库克的自卫反击战怎么打？

    史蒂夫•乔布斯是个营销天才，但在公开披露信息这方面他就不那么出色了。他一贯以专制统治、严格保密和傲慢自大而著称于世。众所周知，苹果一度始终拒绝披露其创始人的健康状况细节，哪怕这家公司的命运和股价明明就和这位前首席执行官的个人健康息息相关。

    所以，在2011年8月，当更和蔼可亲、也不那么咄咄逼人的库克先生走马上任成为苹果掌门人时，苹果的评论家们普遍乐观地预计，苹果会变得更善于沟通，更容易接近，也更深谙公关之道。

    可是，在库克先生治下，苹果的公关水平不仅每况愈下，连一贯擅长的营销手法也失去感觉了。这种情况是如此之糟，以至于当苹果股价从巅峰水平跌去了33%后，投资者又开始纷纷要求库克下台。那么，一头雾水的库克先生到底该怎么做才能避免临了只能揣着3.78亿美元的安慰奖、最终还是被扫地出门的尴尬下场呢？

    先试试下面这些办法如何：

    认真对待自己的“形象”。

    从各方面看，史蒂夫•乔布斯都是这个地球上最桀骜不驯、傲慢自大的人之一。他对竞争对手伺机报复，对员工口出恶言，而据苹果首席设计师称，他居然还不洗澡！

    不过乔布斯也是个杰出人物，所以他并不怎么在乎和媒体合作，比如他就认为，苹果会管好自己的形象。而很大程度上事实都证明了他的英明。

    可是库克先生就不同了，尽管谢天谢地他不像乔布斯那么狂妄自大，但却也不具备笼罩着乔布斯、充当其保护伞的那层“才华横溢”的光环。最近，他甚至必须为了证明自己的“称职”而度日如年。提前发布还未成熟的“苹果地图”，以及为其在中国的售后服务而道歉都充分表明，苹果在库克带领下已经失去了方向感。

    所以库克不能像乔布斯那样对舆论置若罔闻，他得关注市场上对苹果的各种说法，还应该努力去“影响”这些舆论，这样投资者和其他人才不会对苹果最终发布的言论感到泄气或失望。

    单就上周二这个发布会而言，当整个市场都翘首盼望突破性产品及与中国移动签下大单时，它却变成苹果高管在台上的一通自我吹嘘。这让大家立刻得出结论：真是小题大做。

    那些在乎自己公众形象的聪明公司从来就不会让股票分析师或记者抱有什么不切实际的期望。但苹果好像对此毫不在意。

    但它应该在乎。

    改善与媒体的关系。

    史蒂夫•乔布斯很少会安排接受媒体圈小角色的访问，蒂姆•库克似乎也和他一样对媒体不以为然，所以很少能看到库克在媒体上抛头露面。

    与此同时，苹果的那些死对头们——从到处兜生意的对冲基金经理到言之凿凿的分析师——可以随心所欲地随时抨击苹果。由于苹果对此从不还击——电视主持人也很少还嘴——结果就没人挑战这些对头们武断的说法，上周二这场自杀式的产品发布会就是如此。

    公关界的格言是：“沉默就等于默认”（Silence grants the point），而苹果这样一直保持沉默就是表明，公司面对这些非议没有说法。

    Steve Jobs was a marketing genius but less good when it came to public disclosure. Jobs was well known for his dictatorial control, secretiveness, and arrogance. Apple famously refused to share any details of the founder's health, even though the company's fortunes and stock price were materially linked to the CEO's personal well-being.

    So Apple observers were optimistic when the more affable/less intimidating Mr. Cook replaced his late predecessor in August 2011 that Apple would become a more communicative, more accessible, more public relations-savvy company.

    Not only has Apple's public relations gotten worse under Mr. Cook, it's also starting to lose its marketing touch; so much so that with Apple's stock back down 33% from its peak, investors are once again calling for the CEO's scalp.

    What can the confused Cook do to prevent the ignominy of getting canned and having to slink away with nothing but his $378 million compensation package as comfort?

    How 'bout these for starters:

    Take your "image" seriously.

    By all reports, Steve Jobs was one of the most arrogant human beings ever to grace the planet. He was vindictive to competitors, abusive to his employees, and, according to Apple's chief designer, didn't bathe!

    But Jobs was also brilliant, so he didn't much care about cooperating with the media, for example; Apple's image, he felt, would take care of itself. And largely he was right.

    Tim Cook, on the other hand, while thankfully not as arrogant as Jobs, doesn't possess the aura of "brilliance" that protected his predecessor. He's had a tough time recently proving he's even "competent." The premature release of not ready-for-prime time Apple Maps and the company's apology for customer service in China exemplify how Apple has appeared to waver on Cook's watch.

    So Cook, unlike Jobs, has to pay attention to what's being said about Apple in the market, and he should work to "influence" the conversation, so that investors and others aren't frustrated or disappointed in what Apple ultimately says.

    On Tuesday, when the market expected product breakthroughs and a contract with China Mobile, it got, instead, a lot of on-stage whoop-de-doing from Apple executives. Immediate verdict: Much ado about nothing.

    Smart companies, concerned about their public image, never let securities analysts or journalists get too far afield from realistic expectations. Apple doesn't seem to care.

    It should.

    Meet the media.

    Steve Jobs rarely deigned to be interviewed by hoi polloi in the media, and Tim Cook appears to share that disdain. So Cook media sightings are few and far between.

    Meanwhile, Apple's adversaries -- from self-promoting hedge fund managers to finally vindicated analysts -- are given free rein to bash Apple any time they want. With no resistance from the company -- and little pushback from TV anchors -- Apple enemies pontificate unchallenged, as was the case after Tuesday's suicidal product launch.

    The public relations axiom is that, "Silence grants the point;" and Apple's silence, accordingly, suggests the firm has no answer for its critics.