Ok, replace the word Apple in the title with any company's name and
the answer if often "Yes." Many times a company - after the type of
success that Apple has enjoyed with the iPod and iPhone - finds itself
at a strange place. Runaway success breeds expectation for more
success - with customers, partners and investors all anticipating
accelerating growth. So the company pushes harder, takes bigger
chances, aims further...often times with less than stellar results.
Much has been written about Apple's failures in the iPhone 3G, iTunes App Store, and MobileMe rollout. There are cracks and poor reception in the iPhone 3G, application failures and long sync times in iTunes and just plain pain in MobileMe. But under the surface there is even more turmoil. All around Apple's campus there are planners working on the next big thing. The stakes are higher. The risks greater. But can the rewards be just a huge? Difficult to predict.
One thing is for sure. For Apple to continue to surprise and delight us, for Apple to continue to lead revolutions in telephony, music, web applications, and computers, for Apple to single-hanndedly drive innovation in formerly stagnant industries they must keep taking risks. They will succeed with some and fail with others. Marketers have much to learn by watching this unfold and following the feedback of Apple's customers. Do you appreciate Apple's efforts or are you disappointed that they haven't been able to maintain their own status quo?
