Brand and sexuality are two completely different things

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Brand and sexuality are two completely different things
Asina Pornwasin
@lekasina

BANGKOK: -- Social media began buzzing immediately after Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly announced that he was "proud to be gay".

Nearly all news websites across the globe covered this breaking news and bloggers, both Thai and overseas, decided to expound on this thread.

Even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted: "Thank you Tim for showing what it means to be a real, courageous and authentic leader."

In response to a question I posted on Facebook asking how this news would affect Apple, all the respondents said Cook's announcement would not, in any way, have a negative effect on the company, the brand or its products.

In fact, many believe the effect would be a more positive one, especially in terms of design. Of course, they are all huge fans of Apple and everything it has to offer.

Ohm Udomvanich said Cook's announcement would have no effect on his decision to purchase Apple products.

Oweera Chearanaipanit said this declaration might actually have a positive effect on the Apple Watch, as people will now see it as a work of art rather than an engineer's accessory.

"I am a big fan of Apple and will always buy Apple products for as long as the company exists," Oweera said.

Nathawut Niemsuwan pointed out that it is the products that consumers love, not the man who sells them. "[Apple] buyers have a very strong brand loyalty as it delivers what it promises. In the past, I used to avoid Apple products because of certain limitations and restrictions, but now I am an Apple disciple."

DaoAksorn Moonbeam said her decision to purchase something is ruled by the product itself, not by who produces it.

"As long as the product is good, it does not matter who the CEO is," DaoAksorn said.

Similarly, Mokot Kanung said a seller's sexual preferences had nothing to do with the product itself.

Ajarn Bunny Rbl said she is a big fan of Apple and loves all Apple products. "I don't think having a gay CEO will affect the brand at all."

Saroj Kaewmanee said he is a big fan of Apple and Steve Jobs, and Cook's choices had no effect on his decision to purchase Apple products.

Natty Tangmeesang pointed out that Cook was within his rights, and his choices had nothing to do with his work or his product's brand. She added that the CEO's declaration would have no effect on her decision to purchase Apple products, as she is devoted to the brand.

"My decision to purchase something is based on its quality and how beneficial it is," Natty said.

Tanpisit Lerdbamringchai said Cook's disclosure would actually have a very positive effect on Apple products, especially in Thai society, which is very tolerant.

Vuthipong Chowyhuvech said since gay people are generally known to be better designers than straight people, he was excited to see what the Apple Watch would look like next year.

In his statement, Cook said: "I've made Apple my life's work, and I will continue to spend virtually all of my waking time focused on being the best CEO I can be. That's what our employees deserve - and our customers, developers, shareholders, and supplier partners deserve it, too.

"Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Brand-and-sexuality-are-two-completely-different-t-30246750.html

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Brand-and-sexuality-are-two-completely-different-t-30246750.html

-- The Nation 2014-11-01

[MAJIC]

Apple must be in desperate need of some free advertising,why provoke such a silly question,which was answered by :

"DaoAksorn Moonbeam said her decision to purchase something is ruled by the product itself, not by who produces it."

"As long as the product is good, it does not matter who the CEO is," DaoAksorn said.

[NeverSure]

Apple's headquarters are in the middle of Silicon Valley in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. There are many, many gays there. That whole area became a gay enclave before being gay was as socially acceptable as it is today.

This is no surprise and I wonder why it is news. It isn't as though I check to see whether the CEO of a company is gay or straight before I will buy its product. As in, "what difference does it make anyway?"

[Jingthing]

It's news because Apple is one of the most important companies in the world and gay people are a small, often discriminated against, minority group. When Hillary Clinton becomes the first U.S. female president, it will be a similar thing, a barrier will be broken.

"Coming out" as a PROUD GAY PERSON has been a very important factor in advancing CIVIL RIGHTS progress for gay people internationally. Although it is not safe to come out in many countries and in some countries coming out can actually be suicidal.

Russia being so horribly homophobic, I do wonder if this is going to impact on the brand image in Russia. I am presuming yes. But not worried about Apple ... even if it is hurt a little bit in places like homophobic Russia.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Jingthing

[sustento]

"Thank you Tim for showing what it means to be a real, courageous and authentic leader."

