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If you are an avid reader of my blog or a social media enthusiast then you know how interactivity coincides with forming great communication outlets. Many corporations establish their customer relations because they need to find ways to control the conversations while becoming involved and responsive to customer concerns and possible negativity. Through this need to change, new forms of interactivity and ways to reach customers grow. This gives the companies the ability to gain customer trust and develop a strong reputation.
Some major corporations don’t see the point in developing social media. Are those companies in the right mind set? Are they afraid of the feedback? Do they not accept the current groundswell realization? Or is the company so powerful that their top status and high reputations will survive even as more companies are improving customer communication?
In a recent post I talked about how corporations fear the negative feedback, and how they can handle the situation should it occur. What if there are companies that fear a negative comment so little that they fell social media and interactivity is irrelevant?
It may surprise you that one major company that holds the idea that social media is irrelevant is Apple. That’s right Apple! One of the greatest technology developing companies avoids the social media world. I don’t know about you, but this news shocked me. Surely you would think a company so in touch with how people want to communicate with one another would make it their personal goal to interact with consumers.
According to an interview with Jens Alfke, the primary architect for Apple’s Ichat, realized the companies lack of social media was something he could not handle. He tried to push Apple to realizing the importance of social medial. He explains that other corporations are using their technology to improve communications, but to also create openness for consumers to learn about new products being released.
In years passed Apple has made sure to respond to any negative feedback that would circulate the web, but they have avoided implementing their own forms of social media. They have the technology and capability so why not create the sites?
A blog posted on davefleet.com explains why Apple does not join in the social media networks. The author says that companies like Apple are so certain of their positive feedback and strong company reputation that they don’t feel the need to begin communication themselves. They have now begun to allow customers to control communication with one another. Apple feels they could never do as great a job as their consumers.
Apple is fully aware of the groundswell, and they are such a strong company that they have given total control of interactivity to their consumers. The company has decided to focus on their interactive technology products to provide outlets for interactivity.
If you look at the Apple site, there is no link to blogs or podcasts, but you can find links to other customer blogs that have recently posted about Apple.
What if one day Apple has a problem like Dell and because they lack social media outlets cannot act quick enough? Or has Apple learned enough from their products that they can afford to remain out of the social media limelight?
