Yeah but could Apple reasonably keep enough stock of each band in store for everyone to get exactly what they wanted? I think the way she handled it allowed Apple to gauge demand for each band and watch face.
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Thoughts on Angela Ahrendts.
- Thread starter pavanluvin
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Yeah but could Apple reasonably keep enough stock of each band in store for everyone to get exactly what they wanted? I think the way she handled it allowed Apple to gauge demand for each band and watch face.
I think that would've worked initially. Got over the hump. Apple customers are used to buying phone and case separately anyway - so no biggie.
Once the early-adopter rush was over, then they could've ratcheted up the service for the pickier customers.
You have to understand that this is an entirely new product category for Apple. It is a computer device that is worn on the person most of the day, so it has to not only be useful in its features, but it must also be fashionable and make the average consumer WANT to wear it, not just people who are interested in tech.
It is also the first new product category for Apple in half a decade, as well as the first new product category with Tim Cook at the helm. There's been HUGE amounts of pressure and expectations from Apple before, and even more so since Steve Jobs's passing, and there's always negative articles about Apple losing its touch or failing to meet a mark, even though they've been breaking sales records and profitability year after year.
This is the first time Tim Cook and Co. have had the opportunity to really show that they can deliver a new product category post-Jobs. It's unreasonable to expect a "ground-breaking new product" so regularly, but in my eyes, Apple has delivered. You also have to remember that Apple under Jobs was never perfect either.
My Apple experience wasn't horrible at the store on the 10th. I understood that Apple employees usually don't know much more than what anyone from this forum knows, and I didn't really have any other questions to present to them regardless. They might not have been familiar with the watch's user-interface much, since they had only seen it for the first time that day, but that's true for most devices Apple releases, except that most devices are newer generations from an existing product category altogether, rather than a completely new product category from Apple. So the Apple store employees might not have had much knowledge about the user interface of the watch, but it's not like you had the opportunity to use it while you tried the watches on. The demo loop was on to give everyone quicker opportunities to try them on.
The reason celebrities are getting watches, is because Apple is king at marketing, and they're trying to market these watches as fashionable time pieces. This can be seen in the way they're marketing them in high-fashion magazines, giving gold watches to celebrities who are huge influencers, as well as giving special edition watches to certain celebrities. It validates the beauty of the watch to many people, which is very important to people who are conscious about what they put on their body and how that is perceived by other people. Most people are like this, and this isn't the way other electronic devices are perceived, since they aren't worn on the body. I'm actually very impressed at how they've gone about it all. I've very rarely seen a computer company create a wearable product that is not only using cutting-edge technology, but also marketed as a high-fashion wearable that has such a simple and gender neutral design to appeal to such a huge audience.
The reason the gold models is so expensive is because it's gold! Gold isn't inexpensive. It's also being marketed in the same vein as a high-end timepiece. Apple needed higher-end/expensive models to bring the luxury associated with fashion items into products Apple doesn't normally have to market as such. In this way, they're able to have much higher returns for many of their Apple Watch models (as is usually seen in the fashion industry), and this will allow Apple to make incredible profits in a product category that I don't believe other companies may be able to break into so easily. These high prices in the upper-level of the models are also essential in creating a wearable product that is seen to be sophisticated and elegant, instead of just a watch that is smart.
I believe Apple's approach to this watch is absolutely brilliant. They've assembled an incredibly talented team who appear to work very well with one another. They're delivering a new product that I believe is going to be extremely successful for Apple, and I also believe it will present many new usable technologies to society that will be integrated into our live in many more helpful ways than cellular phones can, in the years to come.
It is also the first new product category for Apple in half a decade, as well as the first new product category with Tim Cook at the helm. There's been HUGE amounts of pressure and expectations from Apple before, and even more so since Steve Jobs's passing, and there's always negative articles about Apple losing its touch or failing to meet a mark, even though they've been breaking sales records and profitability year after year.
