Which of the following actions is most likely to jeopardize the meanin

QUESTION

Which of the following actions is most likely to jeopardize the meaning of the Apple brand in the eyes of its “true believers”?

A) collaborating with other media technology manufacturers and producing a standard interface and feature set that governs future product development
B) producing an elite line of products that most consumers cannot afford
C) focusing on media products instead of educational products
D) ignoring the needs of the broadest market segments and instead focusing on the needs of the most demanding users of technology
E) testing its products with its full range of customers instead of only the true believers

ANSWER

Answer: A
Explanation: A) The true believers associate Apple with independence and innovation. An action that shows the opposite qualities is most likely to damage that relationship. In Choice A, the collaboration involves conforming to a standard feature set, which goes against independence and innovation. Choice B: Producing elite products could only deepen the relationship, and we have no reason to think that price would damage the feelings of the true believers. Choice C: There’s no reason to think that one of these categories is more closely connected to independence and innovation than the other. Choice D sounds like something the true believers would like. Choice E goes somewhat against the notion of catering to the true believers, but it seems at least reasonable to test your products with everyone.