Saying More With Fewer Words

Derek Thompson, The Atlantic:

America’s most successful large company is also the most laconic. The average Apple earnings release clocks in at 250 words, less than a fifth the length of the average statement from one of the ten largest U.S. corporations, according to Bloomberg.

It might seem like a frivolous factoid, but it reflects a larger point: Perhaps Apple’s can afford to be brief because it derives its revenue from a such a small list of products. The iPhone and iPad account for more than 75% of the company’s revenue. The same cannot be said of Walmart, which sells thousands of products, or GE, which is dozens of divisions and hundreds of products under the hood of a single corporation.

Or perhaps Apple is successful because it is focused, and that focus is reflected in its communications.

★ Monday, 29 October 2012