I worry that too many visionaries that made Apple successful are being replaced by generic executives. Inevitable, I guess. You can't expect to win the lottery twice.
Ahrendts is anything but a generic executive. She completely rejuvenated the Burberry brand and turned the company around.
How does ?Watch fit into this? Should they showcase these $350 to a rumoured $5,000+ watches like they do the iPod Nano or iPhone cases, or do they need something that works specifically with that product?
I'm guessing ?Watch needs something that works specifically for it, which is exactly what Apple has done with every product they sell. Case in point, idealizing a UI and OS for the device it's on, even though they are mostly the same codebase at their core.
Remember the recent stories of Apple adding new safes for the more expensive ?Watch Edition watches? Surely they're current system of storage isn't broken, but I think it's smart that they are adding a new system for products made with precious metals.
Actually one of the thing that I like about Apple Store is that I can touch the product and play with it. Matter of fact some of the iPhone are more expensive than what the low-end of the ?Watch is going to be and they are available for people to touch and feel and play. This is why people like visiting Apple Store and sometimes just to kill time and enjoy Apple products. Yes, there might be some high end watches, but for Apple the cost might not be the reason. The last thing I want is an Apple Store looking like a jewellery shop, like Tiffany or Cartier. Heck, even those big safe like doors at Tiffany is intimidating for me to step inside the door. It would feel intimidating because I have those glass cabinets which has those $5,000+ watches in there and for me to take a look at that I would have to ask someone to just touch it. It goes against the whole premise of what Apple Store has been so far.
I do fear what Angela might do - Angela comes from an establishment which targets to a snooty clients. Ron Johnson came from Target which was target to middle of the run clients. Apple Store was designed by Steve and Ron helped it execute on it, along with the man other folks at Apple including the person who is exiting. I was just admiring the design of the new store that just opened up in China, with glass spiral staircase with clear class elevator in the middle - Awesome design. Fine do some adjustment to handle the flow for ?Watch, but I hope the change is minimalistic (something Steve always pushed for) and friendly.
I worry that too many visionaries that made Apple successful are being replaced by generic executives. Inevitable, I guess. You can't expect to win the lottery twice.
Who are these "generic" executives? Got any names?
It is also important to keep in mind that you don't wear an iPod or iPhone.
People will want to try on the ?Watch and try different band combinations before purchasing.
The typical Apple display options will not work for the ?Watch. They will need cases under lock and key with ?Specialists to assist customers, just like a jewelry store. Otherwise, they will need guards armed with AR 15s standing out front. I imagine in the first weeks of the ?Watch release, they will have to hire thousands of extra employees to serve this function.
Call me Ishmael, but I think Angela Ahrendts was actually hired as a replacement for Tim once he retires. Seamless succession plans are everything at very large companies and you don't hire a "store manager" at the salary she's making.
Nah, I think Cue, Schiller or Ive would be next in line assuming they're still around when Tim leaves. I don't think Ive has any interest in being CEO so my money is on Cue.
I can't wait to see what changes they make. Change is definitely needed, as the Apple Watch is dramatically different than any other major Apple product, both in philosophy (emphasizing personal style as a feature, and not just a natural consequence of good design), and in the way it needs to be sold (in a personal way, interacting intimately with sales staff, trying on different bands, etc.). I see Apple deploying an 'Appleized' (i.e. minimalist) version of a jewelry counter and space, likely in the center of the store, with warmer, more inviting features, such as a rounded counter, darker woods, darker/warmer surrounding floor (wood?), and a minimal amount of nearby seating that will function more as decoration than actual function, suggesting to the customer a sense of luxury and relaxation, and allowing the customer to feel comfortable slowing down so they can take their time building an emotional connection to the watch.
A couple other features would also make sense:
-Area to display wearables, such as smart clothing.
-Counter at the front showing watches on display mode, under glass, and thus acting as a tease, encouraging customers to progress to the watch counter where they can actually handle one.
-Different uniforms for Apple Watch sales people, I'd guess navy blue button down shirts and black pants.
Oh please No! No! Apple is a consumer electronics company and not a clothing store. The day above thing happens, all the crowd that you see at Apple Store will end up at Microsoft across the hallway! Please tell me that your comment was not for real.
Nah, I think Cue, Schiller or Ive would be next in line assuming they're still around when Tim leaves. I don't think Ive has any interest in being CEO so my money is on Cue.
If something were to happen to Tim Cook (e.g. health issues) in the near term, I think it would be Cue or Schiller, at least in the interim. However, if Ahrendts is successful at revamping the stores, and promoting the Apple Watch (and perhaps other wearables) she may well be in the running eventually once she's more ingrained into the corporate culture. Unlike Cue, Schiller, or anyone else at Apple not named Tim Cook, Ahrendts has actually been a CEO of a successful multinational company. I believe Ive is not very active in the executive committee and instead focuses on managing the design team.
