Jobs Done - Yeah Right

Last week Tui seemed to mock the death of Steve Job’s with ‘Job’s Done – Yeah Right’ billboard. That wasn’t what the copy was written in response to, but imagining for a moment that it had been, I would have applauded its sarcastic intent. While he is rightfully mourned by tech nerds, graphic designers, obscure bands, hip mums, hipsters and everyone in between, he’s far from done – Tui were, unwittingly, quite right.

As important as functionary office tools, having a video platform for lol cats, a search engine to find them all and a place to tell your friends what you what you Like are to the world, Steve Jobs provided the commercial bridge of taking computing out of the labs of white coated maths boffins and into the hands of the average Joe Blog (yes, pun intended). His efforts of 20yrs ago look modest now compared to the renaissance of Apple in the last few years with the release of products like iphone and ipad to the adoration of the masses. These devices have drawn audiences to new screens and will continue to influence the way that they consume content.

This is where we as agencies and clients owe our thanks to Steve Jobs. His own vision and innovation, and that that he inspired in others, will continue to influence how we reach our audience, whether it be via Apple products or competitor derivatives.

For example, he is the reason that we are able to offer innovation in the increasingly, and perhaps eventually most, important space of mobile advertising. With this medium he has helped us refine the messages and targeting to our audience. That might only be to 20% of the New Zealand market now, but Jobs has already determined that figure will quickly jump to 50% and beyond.

He is the reason that the magazine industry can see light at the end of the tunnel. And that light is of course the glow of a Vanity Fare on an ipad, maintaining an important long dwell time audience for us to speak to.

So sure, the content, like David after the Dentist, is important of course, but Job’s has not only best designed how we receive it, but makes us want to consume more. He has provided the building blocks of not only how, but where we can deliver messages to consumers. His work over the last 30yrs and legacy assures that he’s not done yet.

Graeme is a Digital Strategist at PHDiQ by day and runs a Steve Jobs cult in West Auckland in his spare time, preaching on street corners about Steve Jobs most weekends.