Media Coverage for Rumors and Apple’s 9/9/09 True Power



2009 September, 9th
Liliana Dumitru-Steffens
Liliana Dumitru-Steffens
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I don’t know what you did this morning, but if you are one of the superstitious many, you probably worried about the day’s significance and its impact in our lives. Superstition made “9/9/09″ one of the most popular searches on the Web today. Superstition also generated a number of rumors that served some companies’ PR efforts just fine.

Apple didn’t need to flip 999 upside down to get the number of the beast and make a pact with the devil – another force graced Apple today, as you will see below. The company didn’t push any press release to get the crazy coverage it got in the news today. Nine had magic properties for Apple today. No Apocalypse, no tragedy… but a lot of unexpected buzz and rumors that made the headlines long before the event.

We already mentioned one of the rumors: YOKO Ono leaked to Sky News UK that the entire Beatles catalogue will be available on Apple’s iTunes music store. The rumor was of course a PR move to gain more exposure for Beatles, whose “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game and digitally remastered CDs were released today too; but it also generated chaos in Apple’s field, because there are still legal settlements to solve. So far The Beatles’ music has never been approved for sale as downloads on iTunes. Moreover, copying music from a CD on an MP3 is illegal in UK.

Now, after the Apple event closed its doors, we know at least one aspect worth mentioning. Today Apple’s even was graced with the presence of Steve Jobs – first appearance at an Apple event in a year. He announced a few new products, as expected, but the most notable aspect of his return you’ll find in the video below:

You just watched an extraordinary human being, a role-model for so many young business people today. This speech encapsulates the secret of his success. A leader par excellence, Steve Jobs always knew how to reach to an audience. This time however his message is more personal and it feels more genuine than ever. A lesson from a man who built an empire: understand what’s been offered to you, understand grace.

The day of the nines is almost over. I wanted to avoid writing about the nines and the rumors, and the fear… But some events simply cannot and should not be ignored. I had to mention what was not worthy, to make the worthy shine brighter. At the end of the day, all the rumors are forgotten. The things that held the headlines all over the world today pale in comparison to this message:

“I wouldn’t be here without such generosity. So, I hope all of us can be as generous and became organ donors.”

There’s no greater honor in life than saving another human life.

About the Author

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Liliana Dumitru-Steffens is public relations consultant for Pamil Visions PR. She writes for Everything PR since January 2009. Previously she worked for My-tronic GmbH and Unilever Romania. Email Liliana at lsteffens [at] pamil-visions [dot] net.

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There Is 1 Response So Far. »

  1. Comment by Catherine Cook on 10 September 2009:

    Would you please get a question/request out to Steve Jobs?
    Now that he’s back can he do something about the signals many of the Iphone users cannot get? For past few years I have been paying $75 a month for service I cannot get. The only place I can get a call is when I’m in my car or on the street. I can’t even do that at my country house and I can’t get it in the city in my apartment. So what the hell did I pay $500 for? Apple stores say they can’t do anything about it. They think that answer is ok? Yes, I’ve harrassed AT&T as well. Their response is that I live in one of the areas most populated with towers. Soooooo? I still can’t get a signal for more than 2 seconds. Now that the chief genius is back, ask him to make that his first mission.