THE PROBLEM

When Apple’s Steve Jobs made a public statement on problems with the iPhone 4 and how the company will deal with customers’ concerns, he drew criticism for not appearing sufficiently apologetic. But given that Apple has consistently delivered on products and customer service, was this merely a case of focusing too much on the individual and too little on the message?

THE ADVICE

The consumer expert: Reinier Evans

Because this was Apple, negative media attention matched the levels of excitement that are taken for granted whenever the company announces a blockbuster innovation. The company profits and suffers from its cultlike status in ways that other companies cannot even imagine.

From a consumer point of view, it is fair to expect an apology because the company and Steve Jobs have fostered a cult of personality around him. Still, most consumers will not concern themselves too much with the delivery of the message, but rather with the message itself: there is a problem (with one of Apple’s usually flawless devices), we are giving away a free fix or offering refunds and we want everybody to be happy. So, case closed: for consumers, it’s on to the next Apple blockbuster!

The writer is founder of trendwatching.com

The consultant: Peter Bregman

Steve Jobs should have handled the bad press more skilfully. By being defensive, he’s the one who drew the focus to himself rather than to his message. While this seems obvious – and certainly something he should know – I wanted to be sure, so I asked my eight-year-old daughter her opinion: “If you do something that someone else does not like, then you say you’re sorry and fix it. When I wrote on the cover of mommy’s photo album, I apologised and replaced the cover with a pretty drawing,” she said.

What if you thought mommy was making too big a deal about it? Would you tell her she shouldn’t make such a big deal about it? “Why would I do that? It would only make her mad.”

The writer is chief executive of Bregman Partners

The academic: Bill Fischer

Is criticism of Steve Jobs – whose personification of the brand is a conscious choice by Apple – unfair? I believe so. He has, after all, acknowledged the iPhone problems and has promised to fix them; and let’s remember that these are not BP-scale issues.

Mr Jobs has also reminded us that his responsibility as chief executive is about moving the company into the future, rather than dwelling on solvable problems of the past. His was a strong statement reassuring us that Apple is committed to continuing to producing great products in the future. He showed self-assurance and pride and it’s these two qualities that resonate with loyal Apple users and that have catapulted Apple to repeated success. What more do you want than that in a leader?

The writer is a professor of technology management at IMD