Apple’s Senior VP of Marketing posted a few photos of himself taking the Ice Bucket Challenge on Twitter today. The challenge was created by former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates in order to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
The challenge itself involves dumping a bucket of ice water over one’s head, then selecting a number of friends to do the same. Those who are challenged to participate but fail to do so within 24 hours are asked to donate to the ALS Association. Donations to the organization have reached over $1.35 million since the challenge started catching on in late July, a spokesperson said. During the same time last year that amount was only $22,000.
[tweet https://twitter.com/pschiller/status/499751668414566401 align=’center’]
Schiller isn’t the first tech executive to jump in on the trend. He was preceded by the likes of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella. After taking the challenge, Schiller took to Twitter to call on a few others to join him, specifically naming “Chris, Kim, and Tim.” The Chris named in the tweet appears to be NCIS: Los Angeles actor Chris O’Donnell, who was also tagged in the tweet.
Interesting side note: Schiller’s tweet and photo are geotagged from a beach in Half Moon Bay, Califorina.
Phil Schiller
Senior Vice President - Worldwide Marketing
Phil Schiller rejoined Apple in 1997 as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, the same year that Steve Jobs returned. Phil is a well recognized Apple executive with his regular, enthusiastic stage presence at Apple events. He is also known for personally addressing customers’ product concerns. Some of his major accomplishments include the rise in popularity of Mac computers, innovating in the mobile phone space with iPhone, and spearheading the digital music revolution with iTunes and iPod. Also, he is supposedly credited with conceiving the click wheel idea for the original iPod.
Phil first started at Apple in 1987 as a Product Marketing Manager. He went on to work as the Director of Product Marketing at FirePower Systems and then as the Vice President of Marketing at Macromedia before he returned to Apple after a decade. Even though his Bachelor’s degree is in Biology from Boston University, he has a background as a programmer and systems analyst in addition to his almost thirty years of marketing and management experience.
Comment: Dissing owners of older PCs, even accidentally, may not be the best way to sell them an iPad
One remark Schiller made during yesterday’s launch event raised a few eyebrows. In noting that the majority of 12.9-inch iPad Pro customers had actually switched from Windows PCs, he pointed to the huge potential switchers market still out there for Apple. There are, he said, over 600 million PCs more than five years old.
What he said next generated laughter in the room, but may not have gone down quite so well with those owners.
Now, he may be right. A Windows PC more than five years old is going to be creaking somewhat by now. But it seems to me that there are three types of owners of old PCs, and the remark may well offend all of them …
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Phil Schiller responds to developer complaints about App Store algorithms broken since at least 2013
Complaints that Apple’s App Store algorithms are broken, often returning nonsensical results for highlighted categories like ‘New’ and ‘Hot,’ have finally caught the company’s attention. Phil Schiller yesterday responded to tweeted complaints by Mozilla’s Lisa Brewster and Screenshot++ developer Wesley Dyson.
Both drew attention to the fact that highlighted app categories in Canada and other countries (though seemingly not the U.S.) were filled with a whole range of similarly-named apps, and that apps whose names put them at the top of alphanumeric sorting remain in the ‘New’ category forever …
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App Store shifts to updating ‘Best New Apps’ more often under Phil Schiller’s leadership, calls it place ‘to visit every day’
Signs of change are beginning to surface on the App Store after December 17th’s notable leadership changes involving Apple’s Worldwide Marketing SVP Phil Schiller. That move happened after growing discontent from Mac App Store developers, who noted communication breakdowns and overall frustration with the direction that the Mac App Store was headed in.
Schiller is now in charge of all App Stores, taking over responsibilities from Eddy Cue, which most prominently include the iOS App Store and the Mac App Store.
It’s been less than three months since the move occurred, but we’re already beginning to see a change in the way the App Store operates. For example, we’re now seeing more regular updates of the Best New Apps section at the top of the App Store’s Featured page. In a tweet today, Schiller acknowledged the changes and indicated that more changes were on the way.
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iPhone 6s captures stunning Robot Koch music video with underwater scenes
We’ve seen quite a few professional movies and videos shot on iPhones over the years, and the latest example is the music video for Robot Koch’s Dark Waves. Shot and directed by Sven Dreesbach, it borrows heavily from his concept short Willow Creek.
As with most such footage, I’m sure it was shot with a $650 iPhone hooked up to about $50k’s worth of cinematic mounts, lenses and – in this case – underwater casings, but it is still a vote of confidence in the quality of the camera and sensor.
