Comments on: Apple, Is Anyone Listening?

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:30:06 +0000

Apple produces products that people cannot articulate they need but really appreciate. This is called innovation….also known in marketing circles as addressing latent needs…things people want (or want to buy once they know about them) but cannot outline them in a focus group. Imagine people saying I want a VCR before it was offered to the market? Not a chance. Same for iTunes, iPhone etc.

Talking to customers is very useful for customer satisfaction or feedback on something that exists. It is virtually useless in seeking specific information for new products.

Do not think Apple is not listening…my guess they are listening and listening everywhere including social media. They may be responding to specific issues or customer complaints. That is for a customer service function not product innovation.

By: 1day1brand

1day1brand — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:27:25 +0000

Apple's success is very much about controlling every aspect of the customer experience. They won't start using Social Media until they can do so with the same aplomb as all their other touchpoints. (Do I get extra points for getting some french in there?)

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:11:57 +0000

I'm with fake steve on this one.

http://www.fakesteve.net/2009/10/news-flash-we-do…

Apparently we don't try hard enough to make people like us on Facebook and MySpace and Twitter. So says someone at the Industry Standard. You know what? Guilty as charged. I want nothing to do with social media. I wish they had something called anti-social media. Now that I would join.

By: markevans

markevans — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:25:33 +0000

Thanks for the comments. I think it might be interested to learn about how Apple does listen to consumers – what they want and what they need.

By: Jess Bennett

Jess Bennett — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:24:20 +0000

Hi Mark,

While I disagree with your strategy to bait Apple on Twitter, you raise a compelling point about the company's absence in social media. I'm inclined to feel that it is their sales numbers and general positive hype that have deemed social media a non-essential part of their communication agenda.

From a brand identity standpoint, Apple has always been shrouded in secrecy. Think of Steve Jobs at the AGMs revealing new mind-blowing products to a cult-like following. Employees are notoriously quiet about the brand and any leaking of information about new products.

Apple is praised for making products that are intuitive and providing customer care that is consistent. Maybe they just haven't needed social media so far?

That doesn't mean they won't soon enough. I'm curious to see if the company's lack of online presence will later come back and bite them.

By: Jeremy Schultz

Jeremy Schultz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:51:54 +0000

Another one from Steve Jobs: "You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."

By: Chob

Chob — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:51:22 +0000

Good question! Perhaps understanding is the key more than listening? I would vote for this proposal: "Perhaps Apple is relying on its customers to engage on its behalf on social media" because it is probably the most efficient way.

By: Jeremy Schultz

Jeremy Schultz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:50:12 +0000

Most companies listen to what their customers want and then sell it to them, but Apple has always believed they know better than the customers do and sell them things they never knew they wanted. This produces a combination of innovation and hubris.

"It took us three years to build the NeXT computer. If we'd given customers what they said they wanted, we'd have built a computer they'd have been happy with a year after we spoke to them – not something they'd want now." —Steve Jobs

Apple also produced the iPod when people were using Discmans and Walkmans, and produced the iPhone when everyone thought a smartphone had to have a keyboard and a crappy web browser.