This is the first time Tim Cook and Co. have had the opportunity to really show that they can deliver a new product category post-Jobs. It's unreasonable to expect a "ground-breaking new product" so regularly, but in my eyes, Apple has delivered. You also have to remember that Apple under Jobs was never perfect either.
My Apple experience wasn't horrible at the store on the 10th. I understood that Apple employees usually don't know much more than what anyone from this forum knows, and I didn't really have any other questions to present to them regardless. They might not have been familiar with the watch's user-interface much, since they had only seen it for the first time that day, but that's true for most devices Apple releases, except that most devices are newer generations from an existing product category altogether, rather than a completely new product category from Apple. So the Apple store employees might not have had much knowledge about the user interface of the watch, but it's not like you had the opportunity to use it while you tried the watches on. The demo loop was on to give everyone quicker opportunities to try them on.
The reason celebrities are getting watches, is because Apple is king at marketing, and they're trying to market these watches as fashionable time pieces. This can be seen in the way they're marketing them in high-fashion magazines, giving gold watches to celebrities who are huge influencers, as well as giving special edition watches to certain celebrities. It validates the beauty of the watch to many people, which is very important to people who are conscious about what they put on their body and how that is perceived by other people. Most people are like this, and this isn't the way other electronic devices are perceived, since they aren't worn on the body. I'm actually very impressed at how they've gone about it all. I've very rarely seen a computer company create a wearable product that is not only using cutting-edge technology, but also marketed as a high-fashion wearable that has such a simple and gender neutral design to appeal to such a huge audience.
The reason the gold models is so expensive is because it's gold! Gold isn't inexpensive. It's also being marketed in the same vein as a high-end timepiece. Apple needed higher-end/expensive models to bring the luxury associated with fashion items into products Apple doesn't normally have to market as such. In this way, they're able to have much higher returns for many of their Apple Watch models (as is usually seen in the fashion industry), and this will allow Apple to make incredible profits in a product category that I don't believe other companies may be able to break into so easily. These high prices in the upper-level of the models are also essential in creating a wearable product that is seen to be sophisticated and elegant, instead of just a watch that is smart.
I believe Apple's approach to this watch is absolutely brilliant. They've assembled an incredibly talented team who appear to work very well with one another. They're delivering a new product that I believe is going to be extremely successful for Apple, and I also believe it will present many new usable technologies to society that will be integrated into our live in many more helpful ways than cellular phones can, in the years to come.
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Some of you don't understand that she is Sr. VP of Retail and Online stores. She doesn't work in Supply Chain. She is responsible for your buying experience when you purchase something.
Her job has nothing to do with what models are available and how many are available on launch day, and who gets what pre-launch, and the pricing of models.
OP, none of the points you made, except for #1 and possibly #3, have anything to do with Ahrendts. This post is hot garbage.
Some of whom don't even know how to wear the watch properly! (Ex: Red band upside down)
Just my two cents...
the watch can be worn on either wrist and you can flip it over to wear it. There is a setting for orientation.
Not sure what you learned in school but when demand is higher than supply, that means business is good.
She's great. I like her. Seems like she handling a problem with a supply issue the best anyone could.
Why are your perceived failures of the this launch being attributed to a sole individual? Angela is a part of a retail team, meaning those decisions are made through discussions and consensus. She is a face for those implemented processes, true, but they weren't solely conceived, developed, and realized by Angela alone.
I'm of the opinion that a new product line that is highly customizable, far more so than any other product Apple sells, requires a different approach. One to introduce the product, and another to mitigate potential dissatisfied customers stuck waiting in long lines because people still aren't quite sure of which watch suits them best. Nothing is perfect. But let's not forget that this is an entirely new product and Apple is selling it to 2 million people concurrently. They've already eclipsed all other smart watch makers. Can't be easy making it all work the first go 'round.
I'm of the opinion that a new product line that is highly customizable, far more so than any other product Apple sells, requires a different approach. One to introduce the product, and another to mitigate potential dissatisfied customers stuck waiting in long lines because people still aren't quite sure of which watch suits them best. Nothing is perfect. But let's not forget that this is an entirely new product and Apple is selling it to 2 million people concurrently. They've already eclipsed all other smart watch makers. Can't be easy making it all work the first go 'round.
