I am curious, though. Is this a tempest in a tea cup kind of situation? Is it just the media; is Apple making a PR mistake; or will this just blow over and nobody will remember the controversy one year from now? I wonder.
Bolaji--agreed. It is one thing to ignore the media, but another to ignore customers. Apple's arrogance isn't going to stand for much longer. Also, if Apple fans are beginning to turn on the company, it is a really bad sign. i-fans are known for their blind devotion to Apple, but clearly there is a limit to what even they will tolerate.
Barbara, The protesters are demonstrating at Apple's new store in New York. Apple can nip this in the bud. The company continues to believe that it doesn't have to engage with the general public. This, as you can probably attest, is always a mistake. So much goodwill can be wasted by a management that is too wrapped up in its own success. I believe the company is confronting these problems but needs to speak up and be aggressive about making its actions known immediately.
Steve Cook's letter to employees explaining what the company is doing demonstrates concerns about employee morale but stopping there isn't smart PR.
t.Alex, Thank your for turning the conversation back to the facts rather than the emotional. Facebook got whacked by Greenpeace because it (previously) didn't focus on environmental issues. For a growing company this is understandable. Facebook is but a few years old and most companies during their growth phase don't spend too much time on issues like energy conservation, diversity employment, etc. They won't be around much if that was the priority at take off.
Facebook has, however, started paying attention to these issues, according to Greenpeace and it will be on the list next year for a different reason. Facebook has committed to limiting the impact of its activities on the environment, according to Greenpeace. This is more recent, though, and wasn't started on time to make the 2012 ranking.
As much as i love them-- making such valuable products and widely acceptable & irresistible designs, all those attributed them as the leading innovative companies. I wanted to see the likes of IBM and Apple at top 2 or 5 of 500 green frontiers.
Meanwhile, is green benefits on health and economy being overshadowed by political interest?
Wow. That's a first. It's a little surprising, though, that a lifetime Apple customer hasn't heard about this before now. Then again, I've been writing about how long it takes to change things, and here is the proof.
Apple is facing demonstrations on Thursday at a half-dozen of its retail stores around the world from customers concerned about how Apple's suppliers treat their factory workers in China and other overseas locations.
The protests are the offline outgrowth of an online petition drive launched two weeks ago on social activism site Change.org. Created by Mark Shields, a self-described lifelong Apple customer who says he was "shocked to learn of the abusive working conditions in many of Apple's supplier factories," the petition has drawn almost 200,000 signatures since its launch.
_hm, What exactly gave you the impression the Greenpeace survey is "unfounded"? Because it did not portray Apple in a good light? The survey as previously noted highlighted efforts at many other companies and gave credit where it was due. It also noted what it perceived as failures as well as efforts by companies to correct these.
What you may not understand about Apple is that the company is tight lipped about many of its initiatives and this is hurting its image. I personally believe Apple may be doing a lot that limits the impact of its products and production processes on the environment. But where is the evidence when the company refuses to talk about it or open up to anyone?
Apple probably got whacked in the Greenpeace report because it refused to provide documented evidence to the environmental watch body. It might have done a lot in this field but it doesn't comment. The recent New York Times article on the company's manufacturing relationship cast Apple in a negative light but the writers tried hard to get Apple to comment. It declined. I have personally over the years emailed and called Apple for comments on various subjects and not once has the company even acknowledged receiving my messages. Many other reporters, writers and editors have had similar experiences with Apple.
-hm, Give it a try yourself since you are a fan of Apple and believe (without evidence, I might say) that the company is one of the more environmentally responsible companies on earth. Send them an email and share the response with EBN readers.
_hm, "Apple may be far too advanced" for Greenpeace to understand? Apple also walks on water and is infallible. Right? The criticisms levelled against Apple (and Facebook) were not unfounded. Please read the report embedded in the blog.
The same Greenpeace that you think has an axe to grind against Apple also recognized many other companies, including Google, IBM, HP, Dell and Oracle. Greenpeace also noted efforts being made by Facebook and said the company will be included in next year's ranking.
That Apple is a runaway success in its field is undeniable but this does not make the company perfect. Go and read Apple's own report on its supply chain. By its own admission there are areas it needs to work on. The company is making efforts to improve operations and increase visibility into its operations. Greenpeace devoted about two paragraphs in a multi-page report to Apple and Facebook.
I read the report and it didn't seem to me this was an attempt to bring down Apple. It was just a research report. Period.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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