Is Apple doing the right thing?
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In conducting a brown-bag marketing innovation brainstorming session with a company’s marketing team last week, an interesting question came up - is Apple doing good for its customers?
The answer of course is that they are doing well - their financial results and their emerging business in corporate environments are a testimony to that. But are they really doing what’s best in the company’s long term interest?
Think about it - people trust the Apple products. But do they trust the company? With the battery fiascos, the iPhone warranty story and some other things that they have done, they are eroding the trust that people have in the company - and that could hurt them in the long run.
Sure, the PC industry and the consumer electronics space is littered with companies that nobody trusts, but if someone were to emerge who can produce great products and engender trust as a company within its user base, that company will take marketshare and profits out of the market faster than you will be able to write about it.
Remember - it happened in other industries…
What do you think?
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May 6th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Which Battery Fiasco and Warranty story are you referring to?
May 6th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Despite what the web says, I think that Apple customers trust Apple more than they trust the people that write about Apple.
That’s what I think.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Please explain what “battery fiascos”, what “iPhone warranty story”, and what “other things” you are referring to that are eroding the trust people have in Apple. I follow Apple closely as an investor, and I should be able to recall your references without thinking too hard. If an interested investor, let alone a casual consumer can’t recall what you are referring to, then how easily is their confidence going to be eroded? Or are you referring to the iPod battery issue from several years ago?
Why not actually look at measurable metrics? Consumer Reports just came out with their annual survey on computers, and surprise, Apple rated at the top, scoring 83% vs 66% for Lenovo and 60% for Dell in laptops. Even better scores can be found in the desktop comparison.
One can also look at the Changewave monthly survey for cellphones. Apple rates the highest in customer satisfaction over Blackberry by far.
I’m just puzzled why you say you can trust Apple’s products, and then refer to the “battery fiasco” and “iPhone warranty”. Aren’t those products?
May 8th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
IF you are like me and bought some iPods early on, then you may remember how batteries would die right after the warranty expired…if you did not, just Google it
As for the warranty - check out http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/more-evil/running-any-third+party-iphone-app-voids-your-warranty-303191.php, and google it as well..
Like to see the passion around the company!
May 13th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Francois and friends… I think you’ll love this site for insights into Apple and other brands!
http://www.brandtags.net/browse.php?id=72
Regards to all,
Chris