IPhone’s PR Glitch: Is there an App for Good PR?

If we’ve preached it once, we’ve preached it a thousand times. No company is immune to crisis. All companies, large and small, should have a solid crisis communications plan. Why are we reiterating this? Well, take a look at Apple in recent days. Web reports say that their techno trophy—the iPhone—has been experiencing an application glitch since New Year’s Day. The alarm feature has not being going off properly, which according to Yahoo News, has left users “fuming” (and likely late to meetings, flights, etc.). According to CBSSports.com, three NBA stars were “victims” of the glitch, causing one player to completely miss a practice and two others to be late.

What a way to start the new year. Way back in November of 2010, CNN reported that Apple told its customers to manually adjust their alarm clocks for Daylight Saving Time, because the alarm app did not automatically do this. Was this the cause of the problem? Who knows? Answering tech questions is beyond our expertise, but we can speak to the PR problem that has resulted from the glitch.

Here’s the thing. The application glitch itself is not what causing the Apple’s PR problem—it’s reportedly the way Apple is handling the problem. CNN.com reported that thousands of users took to social media outlets to rant and rave about their dissatisfaction with the product. Users who missed meetings and appointments due to the problem made Twitter and Facebook their sounding board because they felt that Apple was not listening to them.

Apple apparently did not offer an explanation for New Year’s alarm problem, but told customers the phone would be fixed by that Monday. Offering as much information as possible within legal and corporate guidelines is imperative to customer satisfaction in a situation like this. Communication with the customer is essential—especially if communication tools are one of the products your business sells. Apple will do well to learn from this mistake and create a hotline or special service line for customers who experience application glitches in the future. After all, the iPhone is supposed to have you talking, but not like this.

Do you Manage your Brand?

If you say you don’t have a brand, think again. What people think about you—i.e. your reputation—is your brand. It’s the single idea your business occupies in people’s minds. What matters is whether or not you manage the brand, and given the recession, consumers are looking more closely at who is selling them what. It’s a market formula shift to economics and values.

Even mega brands must continually control their reputation. Consider Coca-Cola, which is still deemed the most valuable brand by Interbrand in its Best Global Brands 2010 Report.

Coke took a risk with the holiday Coca-Cola Polar Bear in 1993. It was dramatically different, but the animation copied human behavior.


"That's really what we were trying to do – create a character that's innocent, fun and reflects the best attributes we like to call 'human'," said creator Ken Stewart. "The bears are cute, mischievous, playful and filled with fun." (http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/ cokelore_polarbears.html)

Coke mixed it up a bit but kept in theme with the long-time sentiment of a Coke and a smile.

Furthermore, people have brands, too. Martha Stewart and Oprah are mega brands, but they are personal brands. Every person has a personal brand, online and offline, and if you don’t manage your personal brand, well, think Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson.

Let us know if you need help with your brand. Positioning can make all the difference in the world.