APPLE
PRODUCT MARKETING INTERNSHIP 2011 — iPod
My MBA internship was with Apple in the summer of 2011. It was a massive learning experience that helped me understand the successes within Apple and the commitment from the teams involved to make it happen.
I investigated evolving and compelling new technologies for iPod and iPhone over the next 5 years, culminating in a presentation to marketing senior leadership about the future of the iPod and iPhone product line. I highlighted the need for Apple to not only become an emerging player in gaming but also invest in building object and character recognition systems to better serve their users.
I also created solutions to the evolving iOS Accessory landscape that addressed competitive technologies, new growth, and customer experience across multiple channels.
My team of 4 also won 3rd Place in the company-wide Marketing App Store Challenge.
PROJECT SCOPE
Investigate compelling technologies for iPod and iPhone over the next 5 years, including but not limited to Music, Video, and Gaming.
Provide recommendations for future iPod touch features to senior leadership.
APPLE LENS
A deep object recognition system with deployable Kit for developers to work with.
Apple Lens was my proposal to create a better system within Apple iOS software to identify and recognize objects while also building the intelligence needed to filter out unnecessary visual distractions around multiple user applications.
The presentation highlighted market opportunities in wayfinding, language, sports, gaming, sales/advertising, and medicine. The core tenet of the pitch was that Apple needed to ebgin to create a shape/object recognition system and then an SDK for developers to leverage.
This was presented 6 years before Google would launch their object recognition system, Google Lens, and while I think Apple is currently behind with AI, I feel like there is still an opportunity in this space to do amazing things regarding reducing visual noise and augmenting physical world experiences like travel and sports.
GAME LINK
Gaming Evolution for Apple.
The Game Link proposal was to realign how Apple looked at their gaming services. Steve, who was still running the company at the time, was well-known for how much he disliked gaming. However, Apple gaming represented 50MM users that were using more apps more of the time than any other service. The proposal here outlines out to evolve the gaming experience to permit game hosting on iPads, iPhones, iPods, or Apple TVs as well as the distinct need for better game control systems for the phone/pod shape. While not shown below, there was a strong suggestion to update the Game Center from its skeuomorphic, felt card table design to something less antiquated.
As of 2025, Apple has evolve its game platform significantly with Apple Arcade, Nintendo has developed a rich system for sharing purchased games with others so they can play with you, and there are multiple controller systems now that can attach to phones/pads to help better game.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
The experience at Apple illustrated how dedicated and passionate the engineering teams were at Apple in creating and delivering product. They worked long hours and with a dedicated rigor that is hard to convey.
I was also exposed to the intricacies for how inbound and outbound marketing teams work together to understand product wants/needs, drive product, and then promote it effectively. Apple had a level of coordination that, at the time, was unique and palpable.
Moving forward, I felt like the final presentation indicated market forces were moving toward software solutions in gaming and AI/machine learning, and I provided actionable opportunities in the space, but the marketing team wasn’t interested in those directions. While Apple was a phenomenal company, it felt like a place to be a magnificent cog in a magnificent machine, and wanted to be in a place where I felt like I would make a significant impact.