It's not an accident that the iPod commercials were built around the earpods, right? Those white strings or those white cords. Watch Apple's video from the iPhone last year when they talked about the iTunes Festival. They are all red. This is a $3.2 billion marketing play. It's challenging to say the least for a company to be cool for two generations. But like one of the most powerful brands in electronics slash music slash the sort of areas that Apple prides itself on dominating from a branding and coolness perspective. Right now that's Beats.
This episode is all about the (alleged) Apple Beats acquisition. While it may make a certain amount of business sense, does it signify a small but significant change in Apple’s priorities, and is it a cause for concern? Topics covered include:
- The rationale for the acquisition
- The difference between making and recognizing market opportunities
- What makes Apple uniquely capable of building revolutionary products
- Apple’s previous responses when threatened in music
- How to think about mergers and acquisitions
- How to best motivate employees
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