Apple Bolsters Online Retail Team With Former Delta VP

[PinkyMacGodess]

He's from Delta? OMG! Look out! I see trouble ahead...

I mean, look how good a man that sold flavored water did for Apple as its egotistical president.

 

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Apple is beefing up its online retail team with the addition of former Delta Air Lines Vice President of Marketing Bob Kupbens, reports AdAge. According to his LinkedIn profile, Kupbens is now serving as Apple's Vice President of Online Retail after leaving Delta earlier this month.

Kupbens originally jointed Delta in 2010 and before that, he spent eight years transitioning through several roles at Target, last serving as a vice president. During a 2013 AdAge conference, Kupbens spoke on the importance of "love brands" noting that every consumer has five brands "they really love."Like Target, Apple is undoubtedly a "love brand" for millions of people, inspiring its fans to wait in line for hours and even days for new products. Many companies even parody consumer dedication to the brand, with Samsung, for example, mocking Apple fans in an array of anti-iPhone commercials.

Bob Kupbens will presumably work under Angela Ahrendts, who will begin her role a Senior Vice President at Apple in the coming months, leading both the company's retail and online teams. Ahrendts, who is currently transitioning out of her role as Burberry's CEO, will report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

With the addition of Kupbens and Ahrendts, Apple will finally have strong leadership for its retail division. The company has been without a leader since John Browett was fired in October of 2012 during a significant management restructuring.

Article Link: Apple Bolsters Online Retail Team With Former Delta VP

Hang on a sec.... that's Robson Green...

 

[jmoore5196]

I want to see some real leadership.

I'm afraid the leader-ship sailed in October, 2011. Although I like the current team - and God knows, I wish them all the success in the world - no one alive can lead like Steve Jobs.

 

[iLoveiTunes]

Why is it that I feel no faith, lately, with Apple? I genuinely, don't know. It's just this sense of impending doom I feel every time I read another story about Apple. I'm just not feeling the sense of continuity and strength when Steve was around. I'm an Apple follower (user) since 1994. Even THEN, I felt hope. I just don't get that anymore. I want this monkey off my back. I want to see some real leadership.

you should go out often...

 

[Setter Guy]

...my wife and I long ago decided we'd never fly Delta again ... even if we have to walk.

Here's hoping Bob does a better job for Apple than he did for his previous employer.

Unless you define 2010 as long ago (which would be pretty strange), you have no issues with this guy, who only joined Delta then.

 

[richman555]

A complete waste. Where is his online retail experience? What does this guy know about ecommerce or retail?

 

[rei101]

I love that Target allowed my credit card information to be stolen.

Yeap, my bank sent me a new one and now update so many automatic electronic payments, from web hosting to the toll, cellphone, you name it.

 

[jmoore5196]

Unless you define 2010 as long ago (which would be pretty strange), you have no issues with this guy, who only joined Delta then.

Early 2011, to be precise. That's when Delta cancelled on us for the last time and left us sitting in LaGuardia with no reason and no apology. The same thing had happened to us on six occasions starting in mid-2010.

Pal, at my age, every month is an event!

 

[Bibbler]

Why is it that I feel no faith, lately, with Apple? I genuinely, don't know. It's just this sense of impending doom I feel every time I read another story about Apple. I'm just not feeling the sense of continuity and strength when Steve was around. I'm an Apple follower (user) since 1994. Even THEN, I felt hope. I just don't get that anymore. I want this monkey off my back. I want to see some real leadership.

If you really feel that you need to get that "monkey off your back" I would suggest counseling. Any adult who becomes stressed and fears "doom" based on reading news articles about a fortune 500 company (including a Vice President that they know nothing about) has issues above and beyond the pay-grade of a MacRumors poster.

Good Luck

 

[Analog Kid]

"I used to work at Target and when you went to a cocktail party and you told people that you worked at Target, you know what they'd say?" he asked. "'I love Target! I'll give you a big hug!' You know what people say when you tell them at a cocktail party that you work at Delta? 'I hate you! You lost my bag! You had me on the tarmac for seven hours. I'm going to kill you!' It's different when you work for a love brand."

Hmm. The VP of Marketing basically playing the victim because the brand isn't "loved"? That's your job-- to make people love your brand!

**sigh**

I will not fly Delta unless I'm going to Atlanta-- and then only because I figured out that no matter where I'm traveling on Delta my bags end up in Atlanta, so I figure that's the one safe destination.

 

[thekev]

He's from Delta? OMG! Look out! I see trouble ahead...

I mean, look how good a man that sold flavored water did for Apple as its egotistical president.

In each of these cases the matter involves a very large corporation. Rather than focus on the company itself, it makes more sense to look at the decisions and tendencies of the person being hired from there.

 

[Rogifan]

I'm afraid the leader-ship sailed in October, 2011. Although I like the current team - and God knows, I wish them all the success in the world - no one alive can lead like Steve Jobs.

You mean no one can sell a product like Steve Jobs could.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

You mean no one can sell a product like Steve Jobs could.

I don't know... I heard Bill Gates sold a rumoured stolen version of BASIC to make his first bit of money, and then convinced IBM that they had an operating system for their new computer, when apparently he didn't at that time... Sounds like pretty good salesmanship to me... I remember a saying that Gates could sell freezers to Eskimos, and charge them for the update the next year.