Thats not what I was referring to...
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/17/apple-watch-red-band-folding-uk-plug-photos/
Hes put the band on upside down... You can clearly see the M size in the picture and he later admitted that he messed up.
Exactly! I can't wait until some of these whiny (b) get their watches on Friday, so they can SHUT UP!
I too think she is doing a fantastic job! This is a totally new category for Apple and it sells 2.3 million units in less than a day! Not even the iPad was this successful on it's first run.
The fact that she took the time to send her employees a video (instead of a email, which probably would not have been written by her) makes her a great addition to Apple.
Also, this was probably one of the smoothest pre-orders I have experienced.
The fact that she took the time to send her employees a video (instead of a email, which probably would not have been written by her) makes her a great addition to Apple.
Also, this was probably one of the smoothest pre-orders I have experienced.
I have been a huge apple fan boy for many years. Always get the new products on Launch day. But for some reason this time, I have an uneasy feeling of the whole process of getting an Apple Watch.
Everything from:
1. The horrible experience in the store on April 10th, Apple store employees knowing very little of what was going on.
2. Ridiculous price of the gold watch
3. Only online orders for Apple Watch and Macbook.
4. Giving first preorders a window period of 4/24-5/8?!? Don't remember that happening for first batch of preorders.
4. One thing that really ticks me is that Apple/Angela are giving out Apple Watches to Celebrities. Some of whom don't even know how to wear the watch properly! (Ex: Red band upside down) Apparently they have enough to give out to celebrities... When ever new products have come out, everyone usually gets it on launch day, everyone is treated equally.
5. Why do Celebrities get different treatment and different bands that the general apple community can't buy? Are they trying to put us down by showing all these new bands that we can't buy? Can't even buy these bands at launch day...
I feel like all these slight changes are all because of Angela Ahrendts. I want to appreciate that she is trying to make the Apple Watch a new luxury item that the super rich want. But I feel like its too much change and too much chaos that she is causing. I personally don't think Angela Ahrendts has done anything ground breaking at Apple besides rough a few feathers of the Apple Community...
Just my two cents...
I recall plenty of bad experiences with the retail experience during product launch (including my stories of waiting in line in the rain overnight multiple times, not to get the product I wanted to buy);yet I don't recall any post naming the head of retail as responsible for this, including the disastrous John Browett.
I think you're calling her out because she's a woman.
If anything, I have found the experience less stressful, not feeling pressured to stand in line to get the product faster; and having a chance to try out the product before it's released, etc...
The process is not quite what it could be yet, but I like some of those experiments.
The product launches were broken, it's been largely documented that these past few years, most of the people standing in line were feeding the black market, while people really interested in the product had a hard time getting their hands on one; I like that they try to fix it.
I like the approach of the Apple Watch. Sure I may not get mine until next month, but it sure as heck beats camping out in line and having scalpers and their families show up 1 hour prior to opening and sap up almost all of the stock.
I don't agree with you on the celebs and gold watch price. Celebs not receiving a watch wouldn't have moved my place up in line since I'm shooting for the SS and not the Edition. Gold is gold, the price of gold has skyrocketed just in the past few years so I'm not really surprised.
Now, the MacBook launch. AGREED! It sucks how they didn't have that in stock and how some stores didn't receive display models! It's not a scalper friendly item too so I don't understand how the shortage is happening when Best Buy seems to have them in stock.
Also, we have to agree that Angela is head of online and B&M. She probably had no control over stock levels of the Watch and MacBook. She's doing her best so that every customer can get the product in a timely manner. Blame Jeff Williams.
I don't agree with you on the celebs and gold watch price. Celebs not receiving a watch wouldn't have moved my place up in line since I'm shooting for the SS and not the Edition. Gold is gold, the price of gold has skyrocketed just in the past few years so I'm not really surprised.
