Apple feeds frenzy with selective silence

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 8 (AFP) : It is a marketing strategy that few experts would recommend and even fewer companies can pull off.
But the less Apple says about its eagerly anticipated event on Tuesday at a performing arts center in Silicon Valley, the more frenzied the speculation becomes.
In keeping with its style, Apple has revealed little about what is expected to be the unveiling of the company's first "big thing" since the death of legendary co-founder and driving force Steve Jobs nearly three years ago.
Invitations sent out to a select crowd had only the date and the cryptic message: "Wish we could say more."
During an earnings call with financial analysts, Apple chief executive Tim Cook boasted "incredible" new products and services were on their way -- but typically, didn't reveal specifics.
Apple is a proven master of getting more attention by saying nothing than most companies do by pouring money into marketing campaigns.
As long as Apple keeps cranking out must-have devices, silence and selectivity should remain potent weapons in its marketing arsenal, experts say.
"There is the culture of secrecy, which fuels a lot of speculation about what they might be doing," Reticle Research principal analyst Ross Rubin said.
"And there is this expectation that the products they introduce are going to change the game.