GM, >How could they screw it up so much?
A great deal of their marketing program consisted of
hiring free-lance people to come into the marketing
department under the Apple name.
This is slightly different than hiring an agency to
develop a concrete program, or to hire a firm like us
to develop a specific CD. They hired people to walk
around with Apple badges, making Apple decisions, as
Apple employees.
They had a really strange "quasi-employee" status. Thus,
they had the power to "make the big decisions" but as
Apple was not their "home base", they often didn't know
Apple technology very well, or have a strongly vested
interest in the long-term future of the company.
For example, the project leader for the "20th Anniversary
Macintosh" promo CD (which we did) was dating one of the
'big guys' at MacWeek magazine -- that's how she got the gig.
Qualifications? Remember the calendar you downloaded today?
I realize that's a pretty strong charge to level (and slightly
unprofessional of me), but it is nonetheless true. I stand
by it, on or off the public record.
Yes, I do realize that one shouldn't make such a slam because
you never know who you will work for in the future. But in
this particular nightmare case, I really could care less.
I'd walk before working for, or with, the person in quesion.
-MrB |
