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Apple Under Tim Cook: More Socially Responsible, Less Visionary (cnn.com)
Let's talk about Apple, unarguably one of the most remarkable companies on the face of the earth. (Remarkable doesn't necessarily mean great -- it just means that the company is something worth making a remark). You can like it, or hate it, but you can simply not ignore Apple. But what's the occasion, you ask? It's been five years since Tim Cook took over as Apple CEO. (Editor's note: auto-playing video ahead, which may annoy you) Under his leadership, Apple has grown to become the world's most successful company, doubling the stock price and registering a staggering 84 percent growth in its net worth. Media outlets are abuzz with articles, analysis, and over-analysis of Tim Cook's Apple today. Some excerpts from a CNN article: Apple's culture has changed noticeably, both for the better and the worse. [...] If Jobs put a dent in the universe through Apple's coveted products, Cook is making his mark by highlighting the importance of social efforts: LGBT rights, philanthropy, corporate diversity, renewable energy and improving manufacturing conditions abroad. Under Cook's leadership, Apple finally began matching charitable contributions from employees, which had long been a sore spot for staff. Apple had 110,000 full-time employees as of the end of September 2015, nearly doubling from the 60,400 employees it reported having in September 2011, shortly after Cook took over, according to annual filings with the SEC. [...] There's now a feeling among some Apple insiders that the company is just running the same product playbook that Jobs created in his final years at the helm. "For four or five years, the playbook is the same that's been done," says Amit Sharma, a former Apple exec on the online store team. But, he adds, "just because everybody is looking for new doesn't mean it's not working."
Apple is first and foremost a company that wants to sell stuff. That involves a lot of technology but it has never been the only thing they've focused on. Throughout its history, the company has banked (literally and figuratively) on selling stuff based on "the feelz" -- that warm glow of self-righteous euphoria their customers want to feel after purchasing their products.
What gives a demographic "the feelz" changes with society and culture and can very well be nudged by marketing. Today's society is much more concerned with social justice, diversity and charity than it was even 10 years ago. And so it can be argued Apple is doing the smart thing by changing their image to be one of social conscience.
It said socially responsible not financially irresponsible.
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
Not an Apple employee, but I'd rather that he decoupled his personal interests from the company, since it's a public company and not his personal fiefdom. What if he came from the other end - let's say a member of the 700 Club or Family Research Council or one more of those anti LGBT or anti abortion groups? Would people still be hailing him or Apple?
People of all political persuasions use products independently based on their personal preferences - be it iPhones, Androids, Blackberries, Lumias, et al. They should be able to do it w/o feeling guilty about the company making them being against their personal beliefs.