Ahrendts is anything but a generic executive. She completely rejuvenated the Burberry brand and turned the company around.
My point, exactly. Clothing is the same as electronics? Selling is selling? That kind of thinking didn't create Apple Stores that are now imitated by others.
My point, exactly. Clothing is the same as electronics? Selling is selling? That kind of thinking didn't create Apple Stores that are now imitated by others.
She didn't turn the company around by hiring better sales associates in the stores. When she took over, the brand had negative associations as a result of cheap knockoffs. She rebuilt the brand's image and re-established relationships within the fashion industry.
Apple doesn't need help selling iPhones, Macs, or iPads in their stores. However, they are launching a new line of wearables that they plan to market as fashion accessories. So in that respect, they are selling clothing (i.e. jewelry). Selling an 18kt gold watch for several thousand dollars isn't the same as selling a phone. Heck, selling a stainless steel watch for several hundred dollars isn't the same as selling an iPad.
Oh please No! No! Apple is a consumer electronics company and not a clothing store. The day above thing happens, all the crowd that you see at Apple Store will end up at Microsoft across the hallway! Please tell me that your comment was not for real.
I didn't realize my thoughts were so anxiety provoking I wasn't suggesting clothing racks, but at least some way to show how multiple wearables will fit together, along with Apple Watch, to give us a comprehensive take on the concept of the quantified self. For instance, the watch is not the ideal place for all monitoring. A wearable shirt/strap is needed for measuring respirations during exercise and sleep for example.
As for the other stuff I mentioned, it makes a lot of sense to me for Apple to set things up that way. I wouldn't worry about Apple locking down all of their products, but I do think it's important to do so for the Apple Watch. You can get a good experience trying out an iPhone/iPad/Mac by yourself, but trying out the watch by yourself would not make for a good experience, even if you don't consider the problems securing the watch to a table for theft prevention. Although it's as intuitive as you can get for such a small interface, it still takes some explaining to understand how the watch would fit into your daily routine. Also, I think a huge source of revenue is going to come from people buying multiple bands, and people are going to want to try them on; fumbling with a strap on your own will not make a good first impression.
I have to agree with @zoetmb on one point. If Steve Jobs was solely profit-focused then he would not have paid for the cube, or made the tables so spacious. I think their per square foot revenue and profit are extremely high in spite of their minimalist design.
I'm also glad to hear about the seating.
I thought Steve put money as a primary objective. Nice styling, great products and insane prices. Like when he ripped off Woz with the stock thing. Then scammed shareholders a few years ago in that scandal that he got out of due to the fact he probably spent a good chunk of change on an army of lawyers. He was surrounded by six lawyers when he visited the SEC in SF.
Anyway, you have to spend money to make money. And Jobs was insanely great at making and being an icon and creating icons. The cube was cheap compared to the press and the impact out of its creation. But I'm sure it was half about money. Strategic thinking.
If something were to happen to Tim Cook (e.g. health issues) in the near term, I think it would be Cue or Schiller, at least in the interim. However, if Ahrendts is successful at revamping the stores, and promoting the Apple Watch (and perhaps other wearables) she may well be in the running eventually once she's more ingrained into the corporate culture. Unlike Cue, Schiller, or anyone else at Apple not named Tim Cook, Ahrendts has actually been a CEO of a successful multinational company. I believe Ive is not very active in the executive committee and instead focuses on managing the design team.
I don't disagree with you but why do you believe Ive is not active in the executive committee? First or second hand knowledge or just a feeling? Someone threw out Jeff Williams as possible future CEO. John Gruber responded with a blog post putting his money on Cue, Schiller or Ive, saying Ive is well respected within the company but most likely has no interest in the job.
I don't disagree with you but why do you believe Ive is not active in the executive committee? First or second hand knowledge or just a feeling? Someone threw out Jeff Williams as possible future CEO. John Gruber responded with a blog post putting his money on Cue, Schiller or Ive, saying Ive is well respected within the company but most likely has no interest in the job.
I can't remember where, but I thought I had read that in one of the interviews of Cook or Ive from a year or so ago. My sense is that he likes being head designer, but doesn't believe he has the skills to be a CEO. He's a design genius, but geniuses don't always make good CEOs. Heck, Steve Jobs wasn't particularly good at running a company at first. In his current role, Ive doesn't need to worry about operations and probably not so much about engineering (except when they tell them his designs can't be done). He just concentrates on design. Granted, it's expanded to software over the last 2 years, but it is still pretty focused.
