OK, so now it gets serious. I've lost track of how many times I've been asked when/if Steve will step down as Apple's CEO. The answer is yes. Some day he will. Get ready for it. Perhaps that day has arrived.
It is instructive to observe that what is playing out in the media today is a very good example of how NOT talking/marketing can hurt you more than being transparent. It started with no news, just a photo of a thin Steve. People speculated. Rumors started. Stock dropped. No update.
Then Steve shared. "It is a simple fix." Some were relieved. More were skeptical. People worried. Stock teetered.
A week later Steve shocked. "It's not that simple. See you in the Spring." Now people are really worried, lawyers sharpen pencils, stock freefalls, TV analysts battle.
All this is a future HBS case study about how the world's best marketing company refused to market Steve's health or sickness effectively. People give Apple a long leash in hiding product information until they are ready to launch – there is something actually fun in being surprised.
But when it concerns the health of their enigmatic leader and King of Tech, any surprise is shocking. There is never a good time to ship sickness. I think Steve/Apple knows that, but wanted to separate the company from the man. But that is an impossible task even for Steve. So now Apple's credibility suffers just as the man physically does.
See, they are inseparable.
I sent Steve a personal note last night wishing him well and letting him know that the world is a better place because of his being in it. Let's put the marketing/business issues aside and say what we all feel:
Get well Steve. We already miss you.
I think attributing Apple’s stock drop to Steve Jobs’ health is a bit over-hyped. By the same logic, the corollary would be that Microsoft’s stock would be going up.
The fact of the matter is every tech company’s stock is going down at this time of economic uncertainty.
For the two people who commented earlier today:
Sure. It was probably a coincidence that AAPL went from $85 to $77 per share immediately after the news was announced yesterday.
If anyone is in the wrong it’s the half-assed ‘reporters’ and ‘analysts’ who basically accused him of lying when he said it was about nutrition not cancer. They have absolutely no evidence to back up their claims. Apple have more than fulfilled their obligation to shareholders.
If people insist on using only their brain stems, and mill around like sheep then they have only themselves to blame when and if bad things happen to them.
This latest round of mindless punditry is the result of apple not having anything much for the ‘reporters’ to criticise. Apple is run differently to the other big organizations, and the dull grey people who like to make everything lifeless hate that. If SJ was fit and well, the haters would just make up something else to slag off.
Vehemently doubt the stock drop was a coincidence. Although it’s slightly stupid considering I heard that Apple recently beat expectations (or at least did very well?) this quarter. And while I agree transparency would have helped a great deal, where do you draw the line?
If it were me, I’m not sure that I wouldn’t have done the same thing. From my perspective as a husband and father of two, considering the realization of what my medical condition might mean to my life and my family, the opinion of any analyst, reporter, shareholder, or apple fanatic would be the last thing on my mind.
I wouldn’t give a shit.
I think the stock drop proves that corporate personalities are more important then ever, good or bad. People are associating products and companies with the poeple behind them more then ever. Even though Steve may not as involved as he used to be, the public will view him as the man pulling the strings. He leaves, people will question future products.
Jim Belosic Reno, NV Advertising Agency – Belosic|ADG