Social media grows too big for Apple to ignore
Apple has tended to avoid social media but this could be starting to change as the latter's influence continues to grow and the technology brand moves deeper into its post-Steve Jobs phase.
Several recent moves by the company, including new executive hires, suggest it may be taking a closer look at social media for its marketing outreach. While in-store customer service at Apple stores is known to be reputable, consumers can more easily reach their favorite brands through social, which has caused many top brands to be active on social accounts and respond with help to their customer inquiries.
"Apple hasn't maintained a social presence for the same reason Prince doesn't send Christmas cards,? said Shannon Coulter, senior vice president of digital at Grayling, San Francisco. ?Apple has always wanted to be the medium and the message.
?Their tentative first steps into social are an acknowledgement of how powerful the social Web has become, but I predict a campaign centric approach in which Apple still gets to demonstrate its genius even as things move away from the Jobs-dominated, single narrative approach.?
Somewhat social
Social has become a thriving outlet for consumers, as they have found a way to use these platforms to compile customer inquiries and directly communicate with the brands they do business with.
Oddly enough, consumer electronics giant Apple surprisingly lacks in this space and does not manage an active, consumer-related Twitter account. Whether that fact is viewed positively or negatively, industry experts weigh in on their thoughts of how necessary Apple?s social presence is.
?It's true that Apple doesn't have an official social presence, but I think they go one better,? said Carl Howe, vice president of data sciences research at the 451 Group, Boston. ?Their executives do have Twitter handles and can be reached over Twitter.
?I follow Tim Cook @tim_cook and Phil Shiller @pschiller, and they both post somewhat regularly and I believe some occasions have been documented where an email or Twitter message to the executives has led to an action, although clearly that's rare.?
Apple?s business model unquestionably reflects ultimate customer satisfaction and innovative, technological advances, so their social approach differs from the norm.
?What I like about this approach is that it emphasizes that Apple isn't a faceless corporation like an official Apple account would be,? Mr. Howe said. ?Instead, it emphasizes that these statements are made by real people who work there and who actually have some authority.?
?It's not flashy or over the top, given my timeline isn't flooded with their posts, but instead I get just about the right level of occasional comment about how things are going,? Mr. Howe said. ?In my book, it beats the traditional ?social done by a PR agency? approach by a mile.?
Tim Cook and Phil Shiller?s most recent Twitter posts entail details about the recent announcement that took place in Cupertino, Cali., and other broad news insights. While their accounts are social in a literal context, it is clear the accounts are not merely used for consumer inquiries and troubleshoot advice.
Apple's recent hiring of Marcela Aguilar, former senior global director-marketing communications at Gap, and former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts last October, are seen as key approaches by the brand to integrate social into its business model, according to published reports.
Out-of-the-box
Retailer Sears is one of many brands that inhabit active social presences and formal accounts, particularly on Twitter.
While the brand attempts to be social in every aspect, such as its social back-to-school campaign, Sears also likely has a small team dedicated to its presence on social media. At any point, viewers can skim through Sears? Twitter feed and see endless tweets the brand has in response to its mentions.
Apple is undoubtedly known for out-of-the-box approaches, and many consumers clearly appreciate those qualities about the brand. In the same way that Apple revolutionizes the consumer experience in technology, the brand perhaps will continue to see social as a space it could reside in.
Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York