He Said, She Said: iPod's link to terrorism

He Said:

Today we learned of a terror plot to blow up planes traveling from England to the US. Just when you think it’s safe to fly again, they strike again. It sounds like the tagline to a new movie, but it’s about as real and scary as it can get. I’ve followed developments on TV and online all day – and there’s a part of this story I think everyone is overlooking. And that is the role of everyone’s favorite portable MP3 player (yes, I’m talking about the iPod) in today’s events.

When news first broke this morning, it was widely reported that the detonator to be used by terrorists was Apple’s popular iPod device. As I saw the iPod referenced in news stories on MSN, USA Today, CNN and across the bottom ticker on MSNBC, I couldn't help but wonder how this would impact Apple's beloved brand. Even though the plot was thwarted, I doubt very much the suits at Apple wanted their product linked to such a downer of a story.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one thinking that. Apple acted quickly and efficiently (and probably called in a few favors), as references to the iPod were removed from all articles found online just a few hours later. Instead of mentioning the iPod by name, the alleged detonator was instead referred to as an "MP3 portable device." How vanilla can you get? I mean, when was the last time you ever used those words to describe your music player? As any marketer can tell you, Apple dominates the portable music player category. Everyone who listens to music on the go has an iPod. If it's not branded Apple, then chances are it's an iPodwannabe. They created this category, and it's no coincidence that even the competitors in this space model their "MP3 players" after the iPod.

So what's the story here? There probably isn't one... other than that Apple took immediate action to protect their brand identity before the iPod became synonymous with terrorism. And judging by the evening news, it seems they succeeded.