Dave Ulrich Works: Apple News

The Content Strategist

Apple Newsroom

(content + editorial strategy, creative direction, copywriting)

When the Apple Public Relations team needed a new site, my agency was tapped to develop a modern solution for announcing Apple news—directly from the source.
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After exploring all use case scenarios that expanded beyond text-based press releases, we proposed making a dramatic shift away from Apple's non-responsive list of documents. We convinced them that Apple should have a PR site that could be used by all—not just the media and journalists. However, the true challenge would be creating a site that would adhere to the high creative standards Apple had set for itself.

Working closely with the Design Creative Director, we knew stakes were high when creating something entirely new for a company that is famous for usability and style. Together, we mapped out an aesthetically beautiful and seamlessly functional repository of information that Apple would want to share with the world.

I developed a thorough set of content strategy documents, created a scalable tagging system, proposed an exhaustive list of names, a modular roadmap, a PR tone of voice document, and editorial guidelines.

Apple would no longer need to manually scatter news and announcements across many channels… or simply refrain from sharing at all if there was no live event scheduled. We gave Apple a visually dynamic site that could be easily updated with timely and well-crafted articles whenever news broke.

After launching the MVP, we developed a variety of content types that included visually rich articles and rapid response announcements.

I assembled a copywriting team to help the PR department adopt the new natural language style for articles, update legacy press releases, and develop new work using my editorial guidelines instead of the traditional press release writing style they had been using.

Working closely with the developers, the rich tagging system I created was deployed. Teaming up with design and dev, we used the tags to unlock powerful search capabilities with advanced filtering options.

THE RESULTS

– Apple earned trust.

Apple received widespread appreciation for providing easy access to pivotal information about the company and its products. We received praise directly from the likes of Tim Cook and Phil Schiller.

– Apple saved time, effort, and money.

Apple began expanding the role of the Newsroom to include live updates during keynotes—even deprecating minor keynotes and opting to get the word out on Newsroom exclusively. Important but less dramatic information no longer had to wait for the next live event, and fewer live events would need to be added to the budget. Soon after launch, SEO results exceeded those of apple.com and Apple finally saw a measurable social sharing performance.

– Apple gained a platform to share perspectives.

Notable announcements or comments were no longer lost in the din of social media and the dredge of press releases . The company had a meticulously crafted venue to tell important stories like the success of their recycling program or offer a response to potential controversies. The enhanced storytelling capabilities we created gave Apple a way to add their signature "surprise and delight" to communication with journalists, the media, and the curious.