Now, the MacBook launch. AGREED! It sucks how they didn't have that in stock and how some stores didn't receive display models! It's not a scalper friendly item too so I don't understand how the shortage is happening when Best Buy seems to have them in stock.
Also, we have to agree that Angela is head of online and B&M. She probably had no control over stock levels of the Watch and MacBook. She's doing her best so that every customer can get the product in a timely manner. Blame Jeff Williams.
What world do you live in that you think celebrities don't live a life of privilege? They are constantly getting expensive things for free, getting access to things that no one else can get, and just generally being used as a marketing tool. Apple is doing the same thing as any other company would do.
I personally think she is doing a great job. I really enjoyed my try on experience and appreciated the ability to get to see the watch and play with it before it had actually released (something I don't get to do with every years new iPhone) She didn't cause supply issues herself she just has to try and deal with them the best way she knows how. Honestly I am surprised that she has decided to do all online sales. Think of how upset those June people would be if some people were walking out of stores with an apple watch on friday.
Angela Ahrendts is responsible for retail not marketing, not operations.
By the time WWDC comes around everyone will have forgotten about this launch. People just need to take a chill pill. It's not the end of the world if they don't have their watch on the 24th.
By the time WWDC comes around everyone will have forgotten about this launch. People just need to take a chill pill. It's not the end of the world if they don't have their watch on the 24th.
Angela Ahrendts is responsible for retail not marketing, not operations.
By the time WWDC comes around everyone will have forgotten about this launch. People just need to take a chill pill. It's not the end of the world if they don't have their watch on the 24th.
*lack of communication between supply and retail staff
*no display model in store for macbook
*no hand-on experience with apple watch before pre-order starts.
Good person. Very intelligent person.
Trying to sell Honda's as BMW's. Ain't gonna work. Tim sold her Kool Aid.
I'll wager she misses Burberry. Bring back Apple Computer.
Trying to sell Honda's as BMW's. Ain't gonna work. Tim sold her Kool Aid.
I'll wager she misses Burberry. Bring back Apple Computer.
No, the impatient ones want it the first day. They really don't care how they get it - just as long as they get it. They preorder it online, at midnight, by themselves, sight-unseen. That's pretty indescriminate - not picky at all.
The pickier ones, OTOH, aren't sure they even need it. They want to be wooed and require actual salesmanship to seal the deal: Exactly what Angela has put in place.
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I have to agree. A lesser person would've got an underling to write a CYA email and then hid in the executive suite.
It's obvious from the video that she's under a lot of stress, so you've got to admire her getting in front of the camera and giving it a shot. How many of us would do that?
What does the price of the gold watch have to do with anything? Are you really that hard up for a gold Apple Watch?
I'm sure you have already read it, but these units are just a form of marketing. Different products require different forms of marketing, and they've decided that giving to famous people, and allowing them to spread the photos etc suits this fashion item.
What about the demo units in stores? There's many, many, many more of them than the few in the hands of famous people. What about products used in TV or print advertisements (not just for the watch, but for other products too). Are you ok with those ones?
What about the demo units in stores? There's many, many, many more of them than the few in the hands of famous people. What about products used in TV or print advertisements (not just for the watch, but for other products too). Are you ok with those ones?
The celebrity early access screams Beats. I expect we'll see a similar style of marketing for some products moving forward.
My thoughts so far...?
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Not saying she needs to be fired (not yet at least), but so far I'm not impressed.
First, a watch launch day that wasn't really a launch day. Then retracted altogether. Then a new MacBook that isn't available in stores even two weeks beyond its launch day (when has that ever happened?), which I guess also wasn't really a launch day.
So, thus far, color me unimpressed.
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Not saying she needs to be fired (not yet at least), but so far I'm not impressed.
First, a watch launch day that wasn't really a launch day. Then retracted altogether. Then a new MacBook that isn't available in stores even two weeks beyond its launch day (when has that ever happened?), which I guess also wasn't really a launch day.
So, thus far, color me unimpressed.