Goodness knows how much thinking goes into viral marketing.  These pictures were shared by a couple of my Facebook friends today and no doubt by yours dear reader.

This is a great example of a company allowing its staff to be themselves in communicating directly with consumers.  Goodness knows what the letter would have been like if it had been submitted to head office for approval.

Proof if ever it was needed that the modern brand needs to loosen up and let staff be expressive.  You don’t need to provide guidelines and structures necessarily.  Nor do you need to try and force a viral – just share stuff like this and hope it inspires your people to do the same.

Give your staff the freedom to be themselves

Posted by Richard on January 25th, 2012

Rock god Pete Townsend told the audience at this week’s BBC 6 Music John Peel lecture that Apple’s iTunes is a ‘digital vampire’ which should do more to support musicians.

It’s not the first time he’s taken a pop at Apple, but what was interesting was a subsequent interview on Radio 4’s PM programme with music industry experts.  The contributors were unanimous in their agreement that Apple is not the cute and cuddly consumer champion it purports to be.  iTunes, they argue, sells music too cheaply in order to drive higher margin hardware sales.

I wonder whether we will start to see a turn against Apple now the great man has passed?  It’s no secret that they launch unfinished products to early adopters to recuperate R&D investment earlier in the cycle.  Safari is a rubbish browser.  My iPad won’t run Flash and that drives me nuts.  Why only Quick Time?  And don’t get me started on iPhone’s inability to be an actual phone…

Clearly the fact that I own these devices brands me as much an Apple sucker as the next man.  But why do we forgive Apple its patent failings?  It’s all a bit ‘emperor’s new clothes’ if you ask me.  And regrettably, the Emperor is dead.

Apple has lost the criticism-deflecting force-field that was Steve Jobs.  His demise is the defining tipping point that will make it have to behave like a normal business.  Isn’t it amazing how one man can hold so much power?

Posted by Richard on November 4th, 2011