Apple Holds 'Close the Rings' Apple Watch Fitness Challenge for Employees

[bbeagle]

Dude, you're in too deep with this Apple loyalty thing. It's just a cheap shirt manufactured by international labor.

Dude, you're in too deep on judging people.

If I want to wear my Atari shirt because it reminds me fondly of the old 2600 days, I'm not showing Atari loyalty. It's for me to remember, and maybe meet other people who I can talk to about Yars' Revenge.

Same thing with this. It shows an Apple Watch colored activity ring. It's not about Apple - but it's to show that I'm into the activity aspect of the Apple Watch. Most people won't recognize what it is, but the few people who do, well, they can start up conversations and I can meet new people.

Then there will be people like you who judge people by wearing these shirts incorrectly. Helps me to NOT meet people like you. Good.

 

[kingjames1970]

I suppose this kind of gamification helps motivate certain people, but I'm guessing it's the kind of motivation that doesn't stick. I want to be surprised that one's own health and happiness aren't enough to motivate some people to eat right and exercise, but since we have an epidemic of folks not doing that, I guess I can't be surprised. I'm just perplexed.

I don't understand the psychology but I'm a victim of it too. I went out for a long walk with the dog yesterday and for a second I was worried that I'd forgotten to put on my Apple Watch and almost turned back for it. Until I remembered I'd get the same health benefits without it! Only for a second but weird.

 

[blacktape242]

I'd own that challenge!

 

[ctdonath]

How about customers? I'm working on my fourth straight month of closed rings, goal is a whole perfect year.

 

[ktecac]

release computers please

 

[niceandeasy]

Looks like a dopey PR move to me. Please, focus on products not social issues.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

A physically active workforce is more likely to be a healthier workforce. And a healthier workforce does not take as many sick days and does not need medical care as often (I recall reading that Apple self funds it insurance because of its size). And a healthier workforce is more productive and profitable. And that means bigger bonus for the executives at the top.
[doublepost=1492012157][/doublepost]

Looks like a dopey PR move to me. Please, focus on products not social issues.

Its about having a healthier, more productive and profitable workforce. Apple is a business and not a charity. They are doing what they do, because they see there will be more money for their executives.
There is a saying in politics, 'follow the money and you will see the motivations.' Its obviously true with business as well.

 

[niceandeasy]

A physically active workforce is more likely to be a healthier workforce. And a healthier workforce does not take as many sick days and does not need medical care as often (I recall reading that Apple self funds it insurance because of its size). And a healthier workforce is more productive and profitable. And that means bigger bonus for the executives at the top.
[doublepost=1492012157][/doublepost]
Its about having a healthier, more productive and profitable workforce.

It hardly seems sustainable long-term though. How long are people going to be excited by a new t-shirt for? If it works good luck to them, I'd be interested to see the stats on sick days / health markers a year from now.

 

[Khalanad75]

I'd have an issue with trying to finish this. I can almost never seem to close the exercise ring. I went on a 60 minute bike ride the other day with hills and it gave me a total of 12 mins on the exercise ring.

 

[charlituna]

I'm sorry but a company holding an internal fitness competition just doesn't seem like news. or anyone's business outside of the company.

Is MacRumors going to post a big article about how they decided to change the brand of toilet paper they use too?

 

[NightFox]

Apple makes fantastic shirts. They're very well built. Tagless and have the sf font inside the collar.

I wear an Apple shirt every day. They're great.

I used to have one but it was very thin, plus the buttons were soldered on so I couldn't change them.

 

[Julien]

I have completed every one since launch day (23 months now).

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/post-your-apple-watch-work-out-activity-rings.1875548/

 

[SteveW928]

I don't disagree with you about diet being half the battle for somebody contributing to exercise and a healthier lifestyle.

However, I think you're missing the point behind the rings. They are used to motivate the user to keep Press onward...

Well, it's way more than half the battle. The problem is that most of the health and fitness 'common wisdom' is quite out of date. It's good to get some exercise (especially certain types), but if your diet is typical for the USA, or follows the 'food pyramid' then you're probably going to have some issues even if you run a marathon each week.

Pressing onward to what? That's my point. To move around some during the day, rather than sitting in the chair for 12 hours? Then great. Beyond that, it isn't measuring anything useful... and possibly harmful if one thinks that by 'closing the rings' they are necessarily getting healthier. Healthier than an absolute couch potato, yes. Overall health, not so much.

I guess this is a cool and a good thing. But it's not really that hard to close all the rings as one can define how many calories you need to burn each day in order to close the red ring which is the "hardest" of the three. Did Apple set any minimum value for active burnt calories or could employees simply set it to 10 calories a day and get it auto-completed?

Even then, calories aren't a good health measurement and such ways of measuring calorie use are, afaik, horribly inaccurate (even if knowing that data were useful).

I suppose this kind of gamification helps motivate certain people, but I'm guessing it's the kind of motivation that doesn't stick. I want to be surprised that one's own health and happiness aren't enough to motivate some people to eat right and exercise, but since we have an epidemic of folks not doing that, I guess I can't be surprised. I'm just perplexed.

Whether the motivation sticks or not, it's impossible to out-exercise (especially in the ways the Watch can track) other poor lifestyle choices (i.e.: diet, sleep). If it's about more than a game, it's a small (likely inaccurate) part of the big picture.

I'd have an issue with trying to finish this. I can almost never seem to close the exercise ring. I went on a 60 minute bike ride the other day with hills and it gave me a total of 12 mins on the exercise ring.

Yea, it's fairly meaningless in terms of measuring anything useful. If you love bike riding (I do at times), that's great. But, if you're after health impact, you'll get more out of 5-10 minutes of strength training a few times per week.

