Apple's mission statement is "to bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services." Tim Cook, Apple’s current CEO, stated this as the company’s mission statement and included it in the 2018 annual report. Through its mission statement, Apple highlights that it exists to offer its clients the best service that it can. The statement also describes how the company intends to achieve this.
In its current mission statement, the company highlights the scope of its operations and how it exploits them to satisfy the needs of its client base. While focusing on the dynamic technological changes over time, Apple stays clear that impacting positive change through innovation is its central objective. The following components arise from this mission statement:
Best user experience The component of ‘best user experience’ shows that Apple’s priority is ensuring its client base has an easy time while using their products. Rather than being a source of entertainment, Apple designs its products to be user-friendly. The security features added to each product also help enhance the user experience. It is no surprise, therefore, that Apple products are well-crafted and masterfully designed to the last detail.
Improving the lives of people. In the first component of its mission statement, Apple reiterates the duty of the company to stimulate ease in the lives of its users through simplified and user-friendly technology. The recognition of the vulnerabilities in the online space has particularly pushed the company to link this component with the demand for security features that improve the user’s experience. While doing so, the company has broadened the services its customers can enjoy, as shown in its education, business, and healthcare reach.
Empowerment of the public Innovation is another crucial component for the company. Apple is dedicated to helping close any gaps when it comes to the technology space. Given that technology is ever-evolving, Apple is continually coming up with new designs that meet its clients’ evolving needs as well. The approach adopted by Apple in meeting this element of its mission statement shows that the company considers its products to be more than mere tools of entertainment. They are instead a source of empowerment, and this explains the extensive presence of Apple at work. In fact, this emerges as a major source of innovation motivation for the company.
Top-quality products. The popularity associated with Apple products is evidence of how far the company goes to fulfil the third component of its mission statement. Most importantly, one rule remains unbroken in this company, and that is providing the customers with the best quality products. The company aims to deliver high quality in all aspects of its products. The integration of quality hardware, software, and services gives the company leverage over its competitors in the market.
Apple Inc. is one of the Big Four tech companies with its headquarters in California. The company is known globally for its innovative solutions for computer software, electronics, and online services. Since its inception in 1976, the company has been a global leader in the technology industry.
Apple is perhaps the ultimate definition of a company that has positioned itself as a metric of quality within the niche it operates in, and this prominence associated with Apple narrows down to its mission and vision statements. In fact, Apple has grown as the driving force of innovation for over 20 years now, ever since it was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976.
Today, it is seen as the single source of revolution in the design of personal computers, among other software transformations. Ideally, the vision statement of a company details what it is all about, with a focus on a specified range of products and quality for its customers.
Apple’s mission and vision, as well as its core values, highlight the company’s purpose and its driving force. Here is an in-depth look at the mission, vision, and core values of this tech giant.
Additionally, its vision statement reflects where the company sees itself in the future: as a technological innovation leader. In relation to this, a company’s mission statement outlines the tactics it looks to implement to propel it towards its future state. In this case, Apple's mission statement describes the areas it majors in and the intended goals of driving it towards its vision. Apple is particularly a dynamic company that looks to readjust itself to the changing world, as evidenced by the changes in its mission and vision statement over the years.
One element, however, remains rigid within these adaptations: quality products and services for its customers. Despite these frequent changes in the mission and vision statements, the core values adopted by Apple go a long way towards maintaining its consistent growth. Some of these comprise inclusion and diversity, education, accessibility, the environment, supplier responsibility, and privacy.
These are the guiding principles that continue to spur employee motivation and commitment to the mission and vision of the company at all times. In fact, the interlinkages in all these components, together with the mission and vision statements, all point towards the success of Apple.
Vision
Apple's vision statement is "We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products, and that’s not changing." Through this statement, the company highlights that they are always determined to deliver quality products to their clients. The statement also points out that they intend to do so for quite some time. It gives a detailed account of how the company approaches its operations to position itself as the dominant player in the sector it operates in. Some of the components associated with this statement include:
Innovations
Integration of partners and excellence
Market specialisation
Apple has not limited itself to a specific geographical location. Instead, the company wishes to come up with products that will be used all over the world. In this element, Apple had opened 506 stores in 25 countries as of February 2019. From their vision, it is clear that the company intends to cut across all continents and achieve a global presence.
The first component shows that Apple is all about technological innovations. The second component shows that Apple intends to keep coming up with great products for quite some time. The company has always been at the forefront of innovative technological solutions and plans to remain ahead of the game.
It does this by stimulating its employees with the best innovative resources that are also client-focused. To achieve this, Apple believes in the power of collaboration in such a competitive era to stay ahead of the rest. It also promotes this by targeting its resources in areas where they can have maximum quality impacts.
