Steve Jobs is definitely a true believer.
Other Steve Jobs Resources:
You've got to find what you love
Steve Jobs, Business Personality
Steve Jobs' Greatest Presentation
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