[tweet https://twitter.com/pschiller/status/678937646362525696 align=’center’]
Update: While Schiller states ‘6s,’ it was the 6s Plus specifically that was used.
CBS’s Charlie Rose got a detailed look at the iPhone’s camera tech with Apple’s senior director of camera hardware Graham Townsend.
Apple has long promoted the quality of its cameras, with a major ‘Shot on iPhone 6‘ ad campaign prior to the launch of the iPhone 6s. I compared the iPhone 6 and 6s cameras as part of my iPhone 6s diary.
60 Minutes goes inside Apple’s weekly exec meeting, design studio, spaceship campus, & more
Update: We’ve updated the 60 Minutes Apple episode via Vimeo at the bottom
As expected, this weekend’s episode of 60 Minutes on CBS was chockfull of Apple news and anecdotes. Retail chief Angela Ahrendts, design head Jony Ive, CEO Tim Cook, and many more all joined host Charlie Rose to discuss a wide range of topics, including encryption, terrorism, design, retail, and much more…
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Apple promotes Jeff Williams to Chief Operating Officer, Phil Schiller will oversee all App Stores
Update: Mark Gurman breaks down what it all means here
Apple today announced a few leadership changes including a new COO and changes to App Store leadership. Jeff Williams, previously Senior Vice President Operations, is officially being promoted to Chief Operating Officer which is CEO Tim Cook’s old title. Williams, notably, has been heavily involved in the Apple Watch team as well as the open source ResearchKit initiative.
Phil Schiller, Apple’s Worldwide Marketing SVP, will add to his responsibilities the task of overseeing all the App Store leadership. The App Store change notably follows discontent from developers that the iPhone App Store has seen more focus than the Mac App Store, which key developers have left in recent months. The move officially acknowledges Schiller’s role as the face of the App Store going forward.
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Apple to offer local Xcode downloads in China as scale & scope of XcodeGhost issue becomes clearer
Apple is to make Xcode available for local download from servers based in China as part of its response to the XcodeGhost malware issue. The announcement was made on the Chinese social media site Sina by Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior VP of worldwide marketing (via CNET). It’s believed that many Chinese developers inadvertently downloaded the fake version because the official download was taking too long.
Analysis of infected apps by security researchers appears to be revealing a mix of good and bad news …
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Phil Schiller talks 16GB devices, ultra-thin design, Apple Music, and more during interview
Apple’s SVP of marketing Phil Schiller this evening gave an interview on John Gruber’s podcast The Talk Show during which he addressed a variety of different topics. Gruber and Schiller together discussed Apple’s WWDC announcements, such as watchOS 2 and Apple Music. The two also talked about many of Apple’s decisions over the past couple of years, including the company’s obsession with making the thinnest devices possible and how on earth they still sell 16GB devices in 2015.
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Opinion: Should AAPL stockholders be worried about Jony Ive’s more backseat role?
The Apple world this morning seems divided between those who seemingly haven’t grasped the implications of Apple’s ‘promotion’ of Jony Ive, merely taking Cook’s memo at face value, and those switching into full-on ‘Apple is doomed’ mode. The reality is, I think, a little more nuanced.
It seems pretty clear that this move is, as Seth outlined earlier, about Ive taking more of a backseat role – and especially being able to spend a lot more time back in England. Apple’s decision to announce the news on a day when the US markets were closed was obviously not coincidence.
Apple didn’t want to see a knee-jerk panic reaction on Wall Street setting its stock diving. But is there reason to panic? Or is it all much ado about nothing? Or something between the two … ?
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Apple’s Phil Schiller & Marc Newson kick off Apple Watch showcase in Milan (Gallery)
Apple kicked off its Apple Watch showcase today at Milan’s Salone Del Mobile Design Fair in Italy and on hand at the event were Apple executives including marketing chief Phil Schiller and designer Marc Newson.
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Review: Aircharge Qi wireless charging case for iPhone 6 (and 5/5s)
As a founding member of the Wires Are Evil club, I’ve been waiting impatiently for wide-area wireless charging, where any device on a desk or within a certain area of a room is wirelessly charged. That still seems a way off yet.
A good halfway house would be inductive charging powerful enough to work through the thickness of a desk, so your charging pads sit out of sight on the underside of the desk and your devices charge as soon as you put them down on the right place on the desk. Sadly today’s wireless charging standards are too weedy to work through even the thinnest of desks.
