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How Apple Orchestrates Controlled Leaks, and Why
Lanxon writes "'I was a Senior Marketing Manager at Apple and I was instructed to do some controlled leaks,' confesses John Martellaro. Monday's article at the Wall Street Journal, which provided confirmation of an Apple tablet device, had all the earmarks of a controlled leak. Here's how Apple does it. Often Apple has a need to let information out, unofficially. The company has been doing that for years, and it helps preserve Apple's consistent, official reputation for never talking about unreleased products. The way it works is that a senior exec will come in and say, 'We need to release this specific information. John, do you have a trusted friend at a major outlet? If so, call him/her and have a conversation. Idly mention this information and suggest that if it were published, that would be nice. No e-mails!'"
I'm still waiting for an photo ipod touch.
Thats how they all do it. Hell its even how the government does it. This isnt news, its well known common practice. Thats why its always fun when Apple goes after someone about a leak. Because in those situations, you KNOW Apple didnt authorize the leak and it makes you snicker.
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
Say Jobs wants to fire someone but he doesn't want to lose them to another company. So he calls up the manager or whoever and asks him to do a 'controlled leak' for him via cellphone at Devil's Slough near Cupertino and wants to meet him there at 3am but come alone and no e-mails, no mention of this to anyone, no sort of traceability just to cover our asses because, hey, this is a controlled leak, right? But he asks the guy to stop at a random pub and buy Steve a bottle of their finest alcohol.
So the guy shows up and there's Steve walking along the railroad tracks above Devil's Slough. Well, when the guy approaches him, Steve hands him a cell phone and takes the bottle of liquor. Depending on how much Steve likes the bottle of liquor is how Steve proceeds next. If he likes it, he lets the man realize the cellphone is just an iPhone shell and Steve embraces him as Steve injects him with pentobarbital and gently lets him fall to his death in the slough. Now if Steve doesn't like the bottle, he pulls out his chic white iDesert Eagle and puts one in the back of each of the guy's legs gangland style. Then he usually taunts and complains about the bottle the guy brought him before roundhousing him to the head off the railroad tracks. He usually finishes it with a really bad hollywood-esque pun (ex. "consider your employment terminated!") and holds the gun sideways to look badass. Either way the guy just becomes a faceless statistic of people who drank too much at a bar and were mugged on their way home. And since it was a 'controlled leak' no one knows about it.
It's all true. Reiser tried but failed to open source the model. And that time Jobs looked cancer thin? He had actually just gotten back from a two week stint in Devil's Slough after a botched termination turned into a Most Dangerous Game where the hunter became the hunted.
My work here is dung.
It's worth noting that if Apple were a smaller company, this sort of behavior would (or should, you can always find more shills) get doors slammed in its face at media outlets pretty fast. There's two reasons why it doesn't: 1. They're probably well-connected enough that they could always find someone else to leak their supposed "info," either through naievete or just apathy, and 2. They're so big that exclusive Apple news is a big plus, even if it turns out to be false or misleading.
you purchased more Apple stock?
When the rumors started, I looked at the options chains for AAPL and saw that there was a large call to put ration meaning that the market was very bullish on AAPL - it also means that some folks are in fact trading on these "rumors" and making a few bucks on it.
Illegal? I think so. But, I'd be hearing it from a friend of an insider of an executive - I'd like to see the Government prove it. Besides, it's not like I'm Martha Stewart or someone else that's high profile where the Government makes an example of to scare the rest of us from doing it.
did you really think all those dumb unboxing youtube videos of the Pre and other cell phones where they don't show anything weren't official marketing? if it really was someone who stole a copy then they would show off every feature on the internet so all the internet peoplez would think they are cool
I'd love to see some data about company insiders and their stock purchasing/selling in relation to the "leaks". There are a few people making a shitload of $$$ off of the leaks. And if they are not then I'd be shocked. The last WSJ "leak" shot appl stock way up and my first thought was: someone is having a nice Christmas bonus.
"...Senior Marketing Manager at Apple and I was instructed to do some controlled leaks".
Let me be the first to say that anytime you boss wants you to do something "off the record", you need to start doing 1 or all of 3 things:
1. recording massive amounts of evidence(when did he ask you, how, what time, save emails offsite) for your own benefit
2. get an authorization document on company letterhead signed by him
3. refuse to do it.
They are setting you up my friend. You've probably broken some type of law already and don't even know it. I can't wait to hear their ass-covering testimony. "I never authorized him to do that. Yes your honor, I did speak with him on 1/6/2010 about the new tablet computer. I said I would like him to discuss the new changes to the device with his colleagues at work. Never at any time did I mention it was OK to discuss a confidential hardware/software design with the MEDIA!!!