Cook as COO oversaw a lot more of the daily activities and was instrumental in the company's turnaround. Ahrendts has been a CEO who turned a company around. Cue has managed several different areas while at Apple. Marketing chiefs don't usually become CEOs except at marketing agencies, so I don't see Schiller taking it on (except potentially in an interim capacity in an emergency situation).
Comments
Ahrendts is anything but a generic executive. She completely rejuvenated the Burberry brand and turned the company around.
How does ?Watch fit into this? Should they showcase these $350 to a rumoured $5,000+ watches like they do the iPod Nano or iPhone cases, or do they need something that works specifically with that product?
I'm guessing ?Watch needs something that works specifically for it, which is exactly what Apple has done with every product they sell. Case in point, idealizing a UI and OS for the device it's on, even though they are mostly the same codebase at their core.
Remember the recent stories of Apple adding new safes for the more expensive ?Watch Edition watches? Surely they're current system of storage isn't broken, but I think it's smart that they are adding a new system for products made with precious metals.
Actually one of the thing that I like about Apple Store is that I can touch the product and play with it. Matter of fact some of the iPhone are more expensive than what the low-end of the ?Watch is going to be and they are available for people to touch and feel and play. This is why people like visiting Apple Store and sometimes just to kill time and enjoy Apple products. Yes, there might be some high end watches, but for Apple the cost might not be the reason. The last thing I want is an Apple Store looking like a jewellery shop, like Tiffany or Cartier. Heck, even those big safe like doors at Tiffany is intimidating for me to step inside the door. It would feel intimidating because I have those glass cabinets which has those $5,000+ watches in there and for me to take a look at that I would have to ask someone to just touch it. It goes against the whole premise of what Apple Store has been so far.
I do fear what Angela might do - Angela comes from an establishment which targets to a snooty clients. Ron Johnson came from Target which was target to middle of the run clients. Apple Store was designed by Steve and Ron helped it execute on it, along with the man other folks at Apple including the person who is exiting. I was just admiring the design of the new store that just opened up in China, with glass spiral staircase with clear class elevator in the middle - Awesome design. Fine do some adjustment to handle the flow for ?Watch, but I hope the change is minimalistic (something Steve always pushed for) and friendly.
Who are these "generic" executives? Got any names?
It is also important to keep in mind that you don't wear an iPod or iPhone.
People will want to try on the ?Watch and try different band combinations before purchasing.
The typical Apple display options will not work for the ?Watch. They will need cases under lock and key with ?Specialists to assist customers, just like a jewelry store. Otherwise, they will need guards armed with AR 15s standing out front. I imagine in the first weeks of the ?Watch release, they will have to hire thousands of extra employees to serve this function.
Nah, I think Cue, Schiller or Ive would be next in line assuming they're still around when Tim leaves. I don't think Ive has any interest in being CEO so my money is on Cue.
I can't wait to see what changes they make. Change is definitely needed, as the Apple Watch is dramatically different than any other major Apple product, both in philosophy (emphasizing personal style as a feature, and not just a natural consequence of good design), and in the way it needs to be sold (in a personal way, interacting intimately with sales staff, trying on different bands, etc.). I see Apple deploying an 'Appleized' (i.e. minimalist) version of a jewelry counter and space, likely in the center of the store, with warmer, more inviting features, such as a rounded counter, darker woods, darker/warmer surrounding floor (wood?), and a minimal amount of nearby seating that will function more as decoration than actual function, suggesting to the customer a sense of luxury and relaxation, and allowing the customer to feel comfortable slowing down so they can take their time building an emotional connection to the watch.
A couple other features would also make sense:
-Area to display wearables, such as smart clothing.
-Counter at the front showing watches on display mode, under glass, and thus acting as a tease, encouraging customers to progress to the watch counter where they can actually handle one.
-Different uniforms for Apple Watch sales people, I'd guess navy blue button down shirts and black pants.
Oh please No! No! Apple is a consumer electronics company and not a clothing store. The day above thing happens, all the crowd that you see at Apple Store will end up at Microsoft across the hallway! Please tell me that your comment was not for real.
Nah, I think Cue, Schiller or Ive would be next in line assuming they're still around when Tim leaves. I don't think Ive has any interest in being CEO so my money is on Cue.
If something were to happen to Tim Cook (e.g. health issues) in the near term, I think it would be Cue or Schiller, at least in the interim. However, if Ahrendts is successful at revamping the stores, and promoting the Apple Watch (and perhaps other wearables) she may well be in the running eventually once she's more ingrained into the corporate culture. Unlike Cue, Schiller, or anyone else at Apple not named Tim Cook, Ahrendts has actually been a CEO of a successful multinational company. I believe Ive is not very active in the executive committee and instead focuses on managing the design team.
