Apple Comes Clean, Admits To Doing Market Research

colinneagle writes "In an interview with Fortune a few years ago, Steve Jobs explained that Apple never does market research. Rather, they simply preoccupy themselves with creating great products. On Monday, Apple's Greg Joswiak — the company's VP of Product Marketing — submitted a declaration to the Court explaining why documents relating to Apple's market research and strategy should be sealed. Every month, Apple surveys iPhone buyers and Joswiak explains what Apple is able to glean from these surveys. And as you might expect, Apple conducts similar surveys with iPad buyers. Apple wants all of these tracking studies sealed. Joswiak explains that if a competitor were to find out what drives iPhone purchases — whether it be FaceTime, battery life, or Siri — it would serve as an unfair competitive edge to rival companies. Further, competitors, as it stands today, have to guess as to which demographics are most satisfied with Apple products." A few other interesting facts have come out of the trial so far; Apple spent $647 million advertising the iPhone in the U.S. from its launch through fiscal 2011, and they spent $457.2 million advertising the iPad from its launch up to the same point.

Comments

Re:They've turned their backs on Steve

[icebike]

Exactly.

My last block of Apple stock is going to be sold in the run up to the iPhone 5 release. I will be out of that issue prior to the actual announcement. Its been a good run, more than doubled my investment in a couple years, but now its time to go, ahead of the disappointment sure to arrive when iPhone 5 is nothing but an incremental improvement.

Buy the rumor. Sell the news.

Re:They've turned their backs on Steve

[sessamoid]

Exactly my plan, because when the detailed specs are ANNOUNCED the rumor becomes news. I suspect it will be a marginal improvement at best.

The 4S was a marginal improvement. It sold more than all previous generations of iPhones combined.