A quick search on @Apple on Twitter might lead you to a clever surprise - a blank page with the words "@Apple hasn't tweeted yet" nestled below the microblogging site's ubiquitous bird logo. That, despite the page amassing around 360,000 followers.
That's probably the least you'd expect from the California-based tech giant, don't you think?
But for a company the size of Apple, such mystery can be reasonably pointed out as a witty marketing ploy - something that's designed to hype things up when the upcoming iPhone 7 launches today.
Leaked details of the iPhone 7 have produced a series of mixed reactions - from the rancor caused by absence of the headphone jack to the curiosity generated by the dual-lens camera on the Plus version. Amid lukewarm expectations, Apple seeks to build up excitement on social media leading to the launch.
Apple is known to stir anticipation before the media, what with the way its product launches have been perceived as among its major PR fodders around the world. Yet the dormancy of the company's Twitter account, which is strange considering its scale as a global brand, signals a fresh approach.
A small update on Apple's Twitter account, featuring a header image of a blurred "bokeh" image used to accompany its launch invites, has sent pulses racing for today's launch event. The brand's PR powerhouse is set to use the microblogging site to launch before large networks of customers.
Forbes has speculated that Apple's first tweet will be the brand's publicity machine for today's launch. With at least 360,000 followers keeping a watchful eye, that "PR tweet" is expected to get people talking about the iPhone 7. Clever on paper, but much has yet to be seen before the launch.
PR is central to Apple's revered stature in the tech world. Regardless of how tepid the reaction has been on rumors about the iPhone 7, the brand has the uncanny ability to sow enthusiasm for every launch event it sets up.
