I just had to register to post an observation regarding this article and more important the comments -- some of them are absurd.
First. Steve Jobs is known to put a stamp on any major product of Apple. It is also the case that he surrounds himself with very good people and pay them well to help Steve Jobs realize his ideas.
So, is Steve Jobs micromanaging Apple, as charged by some respondents here? To answer this, we need to ask:
Does Steve Jobs really get involve all the time and from the beginning in selecting the song that goes with each Apple ad? Or, is the example discussed here anecdotal? Does Steve Jobs tell Jonathan Ive how to design Apple products or Does he just provide the big picture of the features he wanted? etc., etc., etc.
From what have been reported here and in many publications and by some who actually worked with Apple, Steve Jobs might be very hands-on, but he does delegate, and even trust people who knows more than he does. I do not think Ives, or many of the creative and driven employers of Apple, some with very large egos themselves would have stayed with Apple, if they were simple puppets.
There is that statement: "The buck stops here." A good CEO who is well-informed is good because eventually the CEO must be held accountable. It is one thing for a CEO to have an input, e.g., a final approval, or even an occasional intensive involvement in selecting specific songs or whatever "aesthetic" issues.
Second Our taste in music will differ. What Steve Jobs may like may not be what you want. Otherwise, there will be no need for millions and millions of songs and all sorts of artists. The bottom line, Apple ads get noticed, and the products sell.
Third. Investors, speculators or lemmings?
I read so many postings here bragging about owning Apple stocks, especially when it was skyrocketing, only to be disappointed when Apple stocks tanked. Then these "small time" stockholders are so quick to share their thoughts on what Steve Jobs should do to shore up stocks. Do you even look at the long term (historical) trends of stocks and the whole market, in general? What is your time frame?
For companies like Apple, expect the stock to fall hardest because they had meteoric rise. And, with all the speculators in the market these days, expect to get burned if you were one of the lemmings.
If you feel so strongly about your "suggestions" on how to prop the share price of Apple, you will make more headway if you vote your shares, in conjunction with like-minded shareholders. Otherwise, it is a futile exercise, especially if you only own a few hundred or thousands of shares.
Where is everyone getting that most CEO's do nothing? It seems rather weird that someone running a company could do nothing and would still have a job 6 months later.
Hmmm... caring enough and being inspired enough to choose the music for one of your most important music products just doesn't seem creepy to me. Sounds smart and even fun..
I hope Ballmer decides to copy this idea (too) and pick music for Microsoft ads, I'm sure he has excellent taste.
It's their baby. It's the same reason why a lot of artists won't let their music be played on not just ads, but events and even TV shows; sometimes your art gets diluted by the fact that it's being used for product placement and even worse, will forever be associated with the product instead of standing on its own merits. Even if a product is completely spectacular, it's still a product, and even though a lot of people might equate money and sales with success, when it comes to art, there's a whole different yardstick.
Much as I have deep admiration for Jobs and his achievements, I do have to say that I find this level of personal involvement a bit creepy.
And, it reflects somewhat poorly on the trust/faith he has in his lieutenants.
Issue of trust/faith and personal involvement might ironically be "good abilities" for a CEO that really has a personal, strong vision and plan for its company, which in itself I believe is highly unusual. Rarely I've met CEO's that get so personal about what their company is making.
I can imagine these personal characteristics of Steve Jobs probably always gets him into trouble both in the pro and personal world, but also helps him shape Apple to what it is, since he DOES have a fantastic ability to lead Apple forward. And probably in the end these are abilities that will help him REALLY to find the right people to work for him.
Steve Jobs *DOES* approve all brand and marketing decisions, but he does *NOT* pick the music. The advertising agency has a music director or contracts out to a company that sources new music.
The agency picks the music, makes several versions of each ad, then puts them in front of Steve for the thumbs up/down call.
The 'beatmaker' referenced in the story is full of crap...
I didn't see any credits in the song, I don't see how it's good advertising for the band if they don't say who the band is.
Interesting. But here at the university they call it 'Shazaming'. It's immediate and as one student has admitted, it's causing him a fortune being able to identify a song and buy it immediately.
Interesting. But here at the university they call it 'Shazaming'. It's immediate and as one student has admitted, it's causing him a fortune being able to identify a song and buy it immediately.
