PR is an art

In the last one or two weeks the Apple's synchronization service was criticized by many users because it happened that the users' letters simply disappeared. And they disappeared from everywhere: the emails were deleted from the iPhone and the notebook account, too. It is almost as embarassing as the UPC billing case was. But Apple reacted very differently.

Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO admitted the mistake in a letter, and said that MobileMe performed under Apple"s own expectations. The letter was "accidentally" made public. According to Jobs the service shouldn't be launched together with iPhone 3G and with the App Store. With his own words: ”It was a mistake”.
Unlike the UPC (who is only one example from the many others) Apple doesn't blame the users for the mistake, Apple does not euphemize, does not say that "it was a premature launch of the service": they make a mistake. They don"t fudge: Job's informal and straight letter will calm down the angry user and the payed critics, because he identifies himself with the users and not with Apple. If the user says it is a mistake, they accept it. More than this (beside correcting the mistake) cannot be done.
Of course, it would be naive to think that this is entirely straight speech. The letter may be part of an organized reaction. But this does not change the fact that it is true. MobileMe was launched too early. In this ambiguity relies the power (and the beauty) of PR and ads: one can hyperbolize and still be true. PR works as a film or a novel.