Defining the iOS app store for the enterprise
Transformative mobile experiences at enterprise scale
A partnership of gigantic significance.
Tim Cook & Ginni Rometty came together to launch an iOS app store for the enterprise.
Apple partnered with IBM to create an enterprise business offering.
Ogilvy developed the go-to-market strategy, architected the online experience, and helped launch the initiative in the US market. I led the work from the Ogilvy side, speaking on behalf of IBM, managing a network of agencies engaged in the initiative.
A secretive partnership
Ginni Rometty and Tim Cook’s respective teams worked in secrecy for months prior to announcing the enterprise partnership. Apple would supply the devices, IBM would configure them, supplying industry specific infrastructure and logistics.
I was asked to lead the work and partner with Apple’s Marcom group in building our partnership and ways of working between the various agencies, defining the marketing strategy, messaging, and ongoing role out plan.
The CEO & CCO of Ogilvy were not allowed to know the plans at the time - everything was on a need to know basis.
The official launch announcement
The offering & engagement model
Working closely with IBM, we developed the language, strategy, and structure of the site, planning a phased approach to bringing industries online.
Apple’s Marcom team mirrored the structure we created for IBM on the Apple enterprise site.
As IBM created new iOS apps, we needed to move from strategic messaging to iterating the platform that would house a growing catalog of industry apps.
