When Employees Go Rogue

Apple is renown for running a very tight ship with regards to media relations.

We got a little peak into this window this week when an Apple engineer was fired because his daughter posted a YouTube video on the new iPhone.

"Though Apple's new iPhone X is already available to preorder and will be released Friday — and Apple had held an event where members of the media could use it to shoot video and take photos"

Companies' PR departments typically want to own communications. Sometimes they do want employees' voices to heard. One common example, is sites like Glassdoor. If only employers could control every employee review on Glassdoor. Another example of where communication departments wish they could leverage employees' voices is across social media. Comms departments wish employees would reTweet company announcements and like every Facebook post. But that's rare. Most people resist using their personal brand to be the mouthpiece of their employer. Unless....and it's that "unless" that comms departments struggle with.

It's sad that this Apple engineer lost his job. However, I am quite surprised that he put himself in this position, because Apple's communication policies are so well known - even to outsiders.