iPhone_ad, originally uploaded by h_flemings.

Like most people when I heard that Apple was developing a cell phone, I got excited. I knew it would be revolutionary and it was, but in ways I never imagined. Here are a few points to ponder.

1. When was the last time you waited hours in line for a new cell phone to be released? You haven’t.

2. When was the last time you purchased a $599 cell phone that the cell phone company would not insure? Most people haven’t.

3. When was the last time you purchased a cell phone and couldn’t change the battery? Probably never.

4. 25% of iPhone purchasers switched from another carrier to AT&T, just for the phone. Not the plan, not the rates, not the customer service, but the phone.

Important Dates in Phone History
* Alexander Graham Bell receives patent for telephone March 7, 1876
* Dr. Martin Cooper of Motorola places the first cell phone call April 3, 1973
* Steve Job of Apple launches the iPhone June 29, 2007

This is the power of branding at its best. There are currently no discounts on the iPhone and I can say with confidence, there will probably be none in the foreseeable future. At one of the Apple Stores in my area, customers lined the night before, just in case the store ran out. Little did they know the store had 5,000 phones on hand, didn’t run out, and were able to service everyone that wanted a phone with ease, even thru the weekend.

As a brand strategist, I watch Apple in admiration, knowing they have definitely mastered their niche and changed the world of cell phones forever. So, I say to you, what product or services do you offer that is changing the world?