One of the laws of buzz is scarcity. Things that are in high demand but short supply tend to score well on the buzz index.
This relates to information as well. And, on that note, you have to admire Apple Computer, one of the most admired companies and the envy of tech marketers everywhere. Apple is famous for its ability to build a mystique around its brand and generate buzz. They cloak their product plans in secrecy and stage roll outs that dazzle and capture our collective attentions.
Their ability to do this is even more impressive given how hard it can be to keep a secret these days. Could Apple be the exception that proves the rule about the need to "just let it all hang out" in this blog-driven age of transparency?
Or perhaps the strategy is starting to backfire. The NY Times had two stories yesterday that tacked negative; one, about potential issues regarding the disclosure (or lack thereof) of the true state Steve Jobs' health. The second story covers the company's fabled ability to keep a secret.
According to the latter article:
Secrecy at Apple is not just the prevailing communications strategy; it is baked into the corporate culture…
“They don’t communicate. It’s a total black box,” said Gene Munster,
an analyst at Piper Jaffray who has covered Apple for the last five
years.
Mr. Munster said he jokes with other colleagues covering the company
about how Apple routinely “jams the frequencies,” or gives them
misinformation to throw them off the scent of a new product or other
news it hopes to keep confidential.
I thought I would help readers who might be curious about how Apple can achieve this secrecy by distilling tips from the article and including them below (in Apple's defense, it is hard to judge the veracity as most of the sources are anonymous).
- Monitor the workplace with security cameras
- Hide top secret projects behind a maze of security doors
- Require complex combinations of badge swiping and numeric code entry to gain access
- Cover products under development with black cloaks and signal their unveiling with red warning lights
- Discover who is leaking info by spreading false information to insiders, tracking where the false info appears, and connecting the dots
- Lawyer up and sue bloggers that trade in rumors
- Limit communications with the media, shareholders and the public
