Apple’s Vision Pro: Product Positioning Done Well

By Madison Taylor
August 11, 2023
apple vision pro

There may be no company in the world with better branding or product positioning than Apple. The company is one of the most well-known brands in the world, and over the past two decades, its marketing has rarely missed the mark. Apple is known as the business that revolutionized the personal computing world, and it is now taking these efforts to the next level by introducing Apple’s Vision Pro, an experiential reality spatial computer.

But this is not called a headset.

That’s the interesting thing about Apple’s vision pro and how the product is immediately positioning itself: It promises spatial computing and experiential reality, not virtual reality, using a headset. And that makes all the difference in the world.

So, what does Apple’s Vision Pro do, and is the Apple Vision Pro worth it? The answers to these questions are critical to Apple’s overall branding efforts, and businesses can learn many product positioning lessons from Apple’s efforts.

What Does Apple’s Vision Pro Do?

Apple’s vision pro is a new “spatial computer” that will intermix the digital and physical worlds. Its features include:

  • A headset (though that word is never used to describe the Vision Pro) that utilizes 23 million pixels over two displays.
  • A new input system that comes with “thousands of groundbreaking innovations.”
  • A new operating system — visionOS — that incorporates the new three-dimensional interface.
  • A brand new entertainment system that allows for a “personal movie theater” with complete exciting visual and audio capabilities.
  • The creation of immersive or blended environments that users can toggle based on their preferences.

The above features barely scratch the surface of the device’s new capabilities, and we will likely get a better look at its features in the future.

How is Apple Positioning the Vision Pro?

Apple is not positioning its vision pro as a headset or virtual reality computing machine. Need any proof? Check out the product page: The words “virtual reality’ and “headset” are not found anywhere.

This comes back to Apple’s core positioning and branding: They aren’t building off the success of past virtual reality machines like the Oculus. They aren’t developing a gimmick or a game. Their product is a “spatial computing” machine that offers incredible product differentiation.

The entire product page is sleek, stylish, and innovative: three words associated with Apple’s existing brand storytelling. As such, they are taking the positive attributes of their brand and extending them even further. The product release page is studded with words like “revolutionary” and “spatial content.” This is all part of Apple’s overall branding effort.

In other words, the Apple Vision Pro is being positioned as a brand-new device, a revolution in spatial computing, and a new piece of technology worthy of your time, attention, and money.

That last part is particularly important. One of the first questions anyone will ask when it comes to the vision pro is obvious: How much is the Apple Vision Pro going to cost? The price tag is massive: $3,499, or the price of roughly four laptops. However, this also fits into Apple’s positioning. Is $3,499 really that much to pay for a piece of the technological revolution?

What Branding and Product Positioning Lessons Can You Learn From Apple?

Apple’s branding success has plenty of lessons from your business.

First, Apple is incomparable. Apple’s lack of use of already-existing industry words is by design. There are other brands, and there is Apple. You want to be like Apple: A step above the rest.

Next, how the company embraces brand storytelling to back up the price point. Apple’s product positioning as a revolutionary device is clearly intentional, meant to spur your interest and justify the cost of the machine. By positioning its product as part of the technological revolution, Apple is attempting to encourage the massive expense it asks out of its customers. This is on the product page, loaded with new features enticing customers’ interest and bolstering the reason for the high price.

Apple’s branding is consistent. They use the same streamlined design, constantly emphasize revolutionary technologies, and give unique and unparalleled experiences. This can be seen in the word choice and pictures used on the product page for the Vision Pro.

Finally, remember that branding does not have to be massive, colorful, or flashy. It just has to be true and consistent. Apple never leans heavily on graphics: if anything, they do the opposite. However, the branding is consistent and true to who Apple is as a company.