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This was not the title, of course. It was the sub. The hed was:
But it is the news of Angela Ahrendts that caught fire. There had been almost no word advanced so he surprised almost everyone. And, what followed was a fascinating – and somewhat grotesque – glimpse of our collective psyche as the Internet stumbled upon itself to solve its most pressing problems about leaving Ahrendts – many absurd, reflexive, projective, and in general little to do with Ahrendts and much to do with their own damage and frustrations.
So, what is really happening?
From Burberry to Apple
Angela Ahrendts came to Apple five years ago, after a successful stint as CEO of Burberry. Why go from CEO to SVP, wondered some at the time? Is not this a degradation of power and prestige? Not when it is at Apple. In many other companies, these roles and responsibilities would be commensurate with the positions of CEO or full President. The retail business is particularly huge, with its own marketing, events, logistics, support and the lion's share of the company's employees.
"I give them two years before they turn off the light of a very painful and expensive mistake." – Bloomberg Business
And it grew. I mean, at first, after the usual experts had rejected the idea even in their usual and dark way: after all, Gateway and Dell had failed, how could Apple succeed?
Steve Jobs found a great executive at Ron Johnson, an excellent consultant in Mickey Drexler, former board member of The Gap, and in J. Crew, who built a prototype to eliminate all the mistakes before the public does not get involved in an operational store, and then systematically deploys stores in the United States and, eventually, around the world. At least in the world.
It was a stroke of genius. Previously, Apple was fighting – and often losing – to get room in big box stores and computer stores that did not care about selling a Mac compared to something else. Or, often worse, were openly hostile to them.
After, Apple had a dedicated staff selling not only the Mac and the iPod, but also the entire Apple ecosystem. Not only the what but the why and the how. And, while the selling price was the same, Apple did not have to pay any purchase from the sale to Sears or CompUSA.
The Browett Bungle
When Johnson left in 2011, Apple and Tim Cook experienced a brief terminal hiring attempt in the form of John Browett of Dixon. Where Steve Jobs had said that if you took care of the bottom line, the bottom line would be taken from itself, Browett looked a lot like a guy. In the end, you could not handle retail as a supply chain. You had to run it as a design.
Lessons learned if Apple had turned to Angela Ahrendts to take her retail efforts to a higher level. Someone who knew, in the great tradition of society, that everything was focused on the customer experience.
Wait, stop, do not jump on your angry comments for now. I will get to your rage. To promise. Give me a burning minute first.
The age of the ahrendts
Previously, Apple Store and Apple Online were two different things functionally. Since if you ordered something online, you could not get it from your local retailer, let alone return it there in case of a problem.
The reorganization and reconciliation of these two disparate devices into one harmonious whole was just one of the many challenges that Ahrendts faced in its infancy.
Another system dealt with the Jörmungandr-type alignments that surrounded the Apple Store, sometimes several times, each time Apple launched a new trendy product. The marketing loved them for the advertising they generated, but it was a bad experience for customers who stood out in the cold, hoping that the exact configuration they wanted would not be exhausted by the time it was up to their turn to buy.
Today, you can order any new trendy product in advance, reserve it for pickup at your local store and return it immediately if you need it.
Apple was also preparing to launch Watch, which, in addition to blending fashion and technology in an incomparable way, would have required tests and other retail situations going beyond what stores had never offered.
Jony Ive, Creative Director at Apple, wanted to rethink the Apple Store and, with Apple Park, considered it important enough to give up its daily tasks related to management and consumer products for a significant period of time to focus on the project. The first part, in close collaboration with Ahrendts.
Then there was the environment and recycling programs with Lisa Jackson, and the education, a pbadion shared by Tim Cook and the desire to turn Apple 's efforts of a few courses into a rich program. teaching, nowadays today at Apple.
I will not delve into all their successes, their failures, their lessons learned and their many challenges to overcome.
But consider that today, you can pre-order almost all hot new products and book them for pickup at your local store, with minimal or no power supply. Redeem your old device for a discount, take a lesson on its use and, if something goes wrong, bring it back and exchange it or get a refund.
