![]() Round 5: Challenges as Apple CEO Apple faced serious financial turmoil in the past. However, very few ads under Cook’s watch ascend into iconic territory. And what about the iPod and iTunes campaign, featuring silhouettes dancing on a plain background? And the memorable “Switch” campaign directed by Errol Morris?Īpple still produces highly polished marketing ( its Christmas ads remain a highlight). The “ Get a Mac” campaign remains heavily referenced by fans, even a decade after it finished. “ Think Different” was a masterstroke that arrived at a time when Apple didn’t yet have any new products to sell. But Steve Jobs blinded us with marketing brilliance. Tim Cook’s Apple regularly delivers great ads. Yes, the whole “ right to repair” issue is still troublesome, but Cook has embraced the idea that Apple should make the planet a better place. He’s also driven Apple to become a 100 percent sustainable energy-powered company, worked to improve conditions in the supply chain, and led the way in terms of accessibility for users with disabilities. Cook has spoken out about privacy, gay rights, and immigration reform. While Apple dabbled in all of these, it wasn’t until Tim Cook’s reign that they became a prominent part of Apple’s identity. Here in the social media-driven 2018, with Apple more valuable (and therefore susceptible to regulation) than ever, this is a “must do.” Steve Jobs was never big into charity, or environmental issues, or human rights subjects. This one depends on whether you think a company should commit to making the world a better place. Round 3: Apple’s social good Apple shells out billions to go green. Again, Cook’s “scandals” look less significant than Jobs’. Throttling performance of older iPhones with compromised batteries was actually a smart user feature, even if Apple made a mistake by not being more transparent about it. ![]() Apple’s insistence on user privacy in the FBI showdown did the company good over time. Of these, Cook’s prove less significant than Jobs’. ![]() But both Apple CEOs contended with their own high-profile problems.įor Jobs, it was backdated stock options, a lost iPhone 4 prototype, the so-called Antennagate problem, concerns about Foxconn working conditions, and censorship in the App Store.įor Cook, scandals have included the disastrous Apple Maps launch, the divisive FBI standoff over privacy, the iPhone 6 Plus’ “ Bendgate,” ongoing allegations of tax avoidance, and, most recently, the controversial practice of iPhone throttling. Who ran Apple with the fewest scandals? Neither Steve Jobs nor Tim Cook encountered disasters on the level of, say, Microsoft’s antitrust case or Facebook’s recently revealed data scandal. Round 2: Apple scandals Apple’s showdown with the FBI over iPhone encryption made headlines. Apple doesn’t pin its success on short-term numbers like many other companies do. With Cook at the helm, Cupertino has given back more money to shareholders, and seen higher highs. Under Cook, Apple climbed to become the world’s most valuable company, and consistently defended that title. Jobs was the ultimate turnaround artist, and deserves every credit for it. However, the conditions during each man’s tenure as Apple CEO are very, very different. (And may well hit $1 trillion this year.) That’s an increase of “just” 2.7x. Under his steady hand, Apple hit $922 billion last month. That’s an astonishing 116x increase in Apple’s stock market valuation.Ĭook, meanwhile, took over a company valued at $347 billion in 2011. When Jobs departed as CEO 15 years later in 2011, Apple’s market cap stood at $347 billion. In 1996, Apple’s market cap sat at $3 billion. ![]() If your question is, “Who multiplied Apple’s value the most?” the answer is unarguably Steve Jobs. If your question is, “Which CEO ran Apple when it hit its biggest valuation?” the answer is Tim Cook. This really depends on how you measure it. Round 1: Apple financial performance Apple’s financial status is unparalleled. In fact, you sometimes still hear those sorts of fears, even as Apple chugs along as the world’s most powerful, and profitable, company.Īre Jobs fans just looking at Apple’s past through rose gold glasses? Here’s an honest evaluation of the two Apple CEOs’ accomplishments in nine key areas. That didn’t stop critics from predicting doom when Jobs died in 2011 after handing over Apple’s reins to Cook. But was his time at the top really better than Cook’s reign? After all, when Jobs served as Apple CEO, the two men worked side-by-side to turn the company into a juggernaut. It’s easy to let nostalgia turn Jobs into something of a technological saint. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |