eCommerce Times: RealNetworks Online Petition Targeting Apple Backfires

RealNetworks' guerilla marketing effort to try to shame Apple Computer into allowing more open standards in its massively popular music products backfired yesterday. When an online "petition" was set up for people to air their opinions, many directed their ire at RealNetworks, posting profanity-laden screeds lambasting the streaming media company for "picking on" Apple. RealNetworks violated one of the first principles of exploiting mobs: know who's in the crowd. Apple fans make up a disproportionate amount of online music buyers, and they are notoriously defensive of their use of what has become a relatively obscure operating system. RealNetworks took down the online petition and now allows users to post feedback only after registering.

RealNetworks makes audio and video streaming products that are also not particularly open. It complained about the standards only after Apple launched its much acclaimed music player and innovative music store.