Chiperoni ku Basel

Category: marketing

  • The way I see PR – or parts of it

    A regular Chiperoni reader asked about my opinion on Scoble’s recent post on PR and developers.

    Not an easy question to answer. I’ve been following a pragmatic way. And I’m in a smallish company where I need to generate interest rather than block off journalist queries. A very different situation.

    I would tend to agree more with Guy Kawasaki’s DIY list of PR tips. I’ve had good experiences with being authentic and sticking to the truth. There’s so much marketing glib out there. In my experience, journalists prefer talking to somebody that knows the product 😉 but can explain the big picture. Some PR folks want to control the message yet know too little about the product.

    But Kawasaki also says you should try to find an interesting story. Just presenting the tech. specifications or technology highlights isn’t really going to thrill anybody. And that’s a pitfall some developers may fall into. And many small IT companies want to appear serious and established. Whereas looking dynamic and fast-moving would scare the established competitors more.

    As the comments show being secretive isn’t going to work the same way for all companies. And IMHO, Scoble profits more from developer or entrepreneur interviews than polished PR interviews.

    In our fast-moving world, bad or inaccurate press stories may also generate good attention. Cos some people will look closer to form their own opinion.

    This sums up my current strategy.

    With the usual disclaimer: off the top of my head and unreflected….

  • PR and developers

    Scoble says:

    But PR departments keep the developers away from the press because the PR departments know that developers:

    1. Are likely to tell the unvarnished truth.
    2. Aren’t skilled in explaining/demoing what their product does.
    3. Might be boring or unprofessional on camera.

  • Do-it-yourself PR

    I’ve got to link to this:
    How to Change the World: DIY PR

    See also this older entry on visibility for small companies.

  • Google Street Views

    With all of the FOG posts regarding Google Maps street views, I decided to have a closer look. It’s a cool tool. I like it very much and can easily imagine using a Wifi-enabled smart phone and this to navigate thru cities unknown.

    e.g. Whole Foods on 4th near Moscone – an essential alternative to conference food during my recent visit.

    whole foods.

    I remember there was a North German company that had similar visions back in dotcom times (I faintly remember a presentation at the Conti Technology Park in Hannover, but I forget the company name). And at LIFT 07 there was a workshop where people headed out onto the streets of Geneva with their GPS.

    Side comment: negative news and criticism often raises awareness for a new service or product just as much as good news. Maybe even more. In a TV interview I heard recently, a Phonak official claimed that the company profited immensely from last year’s “Tour de France” sponsorship despite the Floyd Landis doping scandal.

    Buon weekend,
    nchenga

  • These hills will chew you up

    There’s a huge Reebok ad campaign all over SF.

    IMG_2888

    The campaign website offers a nice mashup app for runners. I did the hotel loop (Union Square, Embacadero, Fisherman’s Wharf) but returned via Taylor and Nob Hill (very steep) … cos i didn’t see this website before.

    The other routes look more exciting. A reason to return.

  • Fact Sheets on Communications Evaluation

    for future reference:
    Communications Evaluation

  • linking back to 2003

    I attended a BoF session on marketing for software companies this evening at the conf I’m currently attending. And my head is still whizzing around with ideas and links. I remembered a blog entry on the importance of being a thought leader if you’re small. The link was sent to me by Mlle. A. on Thu, 7 Oct 2004 01:47:17 -0700. And the entry is still up!

    We have great archiving methods here at Chiperoni.ch…

  • random text snippet

    Everyone is a marketer, even people and organizations that don’t market. They’re just marketers who are doing it poorly.

  • on writing white papers

    For future reference:
    How to write white papers.

  • business blogging

    for future reference:

    CIO on business blogging

    via Anil Dash

  • Writing Copy

    Couple of writing tips I found at MarketingProfs.com:

    1. Begin with a story
    2. Use short words
    3. Write shorter sentences
    4. Remove clichés
    5. Use bridges or connectors
    6. Use concrete examples rather than concepts
    7. Pay attention to your verbs

  • MarComm Writing Tactics

    Can technical writers be good marketing writers – and vice versa?

    The above presentation notes are old (from 2002 i.e. definitely Web 1.0), but the question is interesting…

    what’s your opinion on this?

    (update: unfortunately the site seems to be down. Note to myself: write a short summary of the main points for future reference.)

  • PR for tech and software

    i stumbled across this article describing how PR for tech. and software companies is changing.

    The new rules of press releases:

    • Don’t just send press releases when “big news” is happening; find good reasons to send them all the time.
    • Instead of just targeting a handful of journalists, create press releases that appeal directly to your buyers.
    • Write releases replete with keyword-rich copy.
    • Create links in releases to deliver potential customers to landing pages on your website.
    • Optimize press release delivery for searching and browsing.
    • Drive people into the sales process with press releases.

  • On Marketing your Blog…

    think “book” not “diary”

  • The Eventual Death of Software Developer Magazines

    Software development magazines are losing ground compared to blogs, wikis… See Eric Sink’s post:

    For a while it was fashionable to predict that the Web would eliminate publishing, or at least that it would eliminate magazine publishing. Ten years later, most of these pubs are still around. But there is obviously some truth here. Today’s developer-focused magazines are looking very sickly indeed. The health of a magazine is very closely correlated with its page count.

    I also like the straightforward articles on marketing: Marketing for Geeks