Why I Heart My iPhone

I bought an iPhone today. And I'm happy.

The experience at the Apple Store at Easton Town Center was awful. As always, a charged and super trendy crowed was lingering, busy gawking at the latest accessories and seeing who could look the coolest.

Enter me with my 19-month old son on my shoulders. We stuck out like a sore thumb. Apparently father-son duos are not trendy. Who knew?

The young dude at the counter was very helpful. His boss, the store manager, was a complete pompass-ass who made me and other customers feel like we were not worthy of such hip pieces of technology. Had it been a Verizon Wireless store and the Envy, I would have stormed out, foregoing the purchase all together.

But it wasn't Verizon Wireless. It was the Apple Store and the iPhone.
A Sucker for Good Branding
On my drive home, I was examining the hip, sophisticated packaging that carried what would in so many ways, make my life easier.

I began to think to myself how straight-forward setup would be. I thought about how nice it would be to have my email, contacts, calender and music at the touch of my finger tips. I even thought how wonderful it was going to be to have immediate access to the internet -- "not a boiled down version of the internet". I thought all the things that Apple had so deliberately persuaded me think about the iPhone.

All of these thoughts made me happy.

And Apple wins...

Why does Apple win?
The strongest brands have the power to evoke real and powerful emotions in the mind of the customer. Through brilliant marketing, advertising and design, it's safe to say that Mr. Jobs and his army have mastered the mode of persuasion known as Pathos.

Aristotle would be proud.