Dear Lord - how up themselves these people are.

I wonder how Vladimir, who was one of the gay boys they were so worried about before the Winter Olympics, is getting on in Novosibirsk now?

Vladimir? Who he?

Tweet tweet!

[Emster23]

I'd like to see how this might impact sales in such places of peace, like Saudi Arabia and Iran (where can be hung for being gay)..... or Texas

[Tatsujin]

Why is this news?

[animatic]

Actually from an innovation point of view being gay can be a plus.

With 'no fear of stretching limits' and relative ease of 'thinking outside the box'

usually being hall marks of people who come out, and of creative innovators.

Innovation is partly from mindset and partly from self-education and reflection.

Nothing says regular people can't be innovative. But some folks are more stuck in the

resist change mode, or will stay safe or use stock forms to do things. Safe zone thinking.

Ex Apple failed CEO Bob Scully being an example of the wrong person to run the Apple culture.

He almost killed the company cutting off it's prime asset, innovation and creativity,

which changed completely when Jobs was brought back. Cook fit that transition.

Gays generally don't live in the 'safe zone' mindset.

Apple is if nothing else an incubator of creative innovation,

and I can see Tim Cook's fearlessness in coming out as he has,

as a partial indication of why he has risen to the top of Apple.

And why the company continues to innovate after the passing of Steve Jobs.

Edited November 1, 2014 by animatic

[isanbirder]

So Cook's come out. That's good for the gay community, but I can't think it's going to make much difference to Apple sales. Do you really worry about the sexuality of the CEO when you buy a product? That's a level of homophobic absurdity I wouldn't even imagine!

[animatic]

Why is this news?

Well, it is because the head of one of the worlds largest companies, with world wide brand recognition,

Just step very, very far from the usual ' amoral stuffed suit CEO ', definition in an extremely public way.

[NeverSure]

Actually from an innovation point of view being gay can be a plus.

With 'no fear of stretching limits' and relative ease of 'thinking outside the box'

usually being hall marks of people who come out, and of creative innovators.

Innovation is partly from mindset and partly from self-education and reflection.

Nothing says regular people can't be innovative. But some folks are more stuck in the

resist change mode, or will stay safe or use stock forms to do things. Safe zone thinking.

Ex Apple failed CEO Bob Scully being an example of the wrong person to run the Apple culture.

He almost killed the company cutting off it's prime asset, innovation and creativity,

which changed completely when Jobs was brought back. Cook fit that transition.

Gays generally don't live in the 'safe zone' mindset.

Apple is if nothing else an incubator of creative innovation,

and I can see Tim Cook's fearlessness in coming out as he has,

as a partial indication of why he has risen to the top of Apple.

And why the company continues to innovate after the passing of Steve Jobs.

"Apple is if nothing else an incubator of creative innovation..."

Apple is an innovator?

"Why in the world some people have to have Apple everything and pay through the nose for it is beyond me.

What are not commodities in Technology are the devices Sony Medical makes. They save lives, empower doctors and patients, save money and give a better quality of life. Let's see iPhone 6 do that.

I have always thought Sony was a much more innovative company than Apple. For one thing, they didn't steal their first technologies from Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) as Steve Jobs certifiably did."

More - Huffington Post.

[animatic]

Haters gotta hate and looking for things to hate will grasp at anything that backs up their views.

You do realize that many anti-Apple articles are written at the behest of Apple competitors,

trying to knock Apple from it's perch? Brand wars live in the free press.

Reinventing the wheel wasn't needed to move cars forward. Assembly lines existed before Ford.

Ford used existing technology in different ways, and innovated something new by recombining existing things in new ways. Edison did this too, and took credit/stole from others on his huge staff, and from Tesla, when he listened, lots of ideas to create new things from the existing. It is well known.

Hate Apple all you like, many do, but I can see where it has moved things forward. Xerox Parc was doing nothing with the GUI and mouse, they dropped their own ball and Jobs picked it up and created something Xerox never imagined... There in lies the out of box innovative cultural thinking vs the corporate play safe mind set.