If you want wireless charging today, then, you’re going to have to have a visible wire to a charging pad, and place your device on that. Apple has so far limited wireless charging to the Apple Watch, but if you want it for your iPhone, you can buy a wireless charging case that allows you to use any compatible wireless charging pad. We’ve reviewed a number of these over the years, and I thought it was about time to try one for the iPhone 6 …
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Phil Schiller on Google Glass: ‘I can’t believe they think anyone normal will ever wear these things’
The Tech Block on Thursday shared an email exchange between Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller and the website’s founder Abdel Ibrahim that pokes fun at Google Glass for its perception of being an unstylish device. The emails from 2012 surfaced just days after Google announced that it will be ending its Glass Explorer program on Monday as it works on a new version under the leadership of Tony Faddell.
After being sent a picture of actor Steve Martin wearing obnoxious looking glasses in the film “The Jerk,” mocking Google co-founder Sergey Brin wearing Glass, Schiller responds to Ibrahim saying “that is very funny” and that he “can’t believe they think anyone (normal) will ever wear these things. It reminds me of the push to market video goggles a few years back.”
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“Do they still exist?” Steve Jobs takes jabs at Real Networks in videotaped deposition from 2011
The ten-year-old lawsuit over whether Apple violated antitrust law by locking the iPod to its own iTunes software has finally gone to trial. In its first day before a jury, the case has yielded several new emails between Apple executives as well as a videotaped deposition of Steve Jobs, which was recorded in 2011 shortly before he died.
In the video, according to Reuters, Jobs was asked if he had heard of Real Networks, the company behind the RealPlayer software Apple had blocked from working with the iPod. Jobs took a quick jab at the music distribution rival and asked, “Do they still exist?”
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Apple provides a look inside its iPhone stress-testing facility following ‘bendgate’ controversy
via The Verge
After a few YouTube videos hit the web claiming that the iPhone 6 Plus could be easily bent out shape in a user’s pocket, Apple addressed the issue by stating that the device was designed to meet its quality requirements and that only a handful of owners had complained about any issues. To further prove its commitment to building solid devices, Apple gave journalists access to the lab where it tests the build quality of its iPhones.
In a tour of the facility guided by SVP of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio, reporters were given an in-depth look at how each new generation of the iPhone is tested to ensure that it can endure all of the rigors of daily life. Each device the company makes—including its notebook computers—is put through thousands of rounds of testing that simulates everything from twisting the device to flexing the screen, or sitting on a bench with the phone in the back pocket of your skinny jeans.
Video and more photos below:
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Phil Schiller joins the ranks of tech execs taking the Ice Bucket Challenge
Apple’s Senior VP of Marketing posted a few photos of himself taking the Ice Bucket Challenge on Twitter today. The challenge was created by former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates in order to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
The challenge itself involves dumping a bucket of ice water over one’s head, then selecting a number of friends to do the same. Those who are challenged to participate but fail to do so within 24 hours are asked to donate to the ALS Association. Donations to the organization have reached over $1.35 million since the challenge started catching on in late July, a spokesperson said. During the same time last year that amount was only $22,000.
[tweet https://twitter.com/pschiller/status/499751668414566401 align=’center’]
Schiller isn’t the first tech executive to jump in on the trend. He was preceded by the likes of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella. After taking the challenge, Schiller took to Twitter to call on a few others to join him, specifically naming “Chris, Kim, and Tim.” The Chris named in the tweet appears to be NCIS: Los Angeles actor Chris O’Donnell, who was also tagged in the tweet.
Interesting side note: Schiller’s tweet and photo are geotagged from a beach in Half Moon Bay, Califorina.
New job listings indicate Apple’s aim to bolster retail marketing team
Following the recent hire of a former Burberry and Nike social marketing executive to run Apple’s new social media arm, a few job listings on Apple’s website point to an attempt to bolster the company’s retail marketing team. A few of the positions were outlined by ifo Apple Store earlier today and seem to point toward an increased focus on building and maintaining customer loyalty to the Apple brand.
We’ve heard time and again that Apple customers, particularly iPhone users, are among the most loyal, but it seems Apple believes there’s still more to be done in that department. One of these new job listings calls for a “Program Manager — Loyalty, Global Retail Marketing,” which would focus on creating “learning and services strategies” designed to inspire loyalty among Apple’s user base.