All we need to do is create a leak for a fictional (but desirable) product. Slowly release blurry mock-ups and specs. Start a few rumors here and there. Then (as long as everyone stays positive) we let Apple deal with the actual implementation.
I'm awaiting my DRM-free ireader. (Apple, you can do it so much better)
For those who don't feel like actually reading the article, here're the specific reasons given for the tablet leaks:
* to light a fire under a recalcitrant partner
* to float the idea of the US$1,000 price point and gauge reaction
* to panic/confuse a potential competitor about whom Apple had some knowledge
* to whet analyst and observer expectations to make sure the right kind and number of people show up at the (presumed) January 26 event. Apple hates empty seats and demands SRO at these events.
I'm especially curious about the first and the third. Who is the competitor? The Google/Alex Reader partnership? The rumoured Chrome OS tablet? And who is the partner, a content provider or an OEM? Were they concerned that there wasn't enough interest in the device to guarantee volume, or was it something else?
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Ethics (n): The 'optional' set of rules companies occasionally engage when it is a benefit to the company but publically declaire they use at all times.
-=[ Who Is John Galt? ]=-
I work in politics and government and to give Apple much credit for this is sort of laughable. Let's just say that if they tried to patent it, there would be plenty of prior art.
Some people will look at this and think "that's why Apple is so successful at building buzz." It's only partly true. Every company leaks, but not every company gets a NY Times story and 100 blog echoes. The leaks work so well because Apple is a hot, popular company. They don't, by themselves, make Apple a hot, popular company.
Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
Is that Cupertinian for press release?
Surely they need to know exactly what was told to them and have proof, so have the reporters not heard of taping the conversation? "No emails" is obviously a "we don't want a paper trail (even if it is obvious)" thing, but even having the conversation directly in the first place leaves some kind of trail!
2. They're so big that exclusive Apple news is a big plus, even if it turns out to be false or misleading.
Exclusive is another key. Because Apple manages and controls its leaks so closely, being chosen to receive leaked info can double your outlet's pageviews. So of course you play along.
Whereas when a looser-run company, even one of similar size (say, Microsoft or HP) tries to leak something, every blogger and his mother had the same scoop a month ago.
I'm not surprised - this is just a marketing stunt. Most leaks are.
Have you ever wondered why car manufacturers do those maskings of test cars? It's the same thing - draw attention!
Of course - the public opinion is to deny or contradict, but that's just a play to keep the interest up.
If they wanted to be really secret then they would drop a lot of vapor regarding other things and other designs and draw away the attention from the real thing.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
if Apple were a smaller company
Sure, you are being rather hypothetical as Apple is in fact a huge company with innovative ideas. People do care what they'll come out with. So you don't make much of a point. Note that Google once was a small company. I first heard of them through an industry insider who said: "watch-out for this company called Google" in a web cast, "they have quite an interesting concept." Next thing you know, Altavista and Yahoo lost their leads as web search tools. Why did Google succeed? In my opinion, it was the reputation of their leaders as technical gurus and not traditional marketing types. The non obtrusiveness of their interface and their innovative monetization model also helped get them the lead.
Apple has a to know their next product will be a hit. These leaks provide an outlet and a low risk method of measuring acceptance. If reaction is negative, they never admit the leak and the idea is postponed, otherwise, it might go ahead. Too bad Segway didn't do the same thing. They would have probably not have spent so much in a product which is interesting but honestly not that compelling.
Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the author.
Isn't it a requirement of all exchange-listed companies to issue a press release for pretty much anything they want to say?
I'm pretty sure the SEC would be quite interested in this guy's story.
Is anyone really reading this and scratching their heads, saying, "Well gee, I thought it was a bunch of intrepid hackers who broke into the mainframe to steal the pix?" Of course Apple orchestrates their leaks and rumors. Even their litigious cease and desisting of Mac rumor sites is all part of cultivating their mystique. Even "non-evil" companies like Google pull shit like this. It's all part of the marketing game to build pre-release buzz for products.
"All it takes to fly is to hurl yourself at the ground... and miss." - Douglas Adams
Did apple control the leak about how they carefully control leaks?
How's that any f@cking news to begin with?....If your leak looks like advertisement on the hush-hush it usually is. Disinformation campaign 101 - only its' not some spook agency , it's some corporate entity behind it. Apple has to do a lot more of this crap as so many of their sales are to consumers so the the whole FUD strategy has to be rehashed every quarter or so.
And we are increasing the publicity by discussing this.
Bears: Wanton woodland defeacation shock
Pope: Catholic?
By fleshing out an implementation, perhaps this pre-empts someone patenting "Controlled Leak, Product" (as opposed to nuclear power plant, hot air balloon, disinformation, tire, etc.)
