The news is bad enough in itself, but on a day when KP is melting down on Fox? Full-blown existential crisis. Even for a pessimist, it’s … too much.
Is there nothing good and true in this world, my friends?
Apple will be forced to recall the iPhone 4 following Consumer Reports tests proving the “Death Grip” antenna issue is not software related, but a hardware flaw, PR experts say.
“Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product,” said Professor Matthew Seeger, an expert in crisis communication. “It’s critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating.”
Crisis communication experts contacted by CultofMac.com, including Chris Lehane, former Clinton White House ”Master of Disaster,” agree: the iPhone 4 reception issue presents a Toyota-style PR crisis for Apple, and the company must respond with a more meaningful fix than a software patch…
“Apple needs to put this fire out now,” said Dr. Larry Barton, a leading expert in crisis management and author of Crisis Leadership Now. “There has to be a military-like response to this issue. And we have not seen this kind of urgency.”
Apple’s shares dropped almost 20 bucks in the past three days before rebounding slightly; according to one analysis, a product recall would cost a cool $1.5 billion, although pretty much everyone expects that in lieu of fixing the hardware they’ll simply offer customers a free plastic case instead to cover the “soft spot” on the phone’s lower left-hand edge. The irony of all the heavy breathing is that the now infamous Consumer Reports review actually provided a quick, cheap, DIY fix for the “death grip” glitch: Er, just put a little piece of duct tape on the soft spot. It works! Duct tape too expensive? No problem. Apparently masking tape works too. So what if using Apple’s products now requires kindergarten-level arts-and-crafts fix-its? That’s what the iPhone’s all about — hands-on interaction.
Apple’s reportedly handling the bad PR in characteristic fashion. Exit question: What if you don’t have a landline and they issue a recall? That would leave no alternatives except for … gulp.
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