Ethos and Credibility

Given the reputation that precedes a company such as Apple, one would assume that the contents of its website are credible.  But it does help to consider the website’s content in the context of Apple’s established role in society.  As we have previously mentioned, Apple’s unrivaled innovation in computer technology has entrenched the brand name so firmly in popular culture that it commands a role of authority in its field practically by default.


The iPod, which some have labeled the watershed for Apple’s post-millennial success, has become a landmark of popular culture and has given rise to the “MP3 generation.”  In effect, Apple has essentially reinvented the entire model of today’s music business.  The company later capitalized upon the iPod’s success with the iPhone, the first all-touch-screen multipurpose phone.  Evidence of Apple’s monumental success and influence can be seen everywhere today—specifically in “iPod copycat” MP3 players (such as Microsoft’s Zune) and the proliferation of iPhone-esque touch-screen phones (affectionately referred to as iFakes).

Additionally, apple.com’s sleek site interface and uniform stylization of font and color lend Apple a professional aura and make the website easy to read—not to mention that typographical errors are entirely absent.  It appears that ample time was put into the site’s design to maximize its correlation with the intuitive nature of the products detailed within.