Happy Endings Todd Stauffer
(tstauffer@webintosh.com)
Dear Apple: Think Female
I was watching TV with my girlfriend, Donna, when that AT&T; commercial popped up with the young woman who gets home from a date, then runs upstairs to receive an angelic e-mail from her beau. Donna loves that commercial. She giggles hysterically every time.
Every time I see that commercial, I lament the poor state of Apple's marketing. Why are MCI, Intel, AT&T; and Packard Bell all over the TV making it look like their products can change the world?
In the context of Gil Amelio's resignation, another aspect of this argument has come into focus. Like that AT&T; ad, Apple needs to think more "female." Build a company that appeals to strong women and a get-things-done sensibility not just in their advertisements -- but as a way of life. How?
Make a woman CEO.
But don't just place a female figurehead -- pick a qualified woman who understands technology and is ready to command an army on the most public battlefield in modern business. Make it someone who knows the products, knows the marketplace and offers not only charisma as a leader, but that uniquely female gift to tell the boys to quiet down and focus on more important things. Think Madeleine Albright with a twist of tech.
Make Ellen Hancock the CEO.
Hancock engineered the NeXT acquisition, knows the technology and is universally respected within the Apple community. (Except by Cheryl England, but I'm sure MacAddict will ultimately support anything Apple does.) Hancock has expressed an interest in the job, and, from what I've seen, is qualified.
A highly respected woman at Apple's head, along with a demographically female marketing campaign, could be the differentiation that Apple needs. We know Apple's been more "female" for years -- even the men who use, love and engineer with Macs appreciate the style, aplomb and grace of the Mac OS and Apple products.
Best of all, in an industry where Apple stands out as the company everyone watches, Apple can make a difference. What if one computer company made decisions, marketed products and offered solutions to that traditionally tech-ignored but lucrative 14-59 female market segment? Things like:
- Computers that aren't hobbyist toys, but tools that always work.
- Machines that don't focus on "mine's bigger" but on getting the job done.
- Computers that offer not only ease-of-use, but quality interface presentation and a no-nonsense metaphor.
- Computers for people who don't mind maintaining their tools, but who simply don't want to tinker or "putter" with the machine.
- Leaner is meaner: We don't need 1,000 Be-Your-Own-Lawyer CD-ROMs.
- Not dumbed-down NCs or set-top boxes, but the most powerful computers on the planet with innovative approaches -- think 300 Mhz meets ClarisWorks.
The funny thing is: Apple already does this. They just don't tell anybody. If there's any market demographic that's untapped and unsung in the Mac OS industry, it's the women decision makers -- those in corporate offices, running small businesses and working free-lance. If they're frustrated with the WinTel juggernaut, give them marketing support and power to speak up and talk about Macs in board rooms or with their suppliers.
In discussing this column, Donna said, "I'm not going to apologize for not being a wonk. I'm too busy running my own business."
Amen.
When Apple recently issued its press release to shore up confidence in the management team, there was something significant about that list -- not a woman on it. When Apple has had highly placed women in the very recent past, they've received resounding support from the legions. Now it's time to go further.
If Steve Jobs can rally the faithful as chairman and Apple's futurist, that's fine. He may be able to psychically channel fuzzy pictures of the next decade's technology, but right now Apple needs a marketing plan. Give those professional VPs for hardware and software a visionary CEO who has the power to dream of how to market the next level of computer.
Put Ellen Hancock in the post and she'll help us visualize a more focused, interesting, diverse and successful company -- one that makes computer products for men and women who want to have fun getting their work done. Market to 51% of the population for the first time in computing history, and continue to differentiate Mac OS products as more productive, less hobbyist and the ultimate in style.
Oh, and don't forget to pick a catchy slogan. Oh, I don't know, maybe something like:
"Computers for the rest of us." [an error occurred while processing this directive]