An unknown Danish band/group gets the shot of a lifetime and they are upset that a song is edited. Ahem....Jet...ahem...Feist...ahem...CSS.
Feist has the most talent of the ones who's careers it has helped the most and apart from the Coldplay, U2, Eminem and Black Eyed Peas this is a really great shot. Personally I'm underwhelmed by the song in question, but Europe is crazy for electronic music.
If done properly, I think Passion Pit's - Better Things - would be an excellent choice for anything Apple.
And to those that don't like the choices, what it does take to pick songs is gut instinct. That which you don't have. Saying he is controlling is a cop out shot at someone who has picked many unknown artists and helped them blow up. If we trusted America to do this job, all these idiots would pick is Lil' Wayne and fucking Rhianna.
An unknown Danish band/group gets the shot of a lifetime and they are upset that a song is edited. Ahem....Jet...ahem...Feist...ahem...CSS.
I'm not saying this happened, but let's take an example, if you will. If you worked on something and put your soul into it, felt it was perfect, and nuanced every tiny detail, then someone came along and said, "Nah, this is better," then sliced it in half and re-arranged it, how would you feel?
Also, as I stated in a previous post, not all artists and musicians equate financial success as their "shot of a lifetime".
Granted, the artist in this case the band probably shouldn't have agreed to licensing the song for uses such as this if they were that intent on not having it munged, but they still have every right to get annoyed by it.
So you want CEO's to spend their time focussing on stuff like how much money they are making, and not on the products that their company produces?
Most CEOs don't do much of anything for the money but take trips, buy jets, and suck out money for themselves. To have a CEO of a huge company like Apple behave as if the company is a small startup and involve himself in the day to day decisions is a very good thing IMO.
Look at it this way. Jobs is decidedly different than any other CEO and Apple itself runs decidedly different from most companies. Together they are hugely successful at almost everything they do, something those other CEOs can't say.
So who's right?
I hope Apple is/will be soon turning that philosophy into Company's culture, rather than doing simple "follow the leader". Jobs will not be CEO/live for ever. Just look at Bill Gates - though he was much less charismatic leader than Jobs, still after he pulled out people are constantly being annoyed by Balmier.
As it is, Jobs' retirement will have much stronger impact on Apple than Gates' on Microsoft. Most people don't even know who is second/third/... man in Apple! Hopefully Jobs will chose/prepare/train his replacement on time, but what happens if he quits on a short notice..?
Granted, the artist in this case the band probably shouldn't have agreed to licensing the song for uses such as this if they were that intent on not having it munged, but they still have every right to get annoyed by it.
Um, no, thats exactly the point.
If they didn't want their beautiful perfect song messed with, they should have turned down the money. It's simple math - if you're not in it for the money, DONT TAKE THE MONEY. And don't complain and the results of taking the money.
Something tells me these delicate arteests decided that they prefer food on their tables to "artistic integrity". Smart decision if you ask me, the remixed song sounds much better than the original, much livelier.
If they didn't want their beautiful perfect song messed with, they should have turned down the money. It's simple math - if you're not in it for the money, DONT TAKE THE MONEY. And don't complain and the results of taking the money.
Something tells me these delicate arteests decided that they prefer food on their tables to "artistic integrity". Smart decision if you ask me, the remixed song sounds much better than the original, much livelier.
You do realize that when a band signs with most management companies that handle licensing on deals like this, almost all control is removed. What I meant was that sometimes you jump into things without realizing the full ramifications of an agreement, and you bemoan the fact afterward. Yes, it's still your fault, however you're still allowed to complain.
As a final note, I have to say you probably have not operated in any kind of creative environment, otherwise you'd know that that the vast majority of creative endeavors are done with the express desire to NOT compromise their artistic integrity. Yes, that includes not eating and a lack of fame. It's disappointing that someone find the idea ludicrous.
What in the world are all you arguing about? The story indicates that while they were a little miffed about the edits at first, they came around and like the commercial. I mean, it doesn't seem like the band was even particularly upset in the first place.
I just had to register to post an observation regarding this article and more important the comments -- some of them are absurd.
First. Steve Jobs is known to put a stamp on any major product of Apple. It is also the case that he surrounds himself with very good people and pay them well to help Steve Jobs realize his ideas.
