With the announcement of the iPhone 4 this week at Worldwide Developers Conference, the Gizmodo story drew my attention to Apple’s corporate communication strategy again.
Gizmodo Exclusive
Talk about control — Apple is hard as nails when it comes to controlling its message, its timing, and who comes to their parties, as in the case of not responding to Gizmodo’s request to attend WWDC.
After visiting an Apple store in Ft. Worth on the day the iPhone 4 announcement was made, I get the feeling Apple wished it could control AT&T a little more. The day before, I spent several hours at the AT&T store updating iPhone so I could keep the unlimited data plan before AT&T’s new plans went into effect and the old plans went away. I also committed to a fourth phone line so I could get an air card. But when I shared this with Daz and Micah at the cowtown Apple store, they were eager to know if my AT&T sales rep mentioned that the iPhone 4 would likely be announced
in 24 hours, and she did not. Daz and Micah seemed eager to advise me on where not to purchase my Apple products. So, while I had their attention, I asked about tethering and unlimited data plans.
I like Apple and its products. My family and I own and use several of its products; iMac, iPhone, video iPod, iPod Shuffle, Mac Book, Mac Pro and Mac Book Pro. Looks like I will soon be tethering when I get my iPhone 4, thanks to Daz’s “messaging” to me.
A high school friend of mine has worked at Apple for 20+ years, and she rarely, and I mean rarely — well, now that I really think about it — she never talks about her job, her employer, her work. I learned recently her position in Apple Education is high level. No, no, she did not tell me. I learned from an Apple Education sales rep I met at an event. I am not surprised my friend holds a high position because she is no doubt, sharp. But I did feel special — you know, inside baseball stuff — when he shared that “chain of command” info with me. My friend is his bosses boss, or something like that. Several years ago, I asked my friend to recommend an Apple small biz sales rep for me to deal with for our PR business. She did, and we still deal with Lisa today. But come to think of it, just as my high school buddy, Lisa does not talk about anything except our technology needs. Nope, I take that back…once she found out the date of her wedding anniversary was close to mine, and she wished me “Happy Anniversary” in an email. How does Apple get its employees to buy-in to and live out its mystique-ish-ness? Is that part of employee training?
Wonder what my high school friend thinks of Gizmodo. Maybe while I had the attention of Micah and Daz I should have asked what they think of Gizmodo. If these three Apple employees actually answered that question, would their message be consistent?