In addition to newly renovated and newly refurbished stores in many other locations, new experiences with retail and support applications, expanded contacts with local developers and creative talent, etc., it is impossible to look at what has been accomplished so far. less than significant.
You can have frustrations. Hell, I do it. The retail experience, in the absence of clear starting points, can still confuse new customers. High volume stores can always be clusters, where you can not even imagine entering or getting an appointment on time. Parts may still not be available in store or, at all, for new products. The skills and talent in diagnostics and repair may seem outsourced, overly broad and expensive. Not all stores have been updated or all new Today at Apple courses; not all regions even have them, like Ireland and India, and the list goes on and on.
And yes, that, and more, it's just nil.
Some of these problems predate Ahrendts. Some were exacerbated under his supervision as Apple continued to evolve at a rate that can only be described correctly by a word coined as redonkulous.
And all, and more, are clearly sitting in battle, in the manner of Royale, on the way to Deirdre O 'Brien, successor to Ahrendts, to face as she became the new executive vice president of Retail + People.
Enter O & # 39; Brien
As a veteran of Apple for 30 years, Mr. O. Brien has helped launch online stores and retail stores. He also worked for Tim Cook before becoming Human Resources Manager. As such, it may be particularly qualified to continue Apple's customer experience momentum while maintaining many of the daily frustrations that shake and enrich this experience.
There is concern that it takes too much time to badault O. Brien and that, perhaps, manage the largest pool of Apple employees and be at the helm of the population puts it in a situation of potential conflict.
All Apple's SVPs are overloaded, so this is not new, but it's something that Apple may want to use to keep growing. And we could see some of that, including some individual portfolios, continue to change in the future as they have done in the past with time and talent.
Why Angela Ahrendts left Apple
As far as Ahrendts is concerned, although I could certainly see her appearing again, very soon, ready to take on another challenge at the crossroads of retail and customer experience, I would not be surprised not to to see it appear. anywhere for a long time.
Sometimes "spending time with family" is really the real reason, and no money can change.
Some people have claimed that the fact that Vogue Business runs a profile on Ahrendts just a week ago, January 28, says it's odd that it's a Scott Forstall, the former vice president main iOS, again.
Forstall was singularly able to interpret and apply the taste and will of Steve Jobs in front of Apple suddenly deprived of Steve Jobs. That would never stay. Ahrendts, on the other hand, has collaborated well with Ive, Cook and others.
But, nature hates emptiness, and a bad decision can go viral on Twitter before the truth hits its send button, so an incredible amount of thoughtless, thoughtless crap has been written about Apple. and Ahrendts in the last days. to inflate.
No, she was not fired because of China, XR promotions, sales or anything else. No, she did not quit because she pretended to be the CEO or because of any toxicity in Apple's culture or for any of the other amazing reasons for fanficies we had to read since Tuesday. Let us emphasize again that not all of them reflect and project only the frustrations and the specific damages of the hot taker, never of the hot taker.
So why did Ahrendts leave Apple?
Michael Steeber, writing for 9to5Mac:
Often, "spending time with family" or more appropriately or comically, you decide that "spending time with your money" is just an excuse to save face and hide bad breaks. And sometimes, something happens that makes you realize you have enough money, but you never have time with your family, and you start thinking about how to change that equation as best you can.
Next Act of Ahrendts
I had the pleasure of briefly chatting with Angela Ahrendts a few times during the informal aftermath of Apple's events. The first time was the opening of the Union Square Apple Store, which launched the new design and Today at Apple program.
She started by telling everyone that she did not really like talking in public, but she was willing to talk to us that day because she believed deeply in Today at Apple and related projects.
His pbadion for Apple Stores as community centers was palpable. She was keen enough to climb several times over the years on Apple's podium, one of the largest, over the years, to give her the light she deserved.
Seriously, Jony Ive do not like the scene much and when did you last see it? She did it for Apple and Retail.
And now she's done. At least for the moment.
Who knows? Bob Mansfield returned from his castle to lead Titan. Maybe Angela Ahrendts could be summoned to launch the showrooms … or maybe she'll get one for the next trip. Or maybe it's just my nod to the fanfic.
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