So, is Steve Jobs micromanaging Apple, as charged by some respondents here? To answer this, we need to ask:
Does Steve Jobs really get involve all the time and from the beginning in selecting the song that goes with each Apple ad? Or, is the example discussed here anecdotal? Does Steve Jobs tell Jonathan Ive how to design Apple products or Does he just provide the big picture of the features he wanted? etc., etc., etc.
From what have been reported here and in many publications and by some who actually worked with Apple, Steve Jobs might be very hands-on, but he does delegate, and even trust people who knows more than he does. I do not think Ives, or many of the creative and driven employers of Apple, some with very large egos themselves would have stayed with Apple, if they were simple puppets.
There is that statement: "The buck stops here." A good CEO who is well-informed is good because eventually the CEO must be held accountable. It is one thing for a CEO to have an input, e.g., a final approval, or even an occasional intensive involvement in selecting specific songs or whatever "aesthetic" issues.
Second Our taste in music will differ. What Steve Jobs may like may not be what you want. Otherwise, there will be no need for millions and millions of songs and all sorts of artists. The bottom line, Apple ads get noticed, and the products sell.
Third. Investors, speculators or lemmings?
I read so many postings here bragging about owning Apple stocks, especially when it was skyrocketing, only to be disappointed when Apple stocks tanked. Then these "small time" stockholders are so quick to share their thoughts on what Steve Jobs should do to shore up stocks. Do you even look at the long term (historical) trends of stocks and the whole market, in general? What is your time frame?
For companies like Apple, expect the stock to fall hardest because they had meteoric rise. And, with all the speculators in the market these days, expect to get burned if you were one of the lemmings.
If you feel so strongly about your "suggestions" on how to prop the share price of Apple, you will make more headway if you vote your shares, in conjunction with like-minded shareholders. Otherwise, it is a futile exercise, especially if you only own a few hundred or thousands of shares.
CGC
Thanks for that interesting but somewhat bloated interjection. Allow me to summarise:
Comments
I just had to register to post an observation regarding this article and more important the comments -- some of them are absurd.
First. Steve Jobs is known to put a stamp on any major product of Apple. It is also the case that he surrounds himself with very good people and pay them well to help Steve Jobs realize his ideas.
So, is Steve Jobs micromanaging Apple, as charged by some respondents here? To answer this, we need to ask:
Does Steve Jobs really get involve all the time and from the beginning in selecting the song that goes with each Apple ad? Or, is the example discussed here anecdotal? Does Steve Jobs tell Jonathan Ive how to design Apple products or Does he just provide the big picture of the features he wanted? etc., etc., etc.
From what have been reported here and in many publications and by some who actually worked with Apple, Steve Jobs might be very hands-on, but he does delegate, and even trust people who knows more than he does. I do not think Ives, or many of the creative and driven employers of Apple, some with very large egos themselves would have stayed with Apple, if they were simple puppets.
There is that statement: "The buck stops here." A good CEO who is well-informed is good because eventually the CEO must be held accountable. It is one thing for a CEO to have an input, e.g., a final approval, or even an occasional intensive involvement in selecting specific songs or whatever "aesthetic" issues.
Second Our taste in music will differ. What Steve Jobs may like may not be what you want. Otherwise, there will be no need for millions and millions of songs and all sorts of artists. The bottom line, Apple ads get noticed, and the products sell.
Third. Investors, speculators or lemmings?
I read so many postings here bragging about owning Apple stocks, especially when it was skyrocketing, only to be disappointed when Apple stocks tanked. Then these "small time" stockholders are so quick to share their thoughts on what Steve Jobs should do to shore up stocks. Do you even look at the long term (historical) trends of stocks and the whole market, in general? What is your time frame?
For companies like Apple, expect the stock to fall hardest because they had meteoric rise. And, with all the speculators in the market these days, expect to get burned if you were one of the lemmings.
If you feel so strongly about your "suggestions" on how to prop the share price of Apple, you will make more headway if you vote your shares, in conjunction with like-minded shareholders. Otherwise, it is a futile exercise, especially if you only own a few hundred or thousands of shares.
CGC
Hmmm... caring enough and being inspired enough to choose the music for one of your most important music products just doesn't seem creepy to me. Sounds smart and even fun..