This is old stuff. I remember reading it in The Macintosh Way. Guy Kawasaki's thesis was that by making yourself a good source the press were less likely to burn you.
...laura
Will they make him commit suicide like the Chinese guy? Or is this story another "controlled leak"?
The second step is to have a word with a friendly slashdot/digg/whatever poster to let them know about the article, but hey, don't let me stop you posting it there hint, hint.
Really.
Often, nobody really cares what's going on at Apple.
"What?", irate resondents to this comment will say. "Everybody cares about what is happening at Apple!"
Yes, there is a lot of simulated hype. Bushels and bushels of it. That's the primary product at Apple.
Yes, I am posting this at Apple.slashdot.org so I expect a little flaming.
I think you're assuming I'm saying something good or bad about Apple in general, but in fact all I'm doing is observing that their media strategy would not work for most companies.
Media is a business, and as much as the media likes to portray itself as gung ho and unconventional, you can't play rough unless you're so big (or so influential) that rejecting you is going to hurt them. Again, this is why Apple's size (and influence, more importantly) lets them get away with it.
Most of the time, the business of news is run by pretty convention business etiquette. Just like a reporter can't repeatedly ambush sources and expect to keep getting interviews (unless they're hugely influential), a company can't constantly play hardball and expect to get coverage (again, unless they're very influential, like Apple is).
Dodgy leaks and questionable denials may seem like a good business strategy, but try it as a more low-key player from a smaller company and see how far you get with your PR strategy.
And be immediately terminated for theft of company secret(s) (the e-mail bit)
You know this is never going to happen, which is likely to lead to...
And be immediately terminated for refusal to follow order/insubordination.
In summary, your proposed solutions are all VERY VERY bad ideas (tm)
Exactly: faith. And because of that you shouldn't criticize the Appleologists. If they think that walking around in black turtle necks holding up shiny white things while worshiping a Deity they call Steve, will bring sense and purpose to their existence, let them proceed. This way they at least don't bother the rest of us normal people or interfere in our quest to improve Linux, which He has given to us.
'nss' is the tag for 'No Shit, Sherlock!', right? Just want to make sure I tag this story correctly.
You can only pull that off if your products are consistently of high quality, high reliability, and have a cutting edge design that sets the trend for the rest of the Industry. Apple consistently does these things from the innovative appearance of their products to the functionality of their OS.
After many years of owning an endless stream of PCs running Windows (and often Linux in some form of course), I switched to an iMac a few years ago. I will never willingly go back, because the product is consistently that good. The OS is superior to any version of Windows (and in my opinion superior to Linux varieties I have tried, in its polish and cohesiveness, if not functionality (which Linux has in spades of course)). The Ipod is clearly the best and most userfriendly MP3 player out there - and the latest one adds in a camera, voice recorder, step counter and a horde of other nice functions that go well with the target audience. I have never used an iPhone but I had an Ipod Touch and was very impressed with it overall.
As long as everyone else is playing catchup to Apple in the products they design and produce, and as long as Apple can continue to produce top quality products, Apple will continue to be consistently cool in the public's eyes. Yes, of course they have a very good marketing department and thats a large part of their success.
Honestly, having tried Apples products, they deserve a lot of the kudos they receive. My iMac does everything I need it to do, including smoothly rebooting to XP when I want to play games. I have yet to have a single problem with it. When I compare that to the almost daily problems I have encountered with MS products, there really is no comparison. I use XP now only to play games - and that only because Microsoft has the games industry by the short and curlies. Microsoft produces toy operating systems for me now.
If Apple produces a tablet, it will work right out of the box and be a consistently thought out design that offers innovation and performance. They will have done their research and tailored their design to the requirements of the individuals who might use such a device, based on hours of research. I am not a fan-boy but I have come to expect good products from Apple and I don't let bias shape my opinion I hope.
If Microsoft produces a tablet, it will be based on the business need to be in a space that they feel threatened in, and which Apple is entering. It will lag in production long enough for them to determine some of the features of the Apple product so they can imitate them, and it will be based on insufficient research and design and be under a lot of restrictions based on their OS limitations. The end result will be cheaper, but not faster or better than the Apple product - for all values of cheaper. I don't expect a high quality product from Microsoft - and with a few clear exceptions (MS Word for instance) they seldom exceed those low expectations. I recognize they have a much harder job since they have to support a massive variety of hardware and Apple can specify the hardware themselves, but the end result is usually a pale immitation.
"The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid
Also of interest is how Apple handles unauthorized leaks from its employees. Apparently, they lock down buildings and inspect employees' personal communication devices to hunt down the perpetrator.
How dare you suggest his Steveness could have done anything in error. Don't you know Apple never does anything wrong.
Tie the witch to the iStake and burn him
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
and this is a story because?