Apple's Public Relations Department Opening Up Under Tim Cook

[MacRumors]

For years, Apple Public Relations has issued press releases for major product announcements, handed out exclusives and loaner units to a few select reporters and columnists, and occasionally signed off on an interview with one of the senior executives when it suited their marketing message. That strategy gave the company millions of dollars in free marketing with news outlets writing about every bit of information they can find.

These days, according to the Wall Street Journal, Apple's public relations department is a little more proactive. Last week, Apple issued a press release to announce iOS 6.1, a comparatively minor software release.

At the same time, Apple communications staff have recently sent reporters more favorable third-party reports about the company, including a study predicting that by 2014, Apple will be as accepted in the enterprise as Microsoft is today. Apple, and indeed virtually all its competitors, send reporters favorable studies from time to time. But the five reports Apple has sent since the start of the year, mostly related to mobile market share, represent more than recent months.

The Journal says the PR efforts "represent a recognition that competition is heating up", according to a WSJ source, with a caveat that it wasn't a big shift in protocol.

Of course, even when Apple PR is more forthcoming, it can still rely on the press to cover every move it makes.

Article Link: Apple's Public Relations Department Opening Up Under Tim Cook

[r2shyyou]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Of course, even when Apple PR is more forthcoming, it can still rely on the press to cover every move it makes.

Could've fooled me.

[usersince86]

The times they are a-changin'

[Squilly]

About time. This would be good for the company.

[maxosx]

Another interesting step in the new era at Apple.

Hopefully One that will have a positive impact.

[Caseynd]

Better communication = less confusion = more happy users!

[Porco]

"a study predicting that by 2014, Apple will be as accepted in the enterprise as Microsoft is today."

Ooh, I love fantasy novels!

[mrsir2009]

The key is communication

[jvmxtra]

I don't know.. this guy Cook.. this guy blows.. Double downing on secrecy.. oh wow.. All the moves he makes, looks very very shaky and doubtful..

[HiRez]

I wonder when spending on advertising will follow. Samsung is now spending about 14X what Apple is on advertising, and it is having an effect. You almost literally cannot watch a commercial block anywhere on tv without seeing a Samsung ad.

[Fresh Pie]

Originally Posted by jvmxtra

I don't know.. this guy Cook.. this guy blows.. Double downing on secrecy.. oh wow.. All the moves he makes, looks very very shaky and doubtful..

I feel the same way about your punctuation.

[Chupa Chupa]

Exclamation point on the end of the Jobs Era. The fact Apple needs an entire department to do what one one of many areas Jobs handled solo is telling indeed. Sad day.

[Northgrove]

Originally Posted by jvmxtra

I don't know.. this guy Cook.. this guy blows.. Double downing on secrecy.. oh wow.. All the moves he makes, looks very very shaky and doubtful..

What.

Making press releases when you decide to make them doesn't impact secrecy in any way. They make the announcements when the products have been released! The difference is that they may just be more willing to make them now. I can't see how that in any way is a bad thing.

----------

Originally Posted by Chupa Chupa

Exclamation point on the end of the Jobs Era. The fact Apple needs an entire department to do what one one of many areas Jobs handled solo is telling indeed. Sad day.

Jobs wrote all press releases?

[STiNG Operation]

Originally Posted by jvmxtra

I don't know.. this guy Cook.. this guy blows.. Double downing on secrecy.. oh wow.. All the moves he makes, looks very very shaky and doubtful..

Lol, well he could be trying to be sarcastic. Here's a troll face wallpaper anyway.

[fungus]

Originally Posted by jvmxtra

I don't know.. this guy Cook.. this guy blows.. Double downing on secrecy.. oh wow.. All the moves he makes, looks very very shaky and doubtful..

Originally Posted by Fresh Pie

I feel the same way about your punctuation.

And phraseology

[Chupa Chupa]

Originally Posted by Northgrove

What.


Jobs wrote all press releases?

Press releases are not the sum of PR. In fact it's a minor bit. It's something to give interns and new hires something to do. Real PR is the stuff of Edward Bernays. He didn't sit around all day and write press releases that no one reads except Advertorial writers. Good PR is changing people's hearts and minds w/o them knowing they've been manipulated. A press release doesn't do that. Sorry.

[TrentS]

Well Whooptee-Doo

[deconstruct60]

Originally Posted by Chupa Chupa

...The fact Apple needs an entire department to do what one one of many areas Jobs handled solo is telling indeed. Sad day.

LOL. Jobs didn't do all PR by himself. What is sad is folks perpetrating that fraud.

[Chupa Chupa]

Originally Posted by deconstruct60

LOL. Jobs didn't do all PR by himself.

LOL back at you. Reality Distortion Field was all the PR Apple needed. It's what drove Apple growth. People bought what he sold no matter how minor the upgrade. Now people just yawn...or maybe rage a bit here at MR. Jobs was a modern day PT Barnum.

[AustinIllini]

Originally Posted by deconstruct60

LOL. Jobs didn't do all PR by himself. What is sad is folks perpetrating that fraud.

With the rumors of how he treated his employees, it's safer to say Apple PR was more critical under Jobs than under Cook.

[malexandria]

Amazing, a post about how PR works? Slow news period?

[ericinboston]

"...including a study predicting that by 2014, Apple will be as accepted in the enterprise as Microsoft is today."


So let me get this straight...within 10 months:

1)Apple software (what software?) will be as accepted as MS SQL Server or MS Office or MS Windows.

2)Apple Macs will be as accepted as Windows-based machines in the corporate world (we've been hearing similar stories for 25+ years). Even though there are no business Support contracts by Apple...you know...those corporate contracts about supporting hardware, upgrades, pricing, implementation teams, development teams, escalation/dedicated teams, etc. And where are the hundreds of thousands of Mac/Apple IT people to even do the work at Company X?

3)Apple iPads will be as accepted as MS tablets (you know, the one MS just released a few months ago which has no traction). This would be a true statement, but it's sure not saying much! Why not say that Apple will be as popular as nuns handing out cigarettes to children at bus stops?


Apple has a very, VERY long road to any kind of corporate acceptance. The very basics (regardless of how good a product(s) you think Apple has) are entirely missing from Apple: technical support, roadmapping, open-ness, pricing. Not to mention the fact that Apple has a very my-way-or-the-highway approach.

Apple is consumer-focused...plain and simple. Which is fine. Comparing phones and MP3 players to core hardware/software that RUNS businesses is abdsurd.

[carmenodie]

Nobody is offering the level of fit and finish as Apple so **** the competition.Yeah, Samsung has some interesting phones but they still suck!
As far as I'm concerned Apple has killed the rest of consumer electronic industry. If you have the air, the iPhone and either the iPad mini of the big boy you are done!
And when the air is given the retina display as well as the iPad mini all hell is going to break through in this bitch!

[kockgunner]

Its interesing how long it took everyone to realize the way Apple was making oroducts was right all along. Now we see many similar designs and the hardware/software/ecosystem model inspired from past and present Apple products. Ill admit that I'll be sad that the exclusivity of good products is starting to end. It was always exciting to have Apple release something incredibly different like it was brought from the future.

[ConCat]

Originally Posted by malexandria

Amazing, a post about how PR works? Slow news period?

Amazing, a post about slow news periods? Slow comment period?