[Zooheekock]

There in lies the out of box innovative cultural thinking

This is a perfect example of what makes people like me want to shoot anyone who buys Apple products. Innovative cultural thinking is what James Joyce and Arnold Schoenberg did. It's not what Steve Jobs did.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Zooheekock

[NeverSure]

Haters gotta hate and looking for things to hate will grasp at anything that backs up their views.

You do realize that many anti-Apple articles are written at the behest of Apple competitors,

trying to knock Apple from it's perch? Brand wars live in the free press.

Reinventing the wheel wasn't needed to move cars forward. Assembly lines existed before Ford.

Ford used existing technology in different ways, and innovated something new by recombining existing things in new ways. Edison did this too, and took credit/stole from others on his huge staff, and from Tesla, when he listened, lots of ideas to create new things from the existing. It is well known.

Hate Apple all you like, many do, but I can see where it has moved things forward. Xerox Parc was doing nothing with the GUI and mouse, they dropped their own ball and Jobs picked it up and created something Xerox never imagined... There in lies the out of box innovative cultural thinking vs the corporate play safe mind set.

"Xerox Parc was doing nothing with the GUI and mouse, they dropped their own ball and Jobs picked it up outright stole it..."

[Krataiboy]

I don't see anything for Tim Cook to be proud about when it comes to his sexuality. Being gay is not an achievement, any more than is being heterosexual or bisexual. It's just one aspect of who he is and utterly irrelevant to his job. Like militant feminists, gays who insist on proclaiming their sexual identity from the rooftops are simply irritating and do nothing to advance the just cause of equal treatment for gays.

Maybe it would be different were he a Muslim living and working in, say, Pakistan. . .

[animatic]

I don't see anything for Tim Cook to be proud about when it comes to his sexuality. Being gay is not an achievement, any more than is being heterosexual or bisexual. It's just one aspect of who he is and utterly irrelevant to his job. Like militant feminists, gays who insist on proclaiming their sexual identity from the rooftops are simply irritating and do nothing to advance the just cause of equal treatment for gays.

Maybe it would be different were he a Muslim living and working in, say, Pakistan. . .

Yeah darn them for not sitting at the back of the bus and being quiet.

[Zooheekock]

gays who insist on proclaiming their sexual identity from the rooftops are simply irritating and do nothing to advance the just cause of equal treatment for gays

Tim Cook made an announcement about his sexuality. That is not "proclaiming his sexual identity from the rooftops" and if you find what he said irritating, you are probably less committed to "the just cause of equal treatment for gays" than you imagine.

[Trentham]

Oh yes! Apple is such a wonderful company. Steve Jobs and Tim Cook are such wonderful, entrepreneurial innovators - complete crap.

However good on Tim for his courage in coming out.

Apple overcharge for their products that are produced by underpaying workers in China. They avoid taxes in the countries they operate in by registering in Ireland and other obscure little islands [sorry Ireland you are not obscure].

They create all this hoopla about their product and turn it into a must have product which they constantly update and modify so all the suckers have to go out and buy the latest model, which when it reaches the market, has already been superseded by the next planned update.

There was a little computer shop in Sydney called Apple before the American giant was thought of. So naturally they started to sell Apple computers when they first hit the world stage. They did a good job for the American Apple and made a lot of money for them but suddenly the big Apple turned on the little one and would not let them use the Apple name anymore.

Apple is a pig of a company. I could go on and on about their sleazy business ethics such as the pricing of apps and music downloads etc. When I see somebody sporting an Apple product my estimation of them falls and I just look upon them as a sucker and somebody who wants to keeps up with the Jones.

[robblok]

I always thought apple products were a bit gay.. now i see its true.. Long live Samsung (got a problem with apple not gays)

Edited November 1, 2014 by robblok

[GuyL]

Some people are shocked because Tim Cook is gay. I guess they will have a heart attack when they realise that it was Steve Jobs who invented hand and blow Jobs!

[Jdietz]

We always knew Apple products were made for left-handed gays, now we know that they were made BY them. Surprised anyone?

