Zero reputation management and a lack of ethics collide once again
Apple has found itself on the losing side of quite a few legal cases over the past couple years, cases which have exposed the fact that the company isn’t shy about bending, or outright breaking, the rules when there’s money to be made.
The most current has Apple being found guilty of orchestrating a scheme meant to raise e-book prices and hurt Amazon, its major competition in that market.
We’ve written about the dangers that accompany Apple’s refusal to do any type of reputation management before, and that fact didn’t escape the attention of Judge Denise Cote, as this quote from a CNet report makes clear:
“This was a rough and tumble game played with high stakes…and the consumer suffered,” Cote said at the hearing, adding that Apple and the publishers have made no public showing or remorse or contrition. “They are, in a word, unrepentant.”
If that’s not a clear message that things need to change in Cupertino, we don’t know what is. Whatever magic held Apple in that untouchable space it once occupied has obviously been dispelled, and it’s time to get real. We’re not saying that the company needs to suddenly turn a full 180° and start pouring out communication, but a basic mea culpa after being caught red-handed and dragged before a judge would be smart.
Of course, the best crisis management in the world won’t be able to help if Apple continues to break the law and engage in unethical behavior, so before anything else it needs be committed to setting its moral compass straight.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com