????我可以打包票，蒂姆?庫克是個極其能干、出色的企業領導人，也是個絕對的好人。

????不過，對于擔任全球最受尊敬的高科技公司首席執行官一職來說，他卻只能說是成事不足，敗事有余。

????接替傳奇人物史蒂夫?喬布斯接掌蘋果公司（Apple）帥印后，兩年來這位新上任的首席執行官干了兩樁震驚業界的大事：一是讓蘋果引領創新的美名一敗涂地，二是讓蘋果高高在上的股價跌跌不休。（不瞞您說，我本人也持有蘋果的股票！）

????庫克最近一次的滑鐵盧在本周二不期而至。當時，就在庫比蒂諾擠得滿滿當當的媒體發布會現場，面對大家對蘋果一貫抱有的無限期待，他親自宣布了所謂的“蘋果下一代重大成果”。

????可惜，它實在配不上這個稱號。

????他所揭幕的既不是顛覆性的全新iPhone，也不是革命性的全新電視，也不是太空時代的iWatch，甚至也不是一直盛傳的與中國移動公司（China Mobile）達成合作的消息——呈現在大家眼前的只是兩臺升級版的手機，一臺是廉價版，塑料材質，色彩豐富；另一臺則搭載了更快的處理器和更出色的攝像頭。

????“妙不可言，”庫克先生在發言中這么說了大概有十次之多。

????然而這實在言過其實。說它們“平庸無奇”可能才更確切。

????而第二天，在整個股市普遍上漲之際，蘋果股價卻下跌了27點。

????到底怎么走到了這一步？

????1. 蘋果產品仍然讓世人稱羨。

????2. 蘋果零售店及其員工仍是熱情和專業的典范。

????3. 競爭確實在加劇——尤其是來自三星公司（Samsung）的GalaxyS系列手機——不過在那些尚有充分增長空間的市場，尤其是中國和印度，蘋果仍占主導地位。

????4. 蘋果的市盈率——通常用來衡量一個公司的市場“價值”——僅有區區12，而谷歌（Google）達到了27，IBM為13，通用電氣（General Electric）為17。就算是毫無希望的戴爾（Dell），市盈率也有18。

????那么，到底是什么讓蘋果開始走上下坡路呢？

????答案只有一個：公共關系。

????蘋果是有史以來最擅長營銷的公司之一，但它的公關工作一直乏善可陳。

????I'm sure Tim Cook is hugely competent, a wonderful operating executive, and a real nice guy.

????But as CEO of the world's most respected high-tech franchise, he has been an unmitigated disaster.

????In the two years since Cook assumed the reins of Apple from iconic Steve Jobs, the new CEO has presided, shockingly, over the dismantling of Apple's pristine reputation for innovation and the crumbling of Apple's high-flying stock. (Full disclosure, I own the stinkin' stock!!)

????Cook's latest catastrophe came Tuesday, when, with typically-unbridled Apple anticipation before a packed media house in Cupertino, he personally announced what was billed as "Apple's next big thing."

????Only it wasn't.

????Rather than unveiling a game-changing new iPhone or revolutionary new TV or space-age iWatch or even a long-rumored deal with China Mobile -- instead, Apple introduced two phone iterations, one cheaper, plastic and colorful; the other with a faster processing chip and better camera.

????"Incredible," gushed CEO Cook about 10 times in his keynote.

????Only it wasn't. "Underwhelming" would have been more like it.

????And the next day, Apple stock dropped 27 points in a day the rest of the market soared.

????How could this happen?

????1. Apple's products are still the envy of the world.

????2. Apple's stores and personnel are still the model of enthusiastic competence and professionalism.

????3. Sure competition has increased -- especially from the Samsung Galaxy S phone -- but Apple is still the dominant force in a market that has ample room to grow, particularly in China and India.

????4. Apple's price/earnings ratio -- which generally measures the market's "valuation" of a company -- is a paltry 12, compared to Google's 27 (GOOG), IBM's 13 (IBM), or General Electric's 17 (GE). Even the hopeless Dell (DELL) has been awarded an 18 P/E by the market.

????So what has caused Apple's fortunes to tumble?

????Two words:Public relations.

????Apple, one of the greatest marketing companies of all time, has never been known for good public relations.