Apple and Steve Jobs – The power of the frame

This post is the end of an idea I had for quite some time regarding one of my favorite communication principles: framing. I was ready to write this purely from an academic perspective when a couple of fortuitous elements crossed my attention.

First, Apple released the Macintosh 26 years ago today. (And as an early adopter, I might say: Holy Kaw. I remember that clearly.) The news led me to a now classic video of Steve Jobs introducing the new product. Take note of the first line: “There have only been two major products in our industry.” We’ll come back to this in a moment.

Second, today I happened to see this information about the next (presumed?) Apple tablet: Steve Jobs says that the Apple tablet “will be the most important thing I’ve ever done.”

Cue bulb and sound effect.

Before I can explain, I need to take a step back and talk about framing. It’s one of my favorite ideas in communications, at once among the simplest concepts to understand and the most difficult to master. Here is a definition:

In communication theory and sociology, framing is a process of selective control over the individual’s perception of media, public or private communication, particularly the meanings attributed to words or phrases. Framing defines how an element of rhetoric is packaged to allow for certain interpretations and rule out others. Media frameworks can be created by the media or by specific political or social movements or organizations. The concept is generally attributed to the work of Erving Goffman, especially his 1974 book, Frame analysis: an essay on the organization of experience.

Source: Framing (communication theory) – Psychology Wiki.

Deetz, Tracy and Simpson, in Lead organizations through transitiondefined it this way: “Framing refers to the ways in which the leader can use his language to shape or modify particular interpretations of organizational events, thus directing likely responses. … [F]Raming focuses on the everyday communication of organizational metaphors, stories, artifacts, and myths that shape interpretations.”

We are all familiar with this concept to some degree. A classic trope on TV shows has the doctor asking the family member to sit down to listen to some news; the news is framed. In other words, “Let me tell you, I’m about to give you some bad news.” Then I hand it over. The theory, I guess, in TV land is that the family member gets a chance to absorb that something bad is coming so that he or she doesn’t black out or overreact.

However, the framing is much more subtle. From anthropology, we know that our frames of reference are “socially constructed,” that is, we agree on them as cultures through a complex series of negotiations and innumerable acts of communication. Our tone, choice of words, sentence structure, volume, even our clothing all contribute to telling the recipient of a message. how the creator of the message intends it to be read. This is why satire (like Jonathon Swift’s) is so effective: it starts with a typical framing of something we’re all familiar with, a carefully reasoned argument, and turns it on its head. It is much more effective due to its novelty.

The frame has tremendous power. A friend of mine who is a headline writing genius once told us about Chaplin’s rule: that life is a series of ins and outs. I found this to be true: Write a great entry, find a great conclusion, and very little else will be remembered. The story is framed. Deetz et al use the example of a manager telling employees that something is “important”: using the word gives the activity a higher value than if it were simply a “do”. Even something like a sequence can have meaning. As the manager of Spinal Tap points out: “I’ve told them hundreds of times: put ‘Spinal Tap’ first and ‘Puppet Show’ last.”

Framing is a “meta” activity. It is information about information. It is a set of rules suggested to the recipient that helps him structure a reading of his message. It requires trust. This makes framing exceptionally difficult to work with, and many communication calamities arise when people inadvertently frame things incorrectly or are unaware of the framework within which they are working.

So what about that light bulb?

Well, back to Steve’s presentation. Take those words, “There have only been two major products in our industry,” and think about how Jobs asks you to read what he’s about to say to himself. Then watch as, over and over again, he frames what he is about to say next. He walks us through his point-to-point presentation. always telling us what he’s about to tell us. Always leave them wanting more.

And then consider his recent statements that his new tablet will be “the most important thing I’ve ever done.” This is going to be revolutionary, he is saying. He wants you to read this not as another piece of computer equipment, but as a great experience that is about to unfold, something that will transform you. He’s framing this in terms of his past framing. How’s that for postmodern?

Apple, and more specifically Steve Jobs, are masters of framing. They knew they needed to put a flashy logo, not a company name, on the PC to make it more friendly (and they added a little spice by referencing the tree of knowledge). They knew he needed a smiling face when he got going so you would interpret his intentions as positive. They realized that computers should have friendly colors and shapes, and use interfaces that resemble things in the real world. They knew you were looking at PCs the wrong way. And that is its genius: the framing. Jobs smiles and says, This is going to be “unbelievably cool,” and he urges us to forget about reason and just enjoy.

The frame is something that can be used for good or for the opposite. I hope, however, that you do not think that it is not necessary. Everyone on the planet has had the experience of asking others if they take any statement seriously. It is not always easy to find out. Among trusted, informed, and critically minded groups, framing can be a very valuable activity. For the public, being aware of frames can help avoid plucking. You really don’t have a choice. Not choosing a frame is itself a form of framing.

So what examples of framing do you see? How could you best use framing in your business or organization?