ABSTRACT
This chapter utilizes “devotees” for Apple and Catholics to represent those who adore and devote themselves to an organization that is considered worthy of investing their time and effort in, regardless of space, distance, negative image, or crisis occurring within Apple or their religious organizations. Researchers have been comparing the cultlike phenomenon of Apple, Inc. to a religion for over a decade; however, a larger examination of the religious, and sometimes cultish, phenomena that occur between individuals and businesses or institutions is under-researched. Beyond media coverage, Apple itself has used multiple mechanisms and marketing techniques to appeal to its customers. In the marketing context, a company brand may be able to develop an iconic influence over its users. The former receives and processes visual information, and the latter helps to perform complex visual tasks such as using a candle or a cross to formalize mediation or prayer.
