The lights at the Steve Jobs Theatre, nestled within Apple Park, dim, leaving only the glow from numerous laptops and smartphones capturing the moment on stage. The chatter of a thousand attendees, which moments ago filled the air with excitement, fades into silence.
A massive screen, dominating the stage, lights up with a video featuring various individuals suggesting creative ways to open a film, as scenes play out. One voice, shrouded in shadow, states: “The camera follows a mysterious figure before revealing the protagonist.” The figure becomes clearer, revealing none other than Tim Cook, Apple’s former CEO. “No, the protagonist isn’t me. That’s your man; this is the beginning.” The king who has stepped down is now presenting his successor: John Ternus.
The video concludes, and a 51-year-old man, who appears much younger, steps onto the stage. Lean and athletic, he wears a casual outfit completed with a vibrant red sweater and black jeans. The audience erupts into applause. With a warm smile, he acknowledges those present and the hundreds of thousands watching via livestream.
If John Ternus feels any nerves, he conceals them well. An experienced mechanical engineer with two decades spent behind the scenes, he has just stepped into the role of CEO of a company valued at a staggering $4.5 trillion. His confidence is palpable, and rightly so, as the company is on the verge of unveiling its first-ever foldable iPhone, the model Duo.
Ternus has been with Apple for 25 years, joining the Product Design team in 2001. Twelve years later, he was appointed Vice President of Hardware Engineering, and in January 2021, he succeeded Dan Riccio as Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. He has led the hardware engineering team behind iconic products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro. His journey reads like a dream career: a quarter-century within the same company, guiding the engineering of its most notable devices.
“I want to take a moment to express the extraordinary privilege it is to represent the remarkable teams we have here at Apple,” Ternus remarks. “I have spent much of my life at this company, and I continue to be inspired daily by the curiosity, inventiveness, and relentless pursuit of excellence that define Apple.” While Ternus may not possess the same aura as Jobs, he also does not embody the corporate demeanor of Cook.
Innovative Product Launches Capture Attention
Over the next two hours, a video showcasing Apple’s upcoming product releases elicits gasps and murmurs of awe from the audience. This marks Ternus’s inaugural event as CEO, and it is evident that significant changes are afoot.
Apple’s identity as a technology brand that aims to embody a lifestyle is well-known. The unveiling of the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable phone priced at $1,999—rising to $3,199 for the premium configuration—reflects a strategic approach rather than mere coincidence. A brand cannot aspire to be a lifestyle leader without exhibiting the lifestyle it promotes, and this year’s presentation featured subtle yet impactful shifts that hint at a new ethos within Cupertino.
The day before the launch, content creators from around the globe convened for a jogging event within Apple Park, marking the inaugural “Welcome Run, Walk, or Roll.” Over a hundred individuals, boasting millions of followers collectively, captured content, exercised, and showcased their experiences to their audiences. This initiative coincides with a significant rise in the popularity of running and wellness, especially with the forthcoming release of the Apple Watch Ultra 4, further demonstrating Apple’s commitment to a lifestyle-centric approach.
Even prior to the event, Apple had garnered hundreds of millions of views related to Apple Park, signalling its intent to foster a lifestyle where sport plays a crucial role. Consequently, as the presentation took place, fitness influencers and renowned athletes from various fields were in attendance, including social media sensation IShowSpeed and Mexican footballer Guillermo Ochoa, alongside NBA players and Latin American celebrities such as Colombian singer Feid and producer Tainy.
A New Approach to Influencer Engagement
While influencers and celebrities have always been associated with Apple’s communication strategy, this occasion marked a deeper integration. Content creators produced viral material, including a playful prank by Ochoa on IShowSpeed, which circulated widely on social media and in the press.
The shift in Apple’s strategy under Ternus didn’t stop there. On the day of the launch, a celebratory event took place at Apple Park for celebrities, influencers, and journalists. A year ago, such a gathering in the garden near the iconic rainbow would have been unimaginable. However, social media was abuzz with posts about the event, backdropped by the rainbow, ensuring that Apple remained in the spotlight even after the major announcement of the iPhone Duo.
Considering these developments, it appears Ternus is keenly aware of the importance of making Apple a brand that resonates more closely with content creators and the lifestyles they embody. While Steve Jobs was an influencer in his own right and Cook focused on organisational stability, Ternus is already charting a new course for Apple’s communication strategy from his very first week and significant event.