U2 on Ur IPhone

Some of you Iphone addicts may have noticed a new addition to your library early Friday morning.  The band, U2, released it's first album in five years...for free...through a partnership with Apple.  Apple does confirm that they paid band members, though the amount has not yet been released.  According to Daily Mail, there have been reports of Apple paying the band up to $100 million for the deal.  

Bloomberg News quoted Bono, a member of the band, saying, "People who haven't heard our music, or weren't remotely interested might play us for the first time because we're in their library.  And for the people out there who have no interest in checking us out, look at it this way...the blood, sweat and tears of some Irish guys are in your junk mail"

This is definitely the first of this kind of marketing/promoting that I have ever experienced.  In a way, I guess it can be called "guerilla marketing" as it took everyone with a Iphone by surprise.  With the recent leak of nude celebrity photos through the cloud and now this, I am beginning to think it is time to make some setting changes on my phone.  

Outraged customers used Facebook and Twitter to express how they felt about the whole ordeal.  People are more concerned with the violation of privacy that Apple has allowed for it's users.  Also, getting the 11 song album off of your iTunes seems to be quite difficult.  

On the opposite ends, there are fans of U2 raving about the deal, saying that the free download was a gift and has been on repeat since it showed up on their phone.

Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, Eddy Cue, said in a statement earlier this week that, "U2 has been an important part of Apple's history in music and we're thrilled to make 'Songs of Innocence' the largest album release ever."

There is not much in the news regarding the deal as a marketing move, but I am anxious to see if this kind of surprise becomes a more popular publicity strategy over time.

Do you think this was a smart way to promote the band's new album? Or do you think it may have made some enemies out of consumers for invasion of privacy? Let us know in the comments!

This guest blog was written by PRowl staff member Kaylie Corallo.

Strategic Planning: Apple Inc. Event

What you will find interesting about this post is that I am not writing about what Apple has released today. That, I am not certain of. But when large companies release major news after a major lead-up - it's a great opportunity to analyze it from the PR prospective.

Each year, consumers anticipate Apple's announcement of brand new products. What once started out as an all-new PC, Apple now carries all sorts of products from laptops to iPhones to tablets. Thanks to the internet, there are a plethora of rumors regarding what new product will be announced. Will it be a bigger iPhone? The iPhone 6? Two different versions of the iPhone 6? Or the iWatch?

(Source: Exact Target / 2013 Apple Event promo)

Consider the announcement from the internal side. It's possible that all of the information about the products was leaked on purpose. It's also possible that it wasn't. Either way, strategic decisions needed to be made in order for Apple to sustain a sense of mystery until today, the day of the unveiling event. It's ironic that as PR professionals we want to hear people talking about what we're working on, while at the same time it can be a double-edged sword and lead to possible customer disappointment. After hearing so much about these products, consumers may be easily let down if what they were excited about was not released or below their expectations.

Rumor has it that the iWatch may be announced, but not put on shelves for sale until months from now. Why? The strategic plan behind this could be that Apple really does want to surprise us. A new iPhone and iPad will only be innovations on a current category, but the iWatch is the first product in a new category. Additionally, the iWatch is not considered a necessity to most. With more time, Apple (and its consumers) can figure out why the iWatch is something that we need. Showing us what we desire without even knowing we desired it is something Apple does oh-so-well.

(Source: Telegraph)

Chances are you've found out what the new Apple product if not before, but by the end of this article. What do you think about the hype and results of one of America's favorite brands?