“Bob Kupbens has left his post at Delta Air Lines as VP-marketing and digital commerce to join Apple, according to his LinkedIn page and people familiar with Apple,” Mark Bergen reports for Advertising Age. “His LinkedIn page says his title at Apple is VP-Apple Online Store.”
“Mr. Kupbens joined Delta in 2010 and previously held posts at the consulting firm A.T. Kearney and Target, where he helped introduce the retailer’s mobile e-commerce operations,” Bergen reports. “With the move to Apple, Mr. Kupbens is coming to a brand that millions of consumers hold very dear.”
“At the 2013 Ad Age Digital Conference, Mr. Kupbens spoke about the importance of ‘love brands,'” Bergen reports. “‘I used to work at Target and when you went to a cocktail party and you told people that you worked at Target, you know what they’d say?’ he asked. ”I love Target! I’ll give you a big hug!’ You know what people say when you tell them at a cocktail party that you work at Delta? ‘I hate you! You lost my bag! You had me on the tarmac for seven hours. I’m going to kill you!’ It’s different when you work for a love brand.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Forget about lost bags and being held hostage on the tarmac, the idiots at Delta chose Microsoft Surface flops over Apple iPads! God only knows what other bone-headed decisions they’ve made. If Delta is willing to go cheap on tablets for their flight crews, where else are they willing to cut corners? Scary.
Related articles:
Delta pilots fought hard against deal to replace iPad flight bags with Microsoft Surface – September 30, 2013
JetBlue latest airline to replace bulky paper manuals with Apple iPad-based Electronic Flight Bags – June 26, 2013
American Airlines first commercial carrier with FAA approval to use Apple iPads in all phases of flight – September 11, 2012
Delta Airlines launches Fly Delta app for iPad with ‘Glass Bottom Jet’ feature – January 11, 2013
Delta Air Lines begins rollout of 2,500 iPads for passenger use in Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – August 29, 2012
FAA approves iPads in the cockpit; American Airlines to start Friday – December 13, 2011
All Nippon Airways to deploy 6,000 Apple iPads to train stewards – September 22, 2011
Qantas trials Apple iPads as in-flight entertainment option – September 15, 2011
United Continental pilots get 11,000 Apple iPads – August 23, 2011
British Airways brings new dimension to customer service using Apple iPads – August 18, 2011
Delta gives Apple iPads to pilots as electronic flight bag replacements – August 17, 2011
Apple’s revolutionary iPad creates the paperless cockpit – July 5, 2011
Alaska Airlines pilots using Apple iPads in cockpit – May 23, 2011
Mission-critical Apple iPads in cockpits may hasten end of era for paper charts – March 7, 2011
FAA authorizes use of Jeppesen app on iPad to replace paper aeronautical charts – February 16, 2011
Fokker and Navtech introduces Electronic Flight Bag hardware for Apple’s revolutionary iPad – January 28, 2011
Just because Delta has idiot executives does not necessarily mean that Mr. Kupbens was one of those idiots. So we’ll see how this hire works out.
Fingers crossed that Tim sifted out some gold from all the silt that is Delta …
During this guy’s tenure as “Delta Air Lines as VP-marketing and digital commerce” I was part of a focus group evaluating Delta’s intention to revamp (at the time) their web presence. (That happens when you average over 150,000 flight miles a year.) I, and many in the focus group, recommended a simpler, more straight forward interface than the one with which they went. In fact, while they did not choose the worst of the proposed designs, the one with which they went was not either of the top two chosen by the group. I have no idea if the was directly involved with the revamp, but he should have been. And, they chose poorly.
I’ll reserve judgement on his leadership of Apple’s online store. It definitely needs help. Years ago Apple’s online presence was better than virtually all and the envy of most. In the last few years Apple’s online store has stagnated, or in some cases even regressed. It definitely needs an update.
Oh, boy. The retail stores get Angela and the online storefront gets Delta Bob. Ever visit the Delta website? I hope Delta Bob isn’t another John Browett.
No, Angela Ahrendts is Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores. I expect Bob Kupbens will report to her.
And if he turns into John Browett, Angela will give him the boot. Probably with one of the Burberry ankle boots she still owns, the polished metal buckle design, in cordovan. At US $750 she wouldn’t have tossed them in the rubbish bin.
ha! enjoyed your ‘ankle boot’ comment.
——
wonder whether Ahrendt pre approved the Delta guy’s hire… Maybe he’s got some tech knowledge she needs.
Thanks, hannahjs … now I feel more hopeful and look forward to future changes. No need to throw those ankle boots in the rubbish as they probably still look great. She “paid” for those boots the old fashion way — she EARNED them!
Bing!
😉
I hope too.
Bob will help Angela make products fly off the shelves.
Great. Now he can narrow the isles in Apple stores to crowd in more customers. Of course you cannot move now but perhaps they can put in overhead cabinets. And of course taking off your shoes will be mandatory. Good thinking Apple.
How are *any* of those comments relevant to the online store? Are you seriously suggesting that customers will have to take off their shoes in order to access Apple’s online store?