2014年5月8日星期四

Goodbye to Katie Cotton, the Queen of Evil Tech PR

Goodbye to Katie Cotton, the Queen of Evil Tech PR

Article by http://www.Laptopakkushop.At/ : Similar to 18 years of spin, Katie Cotton, Apple's magnetically brutal secondary president of worldwide corporate communications, has gone her task, and tributes from the tech press are pouring featuring in. Come again? Rebuff single command admit is with the aim of we were all troubled of her.

Recode described Cotton, single of Apple misfire Steve Jobs' nearby confidantes, having the status of an "impresario" who "helped form Apple's story." The Verge famous Cotton had "played a large role featuring in shaping the tone of artifact launches and Apple's face, from its struggles featuring in the 90s through its colossal hits through the 2000s." To the envelop Street Journal she was a "powerful gatekeeper." TechCrunch called her artifact launches "epic." CNNMoney quoted A-list Apple flack John Gruber's fond memories of Cotton.

But the real tribute to Cotton isn't purely with the aim of tech writers are gracious her. It's with the aim of they're gracious her despite despising her. Even by the side of the put a stop to of Cotton's reign, journalists are still featuring in such a state of terror and awe they don't gamble chat openly just about her reign of silence and smokescreen.

CNNMoney's Gruber-quoting article was in point of fact the site's succeeding goodbye stake to dear Katie—the at the outset, by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, was pulled down quickly similar to appearing carry on night, and integrated a rare instant of openness:

Cotton was the iconic Apple freely available relations specialized. Fortune's Miguel Helft, who worked with her having the status of the Apple beat reporter in support of the recent York time, describes her having the status of "polite but rarely supportive."

"She was for all time cold and distant. And she complained to my editors with the aim of I didn't seem to dear Apple's products having the status of much having the status of she hoped I would. We tried to explain with the aim of loving Apple products wasn't part of my task sort, but with the aim of in no way registered."

With the aim of Cotton survived so prolonged working in support of a client having the status of fractious having the status of Steve Jobs is something of a miracle. The sanctioned line is with the aim of she's leaving to pay out supplementary schedule with her personal. And featuring in her occurrence — having the status of the care for of twins — near might live a little fact to with the aim of.

But it's in addition accurate with the aim of her task sort misused whilst Steve Jobs died.
I haven't heard back from CNNMoney just about the post's desertion. But if you ask around, tech writers are supplementary than opportune to discriminate you just about Cotton's brightness. Anonymously, of route.

Single writer I spoke with described her having the status of "pure evil," a "ruthless enforcer in support of a cruel if brilliant tyrant. The unpleasant segment of Steve Jobs come to life." To one more, she was "kind of wicked witchy." one more editor summed up his interactions with Cotton having the status of lone being brushed inedible and directed to an subject, if near was a few response by the side of all.

My earlier Gizmodo colleague Jesus Diaz, who weathered the most awful of the storm completed the blog's primitive possession of an iPhone 4, recalls a rare returned phone call from Cotton, the "Darth Vader to Steve Jobs' ruler," similar to penetrating just about Steve Jobs' wellbeing: "She was angry...Irate...So angry it was relentlessly to understand her. And next she hung up on me."

It's comfortable to take these impressions having the status of evidence with the aim of Cotton was terrible by the side of her job—as by the side of smallest amount single writer does:

I achieve it insane with the aim of she's held up having the status of a little kind of PR genius. Steve Jobs did everything by the side of with the aim of company whilst it came to getting attention in support of their products. Apple's PR team does the smallest amount of a few PR team featuring in the humankind and may well live replaced by a voicemail with the aim of says, "No comment" and "the suicides by the side of the factory are down this month." She was a gate keeper to Jobs and had power featuring in with the aim of role, but the object with the aim of she's especially talented by the side of PR and marketing is laughable.
But it's relentlessly to argue with the evidence: Almost two decades having the status of the chief of communications in support of the nearly everyone talked-about company on the planet. On occasion haughty silence says a fate supplementary than eager, polite begging.

Like the Staatssicherheit otherwise it, Apple PR operated on two key philosophy: Silence and terror. But a little companies employ publicists or else communications departments with the aim of command provide lengthy, whitewashed answers to questions, Apple went the other direction. Ask a tech reporter just about cover Apple, and you'll understand a cheerless, mission tale something like a Craigslist Missed Connection. Apple refuses to answer questions almost each single schedule a question is asked, and negging the media helped create the aura of Man-God worship with the aim of floated the Cult of Jobs and still buoys Apple's share value these days. Similar to all, if they repudiate to slang, near ought to live something sound they aren't chatting just about.

It in addition makes you wonder come again? The torture Katie Cotton in point of fact did. How does a communications executive by the side of a company with the aim of largely refuses to communicate pay out her days? This was someplace Cotton's real skill came, featuring in the succeeding rule: Terror. Whilst Apple's agent wasn't doubling-up and pasting non-responses (Google this sometime: "Apple buys lesser expertise companies from schedule to schedule, and we in the main organize not discuss our resolution or else plans"), it was uncomforting, abusing, and confusing the inhabit whose task it is to write down just about Apple. With the aim of inescapable: End interviews whilst they didn't drive how Apple wanted.

With the aim of inescapable: Outright untruthful just about Steve Jobs' wellbeing whilst he was in point of fact dying of sarcoma.

Even Gruber, featuring in his farewell stake to the adopted care for by the side of Apple, mentions a superbly creepy Cotton instant having the status of he waves a hanky goodbye:

Having the status of I took my seat, Katie Cotton, sitting featuring in the succeeding row, smiled and greeted me. "Hi John, glad you may well become it. How's the cold?"

I was feeling fine, the cold not much supplementary than a remembrance by the side of with the aim of end, and told her so. But I had to ask, laughing, "How did you even know I had a cold?"

Otherwise she may well answer, Greg Joswiak, sitting precisely featuring in front of me, bowed around. "John, Katie knows everything."
Charming!

Nearly everyone of all, Katie Cotton's tenure consisted of this cold distance from the tech press, presenting herself (and Apple) having the status of an unfriendly, hermetically sealed monolith. She disregarded calls, disregarded emails, and even obtainable the vague assurance of geniality, lone to tug away a likely appointment by the side of the carry on instant. It was a imposing, charming meanness with the aim of helped tend Apple's self-image of frigid supremacy.

Cotton's departure is unexpected and a smidgen enigmatic, explained with a canned non-starter of an excuse: She wants "to pay out schedule with her children." (Hmmm.) having the status of the carry on a small amount of days declare made gain, a small amount of reporters command forever badmouth her, lest they peeve the enraged corporate counterintelligence apparatus she spent 18 years building by the side of Apple. (Or lest they receive an infuriated phone call from the VP emerita.)

But her heritage is secure. The Cotton drill of freely available Non-Relations has daub all through Silicon Valley. Silence, punctuated lone by sporadic partiality and browbeating—she really was Steve Jobs' add up to two—pervades the recent giants of Facebook, Twitter, and Google, companies with the aim of know they don't need to pitch the press, for the reason that the press wakes up each period enraptured by with the aim of silence.

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