Rumors Are Worth Millions to Apple

“Millions of dollars” — that’s what Apple makes from the amount of press coverage in the weeks leading up to a new product launch, according to an unnamed company staffer quoted in Adam Lashinsky’s book, Inside Apple.

Due out later this week in both hardcover and e-format, Inside Apple features an entire chapter dedicated to the cult of Apple and the level of secrecy imposed both outside and inside 1 Infinite Loop.

One excerpt features a quote from an unnamed Apple security staffer who mentioned just how important it is to create a stir in the media.

“Reality sets in at the security briefing, the one element that no Apple employee forgets. Call it Scared Silent. Borchers, the iPhone marketing executive who had worked at Nike (NKE) and Nokia (NOK) before joining Apple, recalled the scene. ‘Whoever headed up security came in and said, 'Okay, everybody understands secrecy and security are incredibly important here. Let me just explain why.' And the rationale is that when Apple launches a product, if it's been a secret up until the launch, the amount of press and coverage and buzz that you get is hugely valuable to the company. 'It's worth millions of dollars,' I remember her saying." So there's no confusion, the penalty for revealing Apple secrets, intentionally or unintentionally, is clear: swift termination.”

Available for pre-order from Amazon.com, Inside Apple by Adam Lashinsky reveals “the secret systems, tactics and leadership strategies that allowed Steve Jobs and his company to churn out hit after hit and inspire a cult-like following for its products.”

Unlike Walter Isaacson’s official Steve Jobs biography, Adam Lashinsky’s book only features interviews with people close to Apple and / or Jobs — not the man himself.

Nonetheless, Inside Apple provides invaluable details about Apple’s relationship with its suppliers, and how the company is handling the transition into the Post Jobs Era.