Not so Cuil

Great marketing can only take a product so far. This is as true with the half price coupon as it is with an incredible opening day launch due to strong PR. Take Cuil as exhibit A. I was genuinely excited when I read this article. A Google killer with a new search design, a larger search index, unique relevance algorithm and privacy by not storing IP information. It had glowing posts from all the top tier bloggers right out of the gate, even though it became clear none had actually tested it yet.

Then it happened, bloggers started using it and all that great PR went for not. In fact, I think it is arguable that due to Cuil’s PR blitz earlier in the week, it received an even greater backlash when it became clear it was simply an average alternative search engine and was not ready to go up against the incumbent big four (Google, Ask, Yahoo and Microsoft).

Cuil’s launch provides several lessons and maybe a future PR case study. First, if you are a search engine and you do not appear in you own first page of results, perhaps you should delay the launch a bit. Another is do not over promise and under deliver. In hindsight, it is laughable to believe a startup could go head to head with Google on day one. Google has too much money, experience and scale. A company could grow to eclipse Google over time, but not until after extensive real world adoption and testing. Smart startups do not let their PR run wild. Lastly, we need more restraint and journalistic responsibility in our blogoshere media. No longer should pure speed dictate new media, but instead accuracy because that is true journalism. Except for the fake news anomalies seen in the Onion and the SportsPickle, people read news to learn truth about their world. New media is now the media as professional journalist are blending with former ameatuer blogoshpere titans. We do not have room for fanboys, we need journalists.

It is Almost like the Middle Man Isn’t Needed Anymore…

The standard press release. For decades it has been the weapon of choice for flaks to disseminate “important” news and updates. Its beauty was in its simplicity. It is a static, controllable, one way communication tool that tells the reader everything the company determines is valuable, newsworthy information. It even spawned the PR wire service industry seen through companies such as PR Newswire and Business Wire.

I thought there was nothing that could take down this now trival document, but the SEC announced it will now allow companies to satisfy fair disclosure requirements through their Web site. What does this mean? Well instead of two pages of hype and quotes fired off to any and every reporter that could possibly be coaxed into covering a company update, we can now communicate legally via blogs and other Web 2.0 technologies that allow for audio, video and images packaged around bulleted top line information that can be accessed by RSS feeds. Some suggest this opens the door for the Social Media Release. I suppose this could advance communication, assuming it is not riddled with corporate speak. Hopefully the most powerful result of this decision is the breakdown of the controlled, prepackaged communication structure that infects accurate reporting. Now if we can only outlaw message training…

Web 3.0 – Credentials matter again…finally

Newsweek.com has a great article on where the Web is heading…famously coined as Web 3.0. The article highlights the shift away from “Wisdom of the Crowds” toward edited information vetted by professionals. Examples of Web 3.0 sites from the article include: Knol, BigThink, Mahalo and About.com. Each sites focuses on providing human experts that readers can trust and rely on vs unregulated content by enthusiasts.

There has been much talk on what Web 3.0 will look like, and Im not certain this is it. Instead, I believe this is the maturing and mass adoption of Web 2.0. From a news and communications standpoint, this is a positive trend that will only increase the credibility of the blogosphere and provide relief to the PR world that we are in fact working with other professionals on behalf of our clients.

Revenue outlook poor – nope just strong headwinds

Per today’s WSJ…apparently the big new jargon word for corporate communications attempting to side step the bleak earnings outlook for 2008 is “headwinds.” A smattering of Executives have recently used the term including Wachovia, GM, Yahoo and even the Fed. The article looks at the true definition of the word, its history of use from an economic perspective and the validity of its current use by corporations.

My issue is this represents the continued practice by PR to mask facts with jargon that provides little useful information. Telling analysts you will be facing a headwind is completely meaningless. As example from the article, when an audience member asked “So, how big a headwind should we think about in ‘08?”…the executive stated “Well, right now, it’s a big headwind.” Thanks…that clears it up perfectly.

Thoughts?

When the client is always right

Thought this would be a good Friday post. The video is pure genious and two applications for the community…how to deal with client demands when theyre just flat wrong and a unique way to reach your customer…show them you understand their struggle.

Welcome to MakeMyLogoBigger.com. It was created by Agency Fusion who is a Web site development company that caters to designers. It is part of its new advertising strategy. While Im not a designer, I expect this video perfectly mirrors the day to day frustrations of designers with their clients. It is definitely edgy, but I think it works and would resonate well with their customers.

Additionally, has anyone recently run into issues with a client where they want to modify a release, pitch strategy or overall program that by doing so will completely kill its effectiveness? Any good ways to push back to prevent this from happening?

Social Divide – MySpace vs facebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a recent essay it was discussed how “Facebook is becoming the home to the preps, grinds and others in the in-crowd, while MySpace is favored by the greasers, freaks, geeks and other outsiders.