I hope Ballmer decides to copy this idea (too) and pick music for Microsoft ads, I'm sure he has excellent taste.
I hope Ballmer decides to copy this idea (too) and pick music for Microsoft ads, I'm sure he has excellent taste.
Much as I have deep admiration for Jobs and his achievements, I do have to say that I find this level of personal involvement a bit creepy.
And, it reflects somewhat poorly on the trust/faith he has in his lieutenants.
Issue of trust/faith and personal involvement might ironically be "good abilities" for a CEO that really has a personal, strong vision and plan for its company, which in itself I believe is highly unusual. Rarely I've met CEO's that get so personal about what their company is making.
I can imagine these personal characteristics of Steve Jobs probably always gets him into trouble both in the pro and personal world, but also helps him shape Apple to what it is, since he DOES have a fantastic ability to lead Apple forward. And probably in the end these are abilities that will help him REALLY to find the right people to work for him.
Creepy, it might be...
I hope Ballmer decides to copy this idea (too) and pick music for Microsoft ads, I'm sure he has excellent taste.
How many songs reference the word "squirt" in their titles?
Apple uses a communications company (an Ad Agency) to create all of its brand marketing content.
Its a widely-publicized relationship that goes back more than 25 years.
Look it up: TBWA\\Chiat\\Day (now part of the Media Arts Lab)
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/t...php?mail2=true
Steve Jobs *DOES* approve all brand and marketing decisions, but he does *NOT* pick the music. The advertising agency has a music director or contracts out to a company that sources new music.
The agency picks the music, makes several versions of each ad, then puts them in front of Steve for the thumbs up/down call.
The 'beatmaker' referenced in the story is full of crap...
Seriously - do some research...
Agreed 100%
it's not that so tough to find the song in "the most viewed youtube video of all time"
http://www.zimbio.com/pilot?ZURL=%2F...%2Fcss%2F35093
I didn't see any credits in the song, I don't see how it's good advertising for the band if they don't say who the band is.
Interesting. But here at the university they call it 'Shazaming'. It's immediate and as one student has admitted, it's causing him a fortune being able to identify a song and buy it immediately.
http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-10113274-12.html
Interesting. But here at the university they call it 'Shazaming'. It's immediate and as one student has admitted, it's causing him a fortune being able to identify a song and buy it immediately.
http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-10113274-12.html
Me too.
Feist has the most talent of the ones who's careers it has helped the most and apart from the Coldplay, U2, Eminem and Black Eyed Peas this is a really great shot. Personally I'm underwhelmed by the song in question, but Europe is crazy for electronic music.
If done properly, I think Passion Pit's - Better Things - would be an excellent choice for anything Apple.
And to those that don't like the choices, what it does take to pick songs is gut instinct. That which you don't have. Saying he is controlling is a cop out shot at someone who has picked many unknown artists and helped them blow up. If we trusted America to do this job, all these idiots would pick is Lil' Wayne and fucking Rhianna.
An unknown Danish band/group gets the shot of a lifetime and they are upset that a song is edited. Ahem....Jet...ahem...Feist...ahem...CSS.
I'm not saying this happened, but let's take an example, if you will. If you worked on something and put your soul into it, felt it was perfect, and nuanced every tiny detail, then someone came along and said, "Nah, this is better," then sliced it in half and re-arranged it, how would you feel?
Also, as I stated in a previous post, not all artists and musicians equate financial success as their "shot of a lifetime".
Granted, the artist in this case the band probably shouldn't have agreed to licensing the song for uses such as this if they were that intent on not having it munged, but they still have every right to get annoyed by it.
So you want CEO's to spend their time focussing on stuff like how much money they are making, and not on the products that their company produces?
Most CEOs don't do much of anything for the money but take trips, buy jets, and suck out money for themselves. To have a CEO of a huge company like Apple behave as if the company is a small startup and involve himself in the day to day decisions is a very good thing IMO.
Look at it this way. Jobs is decidedly different than any other CEO and Apple itself runs decidedly different from most companies. Together they are hugely successful at almost everything they do, something those other CEOs can't say.
So who's right?
