"Corporate Connectors" Scenario for Apple

Today, technical titans or corporate connectors such as Apple, Amazon, Google, etc. are developing their trajectory in such a way that within a decade, they have a perfect chance to become a dominant force in the development of our society. Any hope that they would not be able to expand their reach and gain a larger share of consumer's wallets would be a mistake.

"Corporate Networkers" Scenario for Apple

But what can happen if, in the context of digital globalization, the “Corporate Connectors” scenario starts to work? I always keep up with all the Apple news and updates. Therefore, in this essay, Apple will be the focus of our research. We'll take a look at what Apple contributes to society today, what moods Apple users may have in case the 'Corporate Connectors' scenario will work, and what this company can gradually implement right now to avoid these potential negative sentiments.

Apple's Current Influence and User Loyalty

Potential development and threats are always based on the past and present. Therefore, to begin with, we draw a complete picture of what Apple does for its users today in a competitive environment and how they gain their trust. In today's society, with ever-increasing hopes, people are confronted with businesses that understand them virtually out of bounds and can provide their most personalized services. The wider the company interacts with its users, the better it can form individual profiles and offer better, cheaper, and more efficient services.

To successfully attract clients in a mature, successful company, a new firm must provide the same service at a cheaper or better rate at the same price. For this to be successful, the difference between the new offer and the current offer must be more significant than the switching cost to overcome the inherent stickiness of the customer.

The Key Drivers of Apple's Success

What has become a key driver of Apple's success? Its main strength is its ability to monopolize the consumer electronics market. Buying a MacBook or iPhone, Apple customers are anchored in the iOS ecosystem. To avoid many inconveniences, most customers prefer to stay in this ecosystem and not switch to using competitors' products, even at a much lower price. The high value of commutation benefits allows Apple to maintain a high competitive level and the ability to create high margins on their products. Thus, customer stickiness has become Apple's greatest asset.

Implications of the "Corporate Connectors" Scenario

How can the “Corporate Connectors” scenario influence Apple's company? Will Apple have a significant need to maintain its competitiveness in society after the next ten years? As the “Corporate Connectors” scenario suggests, most private-sector online platforms will earn more significant trust from people than most governments in different countries. But such trust will entail the need to increase the number of actions for its continued justification. Apple, as one of the corporate connectors, will have to take on enormous responsibilities for its customers' data, which means directing its most significant efforts towards the digital security of its customers within the iOS ecosystem.

The Growing Importance of Digital Security

Why will the topic of digital security be one of the most popular in society in ten years? Politicians today are concerned about the dubious content management policies of digital companies, algorithmic discrimination, misuse of personal data, conflicts of interest in managing different business relationships, lack of transparency in their activities, and, last but not least, tax optimization schemes. Globally, people in developed countries should be more inclined to trust their data to governments than to large digital companies. However, since governments can't manage to give society all the online mechanisms and platforms it needs on time, companies skillfully take advantage of this situation. They create entire ecosystems around the person in which this person can get what they want when they want, where it is convenient, and for the shortest possible time.

Apple and Data Privacy Concerns

In these circumstances, there is no recourse for people but to transfer a lot of personal data about themselves to private companies, such as Apple. Apple is no exception; the company also collects all kinds of data from its customers. Of course, it is a normal process for such a company and that'd be okay if they don’t transmit and sell their customer data to other online platforms. A few years ago, it was not such a noticeable problem. But today, given the amount of advertising that a person consumes during the day, society has begun to think more and more about the privacy of their data.

Just a few months ago, Apple customers once again sued the company. They claimed that Apple illegally discloses and sells purchase information on iTunes, as well as other personal data. Disclosing personal data of iTunes customers is not only illegal but also dangerous, because, according to the complaint, it allows different private companies to target vulnerable segments of society (Jones, 2023; Smith, 2023).

The Future of User Trust and Engagement

Human data is 21st-century oil. Of course, digital security should be first and foremost addressed by national governments. But according to the scenario that we are considering, the corporate connectors will have more power, thus the negative on the part of society will only grow. Most of the society within the framework of belonging to the Apple company will require more transparency in the use and management of digital data that comes from them to the company. Understanding how valuable information they transmit, users of Apple will want to take part in solving the global problems of the world. They will feel that they can be not only a subject of use for building new valuable Apple projects and products but also participants in this process. In case Apple does not provide people with the possibility of this participation, it will lead to a sharp decrease in a credit of trust to the company.