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Tim Cook to employees on IBM partnership: ‘I’m really excited to see it take off’ (Memo)
<a href="https://twitter.com/darth/status/489149634883747840/photo/1">Image by @Darth</a>
Earlier today, Apple and IBM announced an expansive, long-term partnership to integrate Apple’s iOS devices into the Enterprise with big data software powered by IBM. The partnership will allow for IBM to sell iPads and iPhones to its Enterprise customers, and the duo are also working on jointly developed software for the enterprise. The companies are also developing an enhanced AppleCare protection service for enterprise iOS device users. Following both the official announcement and a video interview discussing the plans, Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent a memo to employees detailing the partnership:
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Rumor: NFC, wireless charging, improved LTE slated for iPhone 6
New high-resolution photos surfaced over the weekend showing what is expected to be the much thinner iPhone 6 following a report from Venture Beat that corroborates several other claims that the next generation iPhone will feature a larger display than previous models. Included in that report are also claims that Apple will opt for implementing NFC (near field communication), wireless charging, and improved LTE in the next iPhone refresh expected later this year…
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Death of Steve Jobs prompted Samsung’s U-turn on Apple attack ads
We learned yesterday from patent trial evidence that Samsung was worried about running ads that directly attacked Apple, wanting Google to do it for them. We now know that it was the death of Steve Jobs which prompted Samsung’s change of mind, running the Next Big Thing ads which directly mocked Apple customers.
An email trail shows that Samsung America’s VP of U.S. sales Mike Pennington cynically described the death of Jobs as “the best opportunity” to run the campaign, as consumers might be worried about Apple’s future product innovations following the death of its famous co-founder.
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Samsung wanted Google to do its dirty work in attacking Apple
Image: amongtech.com
Another interesting revelation from the ongoing Apple vs Samsung patent trial: concerned about launching attack ads on a company that was a customer as well as a competitor, Samsung sought to persuade Google to “launch a campaign against Apple.”
The then CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America, Dale Sohn, emailed his chief marketing officer to ask:
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Wolff Olins Global CEO Karl Heiselman hired by Apple to take on new marketing role in May
Following this week’s revelations that Apple SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller is unhappy with the direction of the company’s advertising and agency, and that Apple is considering hiring as many as four new digital agencies to further enhance its advertising efforts, it seems the company has added a formidable new member to its marketing team.
At Wolff Olins, Heiselman headed up numerous high tech and high profile branding efforts including Product (RED) for Bono, the 2012 Olympics for London (right) and numerous Microsoft campaigns including the ill-fated Kin. The company also churned out “re-invention” for brands such as Aol, Sony, Skype, Belkin and Firefox…
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Apple searching for new ad agencies following court revelation that Schiller was furious at Media Arts Lab
Ad Age reports that Apple is planning to hire as many as four new digital ad agencies. Evidence presented in the latest Samsung-Apple lawsuit earlier this week revealed that Phil Schiller, the Cupertino company’s SVP of marketing, was shaken up by Samsung’s recent ad campaign and furious with Media Arts Lab, Apple’s current advertising company, to the point that he considered finding a new ad firm.
The four companies being considered for addition to the company’s lineup include Huge, AKQA, Area 17, and Kettle, according to the report. Apple already works with several smaller digital agencies, so adding four more doesn’t necessarily mean that Media Arts Lab is going anywhere anytime soon.
Apple has suffered from a string of less-than-stellar online promotional material recently with its “isee5c” line of ads. Hiring a new digital agency could help turn things around for the company in that arena. If the above statements from Schiller are any indication, Apple is taking a long, hard look at revamping its current advertising plans in order to better stack up against competitors like Samsung.
Internal emails reveal Phil Schiller shocked by response from Apple’s ad agency over marketing direction
Phil Schiller at WWDC 2013
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the latest Apple v. Samsung trial, it’s that Phil Schiller isn’t as cool, calm, and collected at Apple HQ as he appears at each Apple keynote. We’ve already seen the Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing fret over Android marketshare and Media Arts Lab not being on par with Samsung’s advertising, and Business Insider has covered an additional email exchange revealed in the trial where an irate Phil Schiller proves he is most definitely a product of Steve Jobs. We’ve already learned that Schiller was so shaken up by Samsung’s ‘Next Big Thing’ ad campaign that he forwarded a Wall Street Journal article to Apple’s ad agency, but Schiller was furious with the agency’s somewhat defensive response…
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Early iPhone 5 buyers were already asking for bigger screens, reveals confidential document
Patent trials generally aren’t the most exciting of events, but documents revealed through the second Apple vs Samsung case are certainly providing a lot of fascinating glimpses behind the scenes.
The latest is the above summary of research Apple carried out among early buyers of the iPhone 5 to find out what they thought of the phone and what improvements they wanted to see, tweeted by Jay Yarow. While longer battery-life and better maps will surprise no-one, it’s interesting that even at the beginning of last year, bigger screens was third on the list …
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