Granted, Apple is one of the most followed companies around and is held to much higher standards than any other company but what can we learn from the media storm about Apple’s Bendgate?
First – Do not Respond Quickly
Time and data are needed to understand what is actually going on. What are the actual uses cases where the “bending”, or your particular problem, supposedly occurred? Is this even real? Reach out to those who have claimed issues and listen carefully. Most people are fair and honest, but be careful to gather as much information as you can. Some are not.
Second – Everyone Wants their Moment of “Fame”
If you want, you can deform almost any smartphone, or abuse any product to the point of failure, given enough pressure and intent. In today’s Internet world, many people want to get their YouTube moment of fame. This extends to your products as well. You do need to develop a “tough” skin and work through things carefully.
Third – Media Magnification
Desperate for page “hits”, media sites replicate non-truths, half-truths and some-truths. Things are blown out of proportion and “reporters” who do not have or own your product are editorializing about your supposed problems and failures. Reach out to those you believe are not antagonistic and have enough stature and offer to work with them.
Fourth – Don’t expect Retractions, Corrections or Apologies
It is true with newspapers and it is true with the Internet … Bad news sells and good news doesn’t. All you can hope to do is stem the tide and let time work in your favor as everyone moves on.
Fifth – Understand That You Need to Take Your Time
With data and information coming at you at blinding speed, use time to filter out the noise from real trends. Whether it’s problems like we have discussed or other marketing activities like banner ads, your best course of action is to stay the course until you have enough information to take reasonable steps. In the banner ad example, it can take up to two months to get a true reading on the success (or failure) of a given banner ad campaign.
Many marketing people forget that it is still all about reach and frequency when it comes to making digital impressions. And you need to understand the buying frequency of your product category. Once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Once a year? Once every few years? Once a decade? The frequency of purchase needs to be factored into your evaluations.
Sixth – Put Everything in Perspective … and Provide Evidence
Is the situation at hand bigger than a breadbox? Smaller than a 2-car garage? A bump in the road? Don’t let yourself or your company waste precious resources on minute problems. Step back. Take a hard look at what is really going on. Develop a few alternatives. The only way to overcome “bad press” is with truthful evidence. Then act.
This morning, Apple announced that it had received a total of 9 complaints about iPhone 6 Plus bending issues out of over 10 million of both models of iPhones sold.
