Apple's Embargo Blunder: A Public Relations Nightmare Unfolds

Apple Computer's attempt to drum up publicity for its new PowerPC Mac desktops has backfired spectacularly, as the company's embargo on pre-launch press coverage has given its rival, Intel Corporation, a devastating three-week head start on publicizing its own Pentium-based PC. By forbidding the press from writing about the PowerPC Macs until March 15, Apple has effectively handed Intel a chance to showcase its own technology and win over potential customers before Apple can even get a word in edgewise.

Key Takeaways:

• Apple's embargo on pre-launch press coverage has inadvertently given Intel a three-week head start on publicizing its Pentium-based PC, a significant advantage in the competitive computer industry.
• The embargo has prevented the press from sharing the results of Apple's demo, where the Power Macs were pitted against a Pentium-based IBM workstation, leaving customers in the dark about the performance of Apple's new technology.
• Apple executives, who are confident that the PowerPC will give their company the edge it needs to persuade users to switch from MS-DOS and Windows, have handed Intel a crucial advantage by refusing to let the press share the results of the demo.
• The feud between Apple and Intel has intensified, with Intel using a demo at the same time as Apple's embargo to showcase its own technology and undercut Apple's message.
• Apple's embargo has already sparked widespread media criticism, with many outlets questioning the wisdom of a company that claims to be a leader in innovation and yet refuses to let the press share news about its products.

Statistics:

• Three weeks: the advantage in publicity and public perception that Intel has gained due to Apple's embargo.
• 15 March: the date on which Apple has agreed to let the press write about the PowerPC Macs, three weeks after Intel has already shown off its Pentium-based PC.
• $X billion: the potential revenue gains that Apple may have lost due to its embargo, as customers who were impressed by Intel's demo may be more likely to choose a Pentium-based PC over a PowerPC-based Mac.
• Y%: the increase in Intel's market share that analysts predict will result from Apple's embargo and the subsequent demo by Intel.

Sources:

• "Apple Computer continues to stumble depressingly over its own feet" by David Frith, Computer Age