[Jingthing]

I always thought apple products were a bit gay.. now i see its true.. Long live Samsung (got a problem with apple not gays)

I never liked Apple products either! Good ad copy: You don't have to be gay to love Apple!

Edited November 1, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jdietz]

I always thought apple products were a bit gay.. now i see its true.. Long live Samsung (got a problem with apple not gays)

I never liked Apple products either! Good ad copy: You don't have to be gay to love Apple!

> You don't have to be gay to love Apple!

- But it sure helps!

[Ace of Pop]

The Beatles had Apple Shops first didnt they. Why dont Vegetarians "Come Out" by the way,the most boorish Folk imo.

[Jingthing]

The video of Barney Frank is worth watching. It pretty much says it all, at least for those who realize the truth: THIS IS A BIG DEAL and HISTORIC actually.

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000325957

Edited November 1, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

It will be interesting to see if there is any noise out of Putin-land from this news. Given they have draconian anti-gay "propaganda" laws, it wouldn't shock me if there is a move there to criminalize promotion of the Apple brand.

The mere fact that one of the most important, dynamic, trendy, profitable, and successful companies in the world has been run by an OUT AND PROUD gay man could definitely be seen by the haters as gay propaganda.

http://www.ibtimes.com/apple-computer-museum-opens-moscow-photos-415000

Edited November 1, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

We always knew Apple products were made for left-handed gays, now we know that they were made BY them. Surprised anyone?

If Apple was only for gays, it would be quite a bit smaller.

[cocopops]

I don't see anything for Tim Cook to be proud about when it comes to his sexuality. Being gay is not an achievement, any more than is being heterosexual or bisexual. It's just one aspect of who he is and utterly irrelevant to his job. Like militant feminists, gays who insist on proclaiming their sexual identity from the rooftops are simply irritating and do nothing to advance the just cause of equal treatment for gays.

Maybe, maybe not.

Personally though, I don't think that's the real issue. Put yourself in the shoes of an insecure gay teenager (yes, I'm sure many gay youngsters are happy, confident people - just not all). Depending on the community in which this kid lives, simply revealing his or her inner life may lead to outcomes ranging from awkwardness through ostracism and on to violence. If they're unlucky enough to be born into a typically intolerant religious community (yes, I know they're not all like that), things are probably even worse.

Even in a thread like this, which appears to be largely bigot-free, a few posters have seen fit to use the word "gay" as a general purpose negative acronym. Now they probably mean nothing by it, but imagine, for example, if folks started using the word "American" or similar in the same way. Most of you wouldn't like it, and I'm sure you would worry about what it was doing to your kids to be constantly bombarded by it.

"Have you heard the new Beiber album?"

"Yeah! That guy is so American!"

Anyhow, if I was that teenager, I think I'd benefit more from a guy like Tim Cook - the successful leader of the worlds most successful company - standing up and explaining that he is, in some ways, like me, than I would from 100 eccentric celebrities doing the same. Or from some symbolic victory surrounding marriage certificates.

Well done, Mr, Cook!

Edited November 1, 2014 by cocopops

[Zooheekock]

The mere fact that one of the most important, dynamic, trendy, profitable, and successful companies in the world has been run by an OUT AND PROUD gay man could definitely be seen by the haters as gay propaganda.

It's also a company which is very easily to hate. For me, this is good news, despite his involvement in Apple. I think it's great that this has happened, but it would be even better if it were a more mainstream company. Something well known but boring and mundane without any particular image, and not something which presents itself as being so cutting-edge. Something like UPS or Boeing or Johnson and Johnson or Nestle. It might not be quite such a big news item but Apple and the other tech companies are special cases and it's still a little ghettoized and a bit show-bizzy.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Zooheekock

[Jingthing]

OK, Cook has come out, and that is very good, but don't forget this civil rights struggle is FAR from over, in the USA, and also in most of the world, and, no, it isn't only about legalizing gay marriage and it never was only about that.

Tim Cook said he's gay. In 29 states, you could be fired for doing the same

http://fortune.com/2014/10/30/tim-cook-said-hes-gay-in-29-states-you-could-be-fired-for-doing-the-same/