Core Values
Apple's core values include "inclusion and diversity, education, accessibility, the environment, supplier responsibility, and privacy." Values reveal the aspects that Apple considers integral to its overall success as a technological and innovation leader. Apple is critical of the principles that have seen it model itself as a quality-oriented company for over two decades. To stay true to these standards, the company ensures that all its operations are in line with each of these values, as highlighted in its statement of core values.
Apple's core values include:
Accessibility
Education
Environment
Inclusion and diversity
Privacy
Supplier Responsibility
These values give us a sense of what Apple holds dear and considers vital for their success as a technology trailblazer. The company ensures that all its operations align with its core values so that it can hold on to its position as a global technology giant.
1. Accessibility
Apple products are designed so that everyone has access to them. The company uses enhanced technology and powerful innovations for better accessibility. Through these innovations, Apple has come up with products that ensure people with physical limitations are not left out and can carry out their daily activities with ease.
2. Education
Since 2014, Apple has been at the forefront of providing educational solutions to schools across the United States. Through a partnership with ConnectEd, the company has donated its products to students and teachers in 114 underserved schools. They also pledged $100 million worth of teaching and learning solutions. The company continues to work with the students and teachers, teaching them how to use the products to enhance the learning experience as well as for life.
3. Environment
Apple focuses on taking care of the environment just as much as it is determined to come up with quality products. The company aims to build products that are safe for both users and the environment. They use recycled products for both the inside and the outside. Through Apple Trade-In, users can exchange their old devices for either credit or recycling, reducing the negative impact on the earth.
4. Inclusion and diversity
The company draws its greatest strength from the fact that people from all walks of life work there. Because it aims to provide products for people across different regions, ethnicities, religions, genders, and cultures, Apple believes in bringing on board a diverse team. Apple has made consistent progress by bringing together people who are different in the way they think, what they have experienced, and who they are.
5. Privacy
Apple products hold a lot of sensitive user information, and the company believes that privacy is a fundamental human right. As such, all products are designed to offer the utmost security for the user. The security features also allow them to choose what information to share and with whom. Enhanced security features such as face and touch ID ensure that only the user has access to the device and make it difficult for anyone to gain unauthorised access.
6. Supplier Responsibility
Apple holds its suppliers and partners responsible for creating quality products for its users, who always come first. The company ensures that the suppliers meet all the requirements while building opportunities for them. It also holds its suppliers accountable for ensuring that their employees work in safe and conducive environments, do not have their rights infringed, and do not face discrimination in their workplaces.
Apple Mission Statement History
Apple’s mission statement has indeed evolved over time as the company has grown and its strategic focus has shifted. Here’s a historical overview of Apple’s mission statement, grouped by year from most recent to oldest:
2018–PPresent
"To bring the best user experience to its customers through innovative hardware, software, and services."
This mission statement highlights Apple’s commitment to providing exceptional user experiences by leveraging innovative technology across its product ecosystem.
1997–2018
"Apple’s core mission is to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons, and consumers in over 140 countries around the world."
During this period, Apple’s mission statement emphasised its dedication to delivering top-notch personal computing products and support to a diverse range of customers globally. This mission statement reflects Apple’s evolution from a niche computing company to a broader consumer electronics and technology leader.
1995–1997
"To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind."
This mission statement exemplified Apple’s belief in the transformative power of technology, with a specific focus on creating tools that would enhance the intellectual capabilities of individuals and have a positive impact on society.
1983–1995.
"To empower individuals and organisations to change the world through technology."
During this period, Apple’s mission statement encapsulated its vision of empowering individuals and organisations by leveraging technology as a catalyst for positive change. It highlighted Apple’s commitment to democratising technology and making it accessible to everyone.
1981–1983
"To provide knowledge, tools, and resources to help students, educators, and professionals achieve their goals."
Apple’s mission statement in this phase emphasised its dedication to serving the educational and professional communities by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to succeed. It reflected Apple’s early focus on the education sector.
1977–1981
"To make a computer that can be used by anyone, not just computer hobbyists,"
During its early years, Apple aimed to create computers that were user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience beyond the existing computer hobbyist community. This mission statement aligns with the company’s efforts to simplify technology and make it more approachable.
Apple’s mission statement has adapted and evolved over time to reflect its changing priorities, market dynamics, and technological advancements. However, the underlying theme of delivering exceptional user experiences and leveraging technology for positive impact has remained consistent throughout the company’s history.
Slogan
Apple’s slogan is Think Different.
Headquarters
Apple’s main headquarters are in Cupertino, California, in the United States.
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