WWDC & Apple Fandom
Corporations as identity... and that's fine, really. Context Collapse #136
The big story in tech this week is WWDC22. WWDC is Apple’s annual tech conference where the company makes announcements, unveils new products and services and builds community.
I mean, WWDC technically stands for “World Wide Developers Conference,” but it’s really Applefest. We all know that. It’s all good, we get it.
This year’s WWDC is notable for a few reasons:
It’s the first time WWDC has been in-person since 2019 and since the pandemic f@#$ed in-person events.
We’re pretty much going straight into a recession right now in the US. Disagree? Fight me.
Recessions are generally bad for consumer and B2B tech. Except…
The pandemic really screwed with the way people interact with each other and made phones and laptops really, really at the center of things.
#2 and #3 are bad for Apple. #1 and #4 are good for Apple.
I’m not going to really talk about what is actually being announced at WWDC. For that, check out TechCrunch’s coverage or watch Marques Brownlee.
But with WWDC, the thing that fascinates me is this:
People believe in Apple.
Apple’s brand identity is freakishly consistent and ties directly into consumers self-image. Years after the iPhone, iPod and iPad launched, that brand identity is still running strong.
You see, many people tie Apple into their personal identity in ways that only a few other companies—Disney and Starbucks for instance—could only hope to emulate.
It might be silly to say people believe in a brand or believe in a corporation… but they do.
That’s why WWDC matters. It’s more than just Apple giving their employees and most dedicated vendors a big party… it’s also a gathering of the corporate faithful.
And that’s fine.