Who are these "generic" executives? Got any names?
I think they are sold in white boxes with black lettering in Aisle 12 next to the pet food.
My point, exactly. Clothing is the same as electronics? Selling is selling? That kind of thinking didn't create Apple Stores that are now imitated by others.
She didn't turn the company around by hiring better sales associates in the stores. When she took over, the brand had negative associations as a result of cheap knockoffs. She rebuilt the brand's image and re-established relationships within the fashion industry.
Apple doesn't need help selling iPhones, Macs, or iPads in their stores. However, they are launching a new line of wearables that they plan to market as fashion accessories. So in that respect, they are selling clothing (i.e. jewelry). Selling an 18kt gold watch for several thousand dollars isn't the same as selling a phone. Heck, selling a stainless steel watch for several hundred dollars isn't the same as selling an iPad.
Open stand alone AWatch stores as it's an extremely niche product.
Oh please No! No! Apple is a consumer electronics company and not a clothing store. The day above thing happens, all the crowd that you see at Apple Store will end up at Microsoft across the hallway! Please tell me that your comment was not for real.
I didn't realize my thoughts were so anxiety provoking
I wasn't suggesting clothing racks, but at least some way to show how multiple wearables will fit together, along with Apple Watch, to give us a comprehensive take on the concept of the quantified self. For instance, the watch is not the ideal place for all monitoring. A wearable shirt/strap is needed for measuring respirations during exercise and sleep for example.
As for the other stuff I mentioned, it makes a lot of sense to me for Apple to set things up that way. I wouldn't worry about Apple locking down all of their products, but I do think it's important to do so for the Apple Watch. You can get a good experience trying out an iPhone/iPad/Mac by yourself, but trying out the watch by yourself would not make for a good experience, even if you don't consider the problems securing the watch to a table for theft prevention. Although it's as intuitive as you can get for such a small interface, it still takes some explaining to understand how the watch would fit into your daily routine. Also, I think a huge source of revenue is going to come from people buying multiple bands, and people are going to want to try them on; fumbling with a strap on your own will not make a good first impression.
I have to agree with @zoetmb on one point. If Steve Jobs was solely profit-focused then he would not have paid for the cube, or made the tables so spacious. I think their per square foot revenue and profit are extremely high in spite of their minimalist design.
I'm also glad to hear about the seating.
I thought Steve put money as a primary objective. Nice styling, great products and insane prices. Like when he ripped off Woz with the stock thing. Then scammed shareholders a few years ago in that scandal that he got out of due to the fact he probably spent a good chunk of change on an army of lawyers. He was surrounded by six lawyers when he visited the SEC in SF.
Anyway, you have to spend money to make money. And Jobs was insanely great at making and being an icon and creating icons. The cube was cheap compared to the press and the impact out of its creation. But I'm sure it was half about money. Strategic thinking.
Reports already say custom safes are being installed in Apple Stores for the ?Watch Edition models.
I guess that would bolster the idea that the Edition will cost in the neighborhood of $3K-$5K.
I don't disagree with you but why do you believe Ive is not active in the executive committee? First or second hand knowledge or just a feeling? Someone threw out Jeff Williams as possible future CEO. John Gruber responded with a blog post putting his money on Cue, Schiller or Ive, saying Ive is well respected within the company but most likely has no interest in the job.
What makes her generic? And how was someone like Ron Johnson not generic?
Apple tweaking its store design to accommodate ?Watch. Oh no! Apple is DOOMED!!
I don't disagree with you but why do you believe Ive is not active in the executive committee? First or second hand knowledge or just a feeling? Someone threw out Jeff Williams as possible future CEO. John Gruber responded with a blog post putting his money on Cue, Schiller or Ive, saying Ive is well respected within the company but most likely has no interest in the job.
I can't remember where, but I thought I had read that in one of the interviews of Cook or Ive from a year or so ago. My sense is that he likes being head designer, but doesn't believe he has the skills to be a CEO. He's a design genius, but geniuses don't always make good CEOs. Heck, Steve Jobs wasn't particularly good at running a company at first. In his current role, Ive doesn't need to worry about operations and probably not so much about engineering (except when they tell them his designs can't be done). He just concentrates on design. Granted, it's expanded to software over the last 2 years, but it is still pretty focused.
Cook as COO oversaw a lot more of the daily activities and was instrumental in the company's turnaround. Ahrendts has been a CEO who turned a company around. Cue has managed several different areas while at Apple. Marketing chiefs don't usually become CEOs except at marketing agencies, so I don't see Schiller taking it on (except potentially in an interim capacity in an emergency situation).