A podcast I'd highly recommend if you're curious why I'm saying some of the stuff I am above, and are concerned about your health:
http://theshawnstevensonmodel.com/podcasts/

Most of what we think we know about how to eat right, why obesity is such a problem, and how to get in shape, is just plain wrong. Eat less, exercise more is a fallacy... because our bodies aren't simplistic calorie machines, it's about hormones.

 

[BrentD]

For a company that comes up with such beautiful designs, you'd think they could come up with a shirt that didn't look like Jimmy from the mail room designed it.

 

[BeefCake 15]

Tim: Watch sales aren't great guys.

Eddy: How about we use the employees as a giant free marketing tools to get them talking to other people about the watch. Like a "close the rings" challenge. We'll give them TShirts so everyone can see and ask them about it.

Tim: You're right Eddy, our employees can be our biggest tools yet.

Phil: I'm looking at the biggest tools of them all.

Wonderful shirt design.

Now, where's the new Mac Pro we've been waiting YEARS for?

The "Tim is too busy doing X to do Y" of completely unrelated things are my favorite comments

What are you wearing?

This is not that type of forum

 

[kevinacote]

I heard the girl got fired for tweeting this and it getting picked up by MacRumors. Sucks.

 

[Asarien]

What are you wearing?

Nice clothes which don't promote any brand with free advertising.

 

[44267547]

@SteveW928. My point is about the rings isn't necessarily providing A healthier lifestyle or capable of providing accurate measurements. The rings should be a tool or resource that is used to motivate the individual to want to get up and exercise. Yes, diet and nutrition is crucial. But motivation is what most seem to struggle with on a daily basis, and the rings in the achievements are digital awards for what one should do to better themselves.

Anybody can take a diet and eat less or be more health conscious of what they're eating, but the rings act as a tool to boost someone into physical fitness and setting goals. That was my whole point from before, which I think you're short siding.

 

[Julien]

@SteveW928. My point is about the rings isn't necessarily providing A healthier lifestyle or capable of providing accurate measurements. The rings should be a tool or resource that is used to motivate the individual to want to get up and exercise. Yes, diet and nutrition is crucial. But motivation is what most seem to struggle with on a daily basis, and the rings in the achievements are digital awards for what one should do to better themselves.

Anybody can take a diet and eat less or be more health conscious of what they're eating, but the rings act as a tool to boost someone into physical fitness and setting goals. That was my whole point from before, which I think you're short siding.

Correct, the Rings are definitely not a panacea for overall health and fitness. However @SteveW928 (and everyone) they are a fantastic and useful tool to incorporate into a productive toolbox. And the best part is even an 'amateur tinkerer' can use them as well as a seasoned 'carpenter'.

 

[grobik]

I wonder if Apple employees, especially retail, get anything but nice shirts and back patting for achieving goals in general.

Easily the 3rd article in a few months about employees getting shirts for something.

At least this time there's a pin. The Christmas bonus was just a T-shirt.

 

[Asarien]

I wonder if Apple employees, especially retail, get anything but nice shirts and back patting for achieving goals in general.

Easily the 3rd article in a few months about employees getting shirts for something.

I worked Apple Retail for eight years. Employees used to get worthwhile recognition, such as iPods, headphones, then the original iPhone when that launched (mostly as a marketing tactic, but we didn't complain.)

During my later years, being issued products simply went away to just cheap caps, hoodies, and eventually a "thank you" placard made of chintzy paper. Apple Retail is a terrible place to work, wrapped in nice packaging. Non-management employees are paid "market rates," which means, they obviously work harder than every other retail store, but get paid the same as a 17 year old working in the next door Disney Store, who may only help 8 people in a day.

Since I left, they've stopped doing in-store repairs, which stops the need of having highly-technical employees, they've eliminated the Creative and Business Manager roles, and replaced all those positions with their average, know-nothing Specialists, just because they are paid less.

Overall, Apple's leadership is garbage and they do not value their hardest-working employees who bear the full grunt of Apple's customers.

 

[charlituna]

I wonder how they fulfilled the t-shirt order? As each employee requires their own size choice. Did they have an internal order site or something?

they have to fulfill the orders for the shirts the employees wear. I would imagine that folks put their shirt size in some kind of profile for that so they just copied the sizes for the folks that were playing
[doublepost=1492062463][/doublepost]

I worked Apple Retail for eight years. Employees used to get worthwhile recognition, such as iPods, headphones, then the original iPhone when that launched (mostly as a marketing tactic, but we didn't complain.)

that might not be totally Apple's fault. Many states, especially California, passed laws a few years back declaring gifts from companies over a set amount as income and it's taxable. It's not even a high amount in some states. over $50 in some, $100 in a few others. So if Apple was still giving out iPods and such employees would have to pay taxes on them in those states so they wouldn't get as high of a gift. or apple would have to some how pay up the value so the final amount the employee received was the same. it would be a huge cockup cause folks in the non taxing states wouldn't be getting the same amount of gross and it could invoke law suits.
[doublepost=1492062535][/doublepost]

Since I left, they've stopped doing in-store repairs,

I'm not so sure about that. I just took my computer in cause the keyboard wasn't working and they did it in store. this was just in the last couple of weeks

 

[coffeemadmanUK]

I saw there is an internal app too much like the Fitbit groups and teams to compete against friends and other groups to go with this campaign. If they release that then it would be awesome.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Yep - 60% sugar I think? Another instance of the geniuses at Apple being morons.

It's all 'natural sugar'. There is, according to the company, no added sugar.

 

[charlituna]

This is a good move from Apple. Probably extremely cheap to do and promotes good health with exercise.

talking to a friend who works there it seems that a lot of folks were running their watch on 'other' workout mode for hours so it racked up calories etc no matter what they were doing. because they cared more about the ego trip of being ranked number one than actually exercising. all for the same ugly tee shirt as everyone else