I hope Apple is/will be soon turning that philosophy into Company's culture, rather than doing simple "follow the leader". Jobs will not be CEO/live for ever. Just look at Bill Gates - though he was much less charismatic leader than Jobs, still after he pulled out people are constantly being annoyed by Balmier.
As it is, Jobs' retirement will have much stronger impact on Apple than Gates' on Microsoft. Most people don't even know who is second/third/... man in Apple! Hopefully Jobs will chose/prepare/train his replacement on time, but what happens if he quits on a short notice..?
Granted, the artist in this case the band probably shouldn't have agreed to licensing the song for uses such as this if they were that intent on not having it munged, but they still have every right to get annoyed by it.
Um, no, thats exactly the point.
If they didn't want their beautiful perfect song messed with, they should have turned down the money. It's simple math - if you're not in it for the money, DONT TAKE THE MONEY. And don't complain and the results of taking the money.
Something tells me these delicate arteests decided that they prefer food on their tables to "artistic integrity". Smart decision if you ask me, the remixed song sounds much better than the original, much livelier.
Um, no, thats exactly the point.
If they didn't want their beautiful perfect song messed with, they should have turned down the money. It's simple math - if you're not in it for the money, DONT TAKE THE MONEY. And don't complain and the results of taking the money.
Something tells me these delicate arteests decided that they prefer food on their tables to "artistic integrity". Smart decision if you ask me, the remixed song sounds much better than the original, much livelier.
You do realize that when a band signs with most management companies that handle licensing on deals like this, almost all control is removed. What I meant was that sometimes you jump into things without realizing the full ramifications of an agreement, and you bemoan the fact afterward. Yes, it's still your fault, however you're still allowed to complain.
As a final note, I have to say you probably have not operated in any kind of creative environment, otherwise you'd know that that the vast majority of creative endeavors are done with the express desire to NOT compromise their artistic integrity. Yes, that includes not eating and a lack of fame. It's disappointing that someone find the idea ludicrous.
*you are all fools*
f-u...
Hello everyone!
I just had to register to post an observation regarding this article and more important the comments -- some of them are absurd.
First. Steve Jobs is known to put a stamp on any major product of Apple. It is also the case that he surrounds himself with very good people and pay them well to help Steve Jobs realize his ideas.
So, is Steve Jobs micromanaging Apple, as charged by some respondents here? To answer this, we need to ask:
Does Steve Jobs really get involve all the time and from the beginning in selecting the song that goes with each Apple ad? Or, is the example discussed here anecdotal? Does Steve Jobs tell Jonathan Ive how to design Apple products or Does he just provide the big picture of the features he wanted? etc., etc., etc.
From what have been reported here and in many publications and by some who actually worked with Apple, Steve Jobs might be very hands-on, but he does delegate, and even trust people who knows more than he does. I do not think Ives, or many of the creative and driven employers of Apple, some with very large egos themselves would have stayed with Apple, if they were simple puppets.
There is that statement: "The buck stops here." A good CEO who is well-informed is good because eventually the CEO must be held accountable. It is one thing for a CEO to have an input, e.g., a final approval, or even an occasional intensive involvement in selecting specific songs or whatever "aesthetic" issues.
Second Our taste in music will differ. What Steve Jobs may like may not be what you want. Otherwise, there will be no need for millions and millions of songs and all sorts of artists. The bottom line, Apple ads get noticed, and the products sell.
Third. Investors, speculators or lemmings?
I read so many postings here bragging about owning Apple stocks, especially when it was skyrocketing, only to be disappointed when Apple stocks tanked. Then these "small time" stockholders are so quick to share their thoughts on what Steve Jobs should do to shore up stocks. Do you even look at the long term (historical) trends of stocks and the whole market, in general? What is your time frame?
For companies like Apple, expect the stock to fall hardest because they had meteoric rise. And, with all the speculators in the market these days, expect to get burned if you were one of the lemmings.
If you feel so strongly about your "suggestions" on how to prop the share price of Apple, you will make more headway if you vote your shares, in conjunction with like-minded shareholders. Otherwise, it is a futile exercise, especially if you only own a few hundred or thousands of shares.
CGC
Thanks for that interesting but somewhat bloated interjection. Allow me to summarise:
Apple = teh 1337.
Welcome to AI!
Jimzip