Apple's Linkblog and Its PR Influence
One of the fixtures on the Apple web site is the Hot News page. The Internet Archive has it cached going all the way back to 1998 when Steve Jobs wore a sport jacket.
The Hot News page, a similar version of which lives at apple.com/startpage for Safari users, is more than your run of the mill PR site. Apple has a separate section for the press and another for investors. It's actually a linkblog for consumers that in linking makes statements without anyone from Apple actually uttering a word.
On first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. The page includes links to new and interesting features and case studies posted deep with in the site, as well as summaries of recent positive press coverage. However, when Apple also links to less than glowing articles primarily about its competitors, the site really makes statements without saying anything. And that's when it turns almost into a blog. Although, it lacks any way for us to talk back.
Consider this. In the last few weeks, Apple linked to several articles comparing WIndows VIsta to the Mac. All of them sang Apple's praises. Now there were many other articles that were positive about Vista during the launch. These said that Microsoft caught up, but Apple of course didn't link to a single one. (Disclosure: Edelman assisted with the Windows Vista launch.)
This is not an argument about which OS is better. This is about the use of linking for PR. What I am saying is by linking to something on a corporate Web site, you're basically making a statement without uttering a word. And that's almost like blogging.
