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A week later, we're still thinking about Steve

October 13, 2011 by Jeff Weidauer — Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Vestcom International, Inc.

It's been a week since the world lost Steve Jobs. That sounds like a typical, dramatic and overblown statement from the media, but this is the rare case in which it's absolutely accurate.

The special magazine tributes will be hitting the newsstands about now; Newsweek is already out with its version. Every publication from Time to Vanity Fair will doubtless run a cover with his picture and attempt to add something original to the discussion.

The spectrum of emotions has run the gamut as well, and many people are deep in the throes of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' Five Stages of Grief. Apple stores around the world are still dealing with the flowers, apples, and old Macintosh computers that have been left in tribute.

What's most fascinating about the reaction is the level of emotion people are feeling, and all for a man who was intensely private about his personal life. Many of the folks I've spoken to didn't know that he was married, or adopted, or Buddhist. The loss of Jobs has left an empty space that the world is feeling, and it transcends Apple fandom.

Even those who didn't own any Apple products (hard as that is to imagine) benefited from his contributions. It's staggering to think the first iPod came out only 10 years ago; it's even more staggering to think about what life would be like without iPods or iPhones, and now iPads. We don't think twice about downloading music or movies today, but before Apple got into the act that was an act of piracy.

The world of retail has felt the effects of Jobs as well. Apple stores set a new standard, looking and feeling unlike any other retailer, and light years away from any previous computer store. No motherboards and modems litter shelves; even power cords are barely visible.

The iPhone brought the smartphone to the masses. What was once the exclusive domain of the "businessy" Blackberry was quickly overtaken by moms sporting blingy cases and all manner of child-focused apps. iPhones have changed the landscape, connecting us all in a way that feature phones never could.

Today retailers are trying to understand how shoppers are using these devices to shop. The new iPhone 4S, announced the day before Jobs' death, has already set new sales records and is expected to be the "must have" gift this Christmas. Recipients will be hitting the streets—and the stores—with their new phones and new apps.

Retailers will need to be ready for them; not with the same old thing, but using the process Jobs was so good at: giving consumers what they want, but don't know they want it. That's the real legacy he leaves, and the gift from which we can all benefit.

About Jeff Weidauer

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