Apple is notorious for the relative radio silence the massive brand has on social media. It doesn’t have any official social channels with the exception of the Tumblr launched for the iPhone 5c which has now been taken down. The page, despite being made on an inherently social platform, was deliberate in maintaining one-way communication.
This appears to have changed entirely with Apple’s September 9th announcements. There was a very clear urging to round up the conversation on social surrounding the #AppleLive hashtag. According to Twitter, #AppleLive generated more than 2.4 million tweets and peaked at 32,305 tweets per minute as users followed the keynote.
In spite of much-publicized keynote streaming issues, Apple’s social team triumphed on, pushing out major product points with sharp product photography creating an elegant real-time effect for the major tech event. They key hub of the event wasn’t necessarily on a social platform, however. It was on Apple’s own website.
It seems Apple is beginning to see the value of social media, but is doing it in a very parsimonious manner where they are removed from the pressures as a brand to interact closely with the public. You had to visit Apple’s site to see their own version of a social feed– basically a wall consisting of tweet-like posts mixed in with carefully picked quotes and tweets from other actual social networks. Doing this, Apple maintained its position in being the ultimate source of information on their big day, firmly being in control of the conversation, dispensing tidbits of information to a very eager public.
Apple is now half-way social. They see the value in incorporating their brand’s advocates within their own messaging. They don’t see the value in owned social channels beyond their YouTube (comments disabled, of course). Apple’s Twitter account to this day still has not been used.
There are reports that Apple is in transition from this old “single narrator” model, to a more modern approach using diverse voices. The next step for Apple is beginning to open the lines of communication with its brand advocates and really bring about discussion. Apple is definitely one of the last major brands to make this huge transition and is doing so with very small and calculated steps.
In an increasingly communicative time where brands are becoming more and more like the cool friends in someone’s timeline, it was beginning to feel like Apple was staid and antisocial. When it comes down to it, what Apple does is to create products that enable us to communicate in this way. It is clear Apple has reached a ‘tipping point’ and it will be interesting for all to see how they will work to retain their secretive culture while joining the rest of us.
