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Some people would like Apple to run the government -- if given little choice

Technically Incorrect: A survey of brands suggests that there are quite a lot of people who'd prefer the government to be based in Cupertino. Or, if not, in Hollywood.

Chris Matyszczyk
2 min read

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.


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Your new president?

Josh Miller/CNET

The headline was enticing.

It was from a press release that read: "Trump? Clinton? Carson? None of the Above. Apple's Leadership Team Should Be Running U.S. Government, Says New Study."

Could it be, then, that Americans are so tired of the entitled and the blowhardy that they want corporations to conduct a coup d'etat?

Apparently 33 percent of the 1,000 adults aged 18 and over surveyed by PR firm RBB Brands chose Apple to run the government.

If Tim Cook and his team were a touch too busy, the next favorite was Walt Disney.

How tantalizing would be the prospect of lines forming outside Apple stores to hear about government policy. How equally tantalizing is the notion that Disney might be in charge. The company certainly knows how to tell a story, which is at least 70 percent of good government.

I continued to wonder, though, whether this survey -- which was performed online between October 6 and 9 -- truly represented a rejection of the political class. The current success of Donald Trump and Ben Carson suggests people are tired of careerist politicians, but are happy to have them replaced by, well, entertainers.

So I asked RBB Brands what the actual survey question was. It turned out to be: "Which of the following companies would do the best job if they were to take over operations of the U.S. Government?"

There was, it seems, no option to reject the likes of Trump, Carson or Hillary Clinton. And dynamic companies such as the Trump Organization weren't featured as an option either. (Facebook was an option, however. It was chosen by a mere 11 percent.)

Still, Apple must be proud that it was selected as the consumers' favorite. The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

RBB Brands attributes Apple's likability and trust scores to its success at what is calls "the dating game."

"They get into the consumers' heads to achieve the kind of meaningful emotional connections that lead to loyalty," said Christine Barney, managing partner and CEO of RBB Communications.

I suppose, then, that Trump is just like Apple. He makes meaningful emotional connections that lead to loyalty.

Oh, and lead to the building of a very large wall around that loyalty too.