Category: General

Mon, 22 Jul 2002 14:05:31 GMT

TDA Group…Muppets of the Week

One of my more interesting spams this morning was from TDA Group, expounding the benefits of tightly targeted, personalised, e-mail based direct marketing. Fine except they did it by spamming me as part of a non-targeted, non-personalized spam. Jeez. You’d never expect a company of this intellectual calliber to have a Flash intro would you? Check it out…

Mon, 22 Jul 2002 12:29:54 GMT

Please: Patronize me, I’m a client….

OK, I have worked both sides of the PR divide, I’ve been the consultant and I’ve been the in-house PR (and am presently). From a professional point of view there are significant pros and cons of both roles and I believe that if possible PR people should try both roles so they have an understanding of the different pressures and challenges.

I came across an article today that has made my blood boil. The PR agency-client relationship, probably more than any other in the marketing discipline, relies on a close working partnership. The business world moves quickly and it’s essential that both the agency and the in-house people are comfortable with each other and confident that each is doing their jobs.

This ‘article’ (and I use that word in the loosest possible sense) is one of the most patronizing and ridiculous ‘how to’ articles I have ever read – and I’ve read a few. It throws out the ‘partnership’ ideal and instead propogates the theory that the in-house drone is an inferior being that should ‘do as they are told’.

To quote Mr. Paul J. Krupin:
“If there’s something you don’t understand, ask about it. Do you want to know why they chose a certain news angle, page format, word limit, or media list? Ask. Politely.”

Maybe I am coming at this from the wrong angle, maybe I have overdosed on spam, your can read “Super Client! Getting the Most Out of Your Publicist” here.

Let me know your thoughts, I think its absolute trash….but am open to contradiction!

Mon, 22 Jul 2002 12:29:48 GMT

Back in the office…

Back after a week’s vacation and spam seems to be taking over the world. I think the fact we put our e-mail addresses at the end of press releases and on web-sites is leading us all to take on more than our fair share of spam. My poor spam filter is very tired….

Fri, 05 Jul 2002 13:17:35 GMT

An open letter to the PR people at Apple: Think Different…
When it comes to scoring own goals, no company is more accomplished than Apple Computer.

I have always had a soft spot for Apple and their brilliantly designed hardware and software and of course their carefully cultivated and managed ‘wacky’ image. I have in previous lives been an Apple user and still think their laptops are second to none – though I’m a Windows user by profession.

So why is it that Apple continually chose to alienate the very people who have kept the company alive through the dark and miserable Scully, Spindler and Amelio years? Why do they upset the very people who have bought into their ‘Think Different’ theme?

Whilst other companies spend huge amounts of time and money on building, nurturing and protecting their customer relationships, Apple seems happy to screw the very people who fight hardest on their behalf.

Communications and PR seems to be at the root of a number of their problems. The company for some reason dislikes the Apple rumor sites on the Internet. I’m from the school that believes no (or very little) news is bad news. These passionate people create and maintain these sites ’cause they love Apple. Their readers read these sites because they want to find out more about Apple and ahead of time. Now maybe I’m missing the point, but from where I’m standing any company in the world would give their right arm for that kind of passionate following. But not Apple.

Apple continues to try and strangle these sites – rather than maximize their appeal and reach – that’s a major mistake. Let’s cut to the chase, Apple is a very small player in the PC world. Any assistance, third party or otherwise should be embraced.

There is a furore on at the moment over the purported Apple-sponsored move to revoke or refuse press passes to the authors of many ‘amatuer’ Mac-sites to MacWorld as reported in Wired.

This is only the latest in a series of PR mishaps. Matthew Rothernberg has a very interesting piece on EWeek on this subject.

Only last year Apple’s PR firm was in the midst of a famous Weblog row which could have been resolved both quickly and easily but instead grew into a major firefight.

It seems Apple’s PR people aren’t thinking differently at all. Rather than harness the goodwill and entusiasm of all these online users, they set out to frustrate them. Has no-one at Apple heard that good communications is essential with all your audiences? Have they missed the Internet, newsgroups and weblogs?

Apple, accept some free PR counsel. Work with these people, harness the goodwill that’s out there and make the Mac platform relevant once more. Kicking your own people has never worked for dictators in the past, learn from history, think different – or the switch you’ve been promoting recently might be quickening in the opposite direction. [Comment]

Thu, 04 Jul 2002 07:38:37 GMT

Happy July 4th!

The world’s most phenomenal PR machine keeps rolling….
Yesterday I gave a small example of how blogging can be used as a PR tactic. Today I found a great example of how the world’s best PR machine is already targeting and influencing blogs. If you had any misapprehensions about the role of blogging and PR then they should be evaporating as you read.

Microsoft has one of the slickest PR teams/operations in the business. The company recognized PR early on as a key element for success in the IT business. Since its early days Microsoft has built, grown and refined its PR team and its results have been staggering.

In response to a negative entry about Palladium on Dave Winer’s weblog, the Microsoft PR machine were on to him in a flash. You may agree or disagree about the power of the blog, but while you’re debating it, others are influencing and contributing to blogs all over the Internet. Get going… [Comments]