The Latest in #Digital

Apple. It's a company - a brand - that is famed for its high-quality tech products, for having one of the most influential and controversial bosses of the 20th and 21st century (the late Steve Jobs), and for having the tendency to turn heads for both good and bad reasons.

Regardless of how you feel about Apple as a company, about its products, and about its air of superiority against its key competitors, it's hard to deny that Apple helped change the very face of modern-day consumer electronics such as smart phones, tablets and computers. There was a time when the company stood in the shadows of the far more ubiquotous Microsoft, but this saw a substantial shift over the past decade.

During the 1980s, Coca-Cola had hit somewhat of a crossroads. The brand had entered a new era where consumers were questioning their product choices and questioning their dietry choices. The sugar drink market suffered due to the new health savvy customers who weren't sure if Coca-Cola was the family-friendly drink of yesteryear.

The 1950s was a groundbreaking time for the Coca-Cola company. For the first time in history a product is on the front cover of Time magazine. The cover depicted the planet earth drinking from a bottle of Coca-Cola, symbolizing the globalization of the American company. This is a huge accomplishment for the brand being represented as an international brand.

Author's Addendum (20 August 2015): In light of the recent developments regarding Jared Fogle and him pleading guilty to child pornography charges, slight alterations have been made to this blog. The YouTube video of an ad featuring Jared has been removed from this article (with a note of its removal included). The original content I wrote discussing his use in Subway campaigns has been retained primarily due to the subtantial role these campaigns once played in Subway's success. As of writing, Subway has confirmed it's cut all ties with Jared Fogle.

Over the decades since it was first opened, Subway has now grown into the the largest single-brand restaurant chain in the world, as well as the largest global restaurant operator. Across the world, there are a whopping 43,035 Subway restaurants across 108 countries (current as of 15 November, 2014).

Where does a brand go when it's started to dominate the local market? This was the question Subway founders Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck faced after the choice to turn Subway into a franchise in 1974 had yieled phenomenal results - this included hitting the 100-store mark in 1978.

Between 1978 and 1984, the growth of the Subway brand continued to expand at an impressive rate throughout the USA. DeLuca and Buck were smart in the fact that they didn't prematurely overestimate the clout of their business. Sure, upon making it a franchise, 84 new stores opened in a matter of a few years, but they knew it was best to wait and see just how long Subway would maintain this aggressive expansion rate for.

While the "Subway" name became official in 1968, the grand plans for the restaurant chain started back in 1965. Founders Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck had set themselves a goal of opening 32 stores within 10 years - so 32 stores by 1975.

Despite their ambition, 1974 rolled around and DeLuca and Buck had only opened 16 stores throughout Connecticut - though this was still an impressive feat. However, given they were still 16 stores short of their 10-year goal, both founders agreed on a new approach...

Every business, no matter how big it is now, starts with humble beginnings. What makes a business successful can come down to any variety of factors, from catering to untapped market to how you actually market the product/service itself. Above all, however, your business must know how to satisify customers, inspire loyalty, and grow with the times. For the month of March, I will be taking a look at Subway, the famed sandwhich shop/restaurant, which has grown to become the largest single restaurant chain in the world.