Could 7, 2014: Katie Cotton, the fearsome, much-admired head of Apple’s worldwide publicity machine, steps down from her VP put up after 18 years with the corporate.
Throughout her stint at Apple, Cotton labored in lockstep with Steve Jobs and proved instrumental in controlling the corporate’s portrayal within the press. Her departure gives yet one more reminder that the Jobs period is over at Apple.
Katie Cotton: An necessary participant in Apple’s success
While you consider profitable partnerships in the course of the Jobs period at Apple, you doubtless consider ex-design chief Jony Ive or present CEO Tim Cook dinner. Ive labored with Jobs to create a sequence of hit merchandise. Cook dinner labored with Jobs to verify Apple may manufacture and ship these merchandise in adequate portions.
Cotton’s position at Apple outlined the corporate’s identification in one other method. Whereas Ive and Cook dinner labored straight with the merchandise, she managed the best way the world seen Apple.
Earlier than coming to Cupertino, she labored for a PR company known as KillerApp Communications, which dealt with some initiatives for Jobs’ NeXT. Whereas Cotton by no means labored on the NeXT account, she did choose up contacts there. When Jobs arrived again at Apple in 1996, Cotton landed a job supply with the corporate.
Her work at Apple outlined the bizarre anti-PR house the corporate cultivated. Nobody can say that Apple is unhealthy at PR (that might be ridiculous). Nonetheless, the corporate doesn’t attempt to be significantly good at it, both — not less than not within the conventional method.
Loads of PR executives endlessly flatter journalists to attempt to safe favorable protection. Cotton was greater than able to pushing to get the publicity she wished, however her job was additionally about courting solely the protection Apple wished. Like Jobs, she prided herself on saying “no” to way over she mentioned “sure” to. It was a unique college of PR, and it labored flawlessly.
How hardnosed PR helped form Apple
Cotton proved significantly protecting when it got here to Jobs’ well being issues. Her hardline ways typically served as a supply of humor within the hilariously well-liked parody weblog, The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs.
As Cotton as soon as advised journalist Kara Swisher, “I’m not right here to make buddies with reporters, I’m right here to place a lightweight on and promote Apple merchandise.” (Swisher’s article about Cotton’s departure from Apple is nicely price studying for one thing extra nuanced than the numerous tales denouncing the publicist as a “depraved witch” of Apple.)
When Cotton introduced her retirement, Apple spokesman Steve Dowling described her affect.
“Katie has given her all to this firm for over 18 years,” he wrote. “She has wished to spend time along with her kids for a while now. We’re actually going to overlook her.”
Cotton in the end left Apple on the finish of Could 2014. Her departure supposedly marked the beginning of a kinder, gentler period of PR on the firm. Whereas that is arguably true, there’s additionally little question that the PR ethos Cotton instilled at Apple stays. Like Jobs, her affect continues lengthy after she stepped down from her position.
R.I.P. Katie Cotton
Practically a decade after leaving Apple, Cotton died on April 6, 2023, on the age of 57. The New York Occasions’ obituary mentioned Cotton “constructed a tradition of thriller by saying comparatively little, if something, to reporters.”
And tech journalist Walt Mossberg posted a Twitter thread paying tribute to Cotton and calling her a “formidable determine” in Cupertino.
“Katie brilliantly led the media technique for the historic run of massive merchandise throughout Jobs’s second tenure working Apple,” he wrote. “She was a key companion to Steve Jobs, who trusted her judgement.”
Unhappy information: Katie Cotton, the longtime chief of communications for @Apple, has handed away. My deepest condolences to her household. https://t.co/1xOH4SKlVA
— Walt Mossberg (@waltmossberg) April 10, 2023
