Not likely to be found in the Apple reading room
I read an interesting blog post the other day about how Apple succeeds despite its failure to do the things considered necessary in this age of social media. I quote:
Apple doesn’t blog; it doesn’t Tweet; it does little on Facebook; it doesn’t engage with its customer base. It doesn’t ask the “community” for feedback or rapidly iterate based on any such feedback or even respond to criticism.
Curse that Apple. Why can’t it just follow the rules? Well, two reasons, really.
First, it doesn’t have to. A few million Apple followers are doing a fine job with the tweeting and blogging, thank you — sharing, analyzing and generally fanning the flames night and day. Social media is abuzz over what Apple is doing or might do, generating countless dollars’ worth of free PR. Without lifting a finger, Apple is crushingly more effective in social media than companies who pay teams of digital experts to ignite the chatter.
Second, as most creative thinkers will tell you with little provocation, screw the damn rules. Intelligence and common sense are far more valuable than the ability to leap from one trend to another.
As clients and agencies try to dream up new ways to match Apple’s success, they often forget one thing: this stuff doesn’t happen overnight. Apple’s success isn’t the result of tricky marketing schemes. It’s what happens when you dazzle the world for more than ten years running, with one amazing product after another — and rarely crack open your book of rules.
Tags: apple, ken segall
