Fast Company writer, Austin Carr, published two (2) great articles yesterday about Apple's recent hiring of Burberry CEO, Angela Ahrendts, as its Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores. Apple created this new position specifically for Ahrendts, and she'll report directly to Apple's CEO Tim Cook.
In one of the articles, Carr shares videos of Fast Company interviews with Ahrendts from July 2013 and early August 2013. Within the context of these videos, Carr describes what he thinks these interviews signal about Ahrendts' strategy to rejuvenate Apple from an offline (retail) and online perspective.
I think Carr's great article signals something bigger. I think Apple's hiring of Angela Ahrendts signals Apple's return to the values of what made it an iconic company.
Hire and Train Brand Ambassdors "Who Know How to Feel" (Versus Salespeople Who Know How to Sell)
Angela Ahrendts' retail philosophy as described in interviews from Fast Company, Apple's New Consumer Experience Chief, Angela Ahrendts, on the Future of Retail by Austin Carr, October 15, 2013
"My dad used to always to say that he could teach anything but he couldn't teach how to feel. That's the hardest part when you have 11,000 people: How do you teach them how we feel?"
"The thing is, I don't want to be sold when I walk into a store to be welcomed. The job is to be a brilliant brand ambasador. Everyone is welcome. Don't be judgmental whatsoever."
"Don't sell! NO! Because that is a turnoff."
I Invested in a MacBook Pro 15 Because of How It Makes Me Feel. My MacBook Pro makes me feel like I'm a writer / artist. It's the easiest-to-use, best-looking, slickest, and coolest thing I've ever had the privilege of using. And, my company-issued iPad is rapidly making me feel the same way in my day job ever since I paired it with a Logitech Ultrathin iPad Keyboard.
Owning and / or using my MacBook Pro 15 and my company-issued iPad are cherished privileges. That's how good they make me feel.
I Invest in Myself and in this Blog Because of How it Makes Me Feel. Members of the Social Media ReInvention community know the reasons why I love blogging / writing. Blogging / Writing forces me to use critical thinking and creative muscles I never knew existed. Exercising those muscles makes me feel good.
Exercising the other muscles. That's a different story. But, I think that's a little more manageable now that my 2-year old daughter finally sleeps throught the night …
It Comes Back to Shared Values. It Comes Back to How Did Someone or Something Make You Feel.
Who are the people, the organizations, the heroes, and the experiences that you cherish most in your life? For me, it's the ones who share my values. Those are the people, the organizations, and the experiences that have made the most lasting and positive impression on me.
For the things that mean the most to you, did any of the above try to sell you on why they should be a part of your life? Did they try to pitch you and drone on and on with a PowerPoint deck filled with waves of God-awful, just-makes-you-want-to-hurl-all-over-the-room bullet points?
I doubt it.
Steve Jobs Would Be Proud
I'm Excited About Apple Again. After watching these videos, I'm excited about Apple's future. I now believe they're focusing on making us feel the way we all individually felt when we first fell in love with Apple.
You Know Who Angela Ahrendts Reminds Me Of in Those Interviews? This Guy.
Your Turn
Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear from you. I’m here to read, listen, and learn from YOUR PERSPECTIVE. Comments are open. So let’er rip!
If You Enjoyed This Post, Please Share It and Subscribe to My Blog
Ideas that spread win. Please share my work with your friends.
You can unsubscribe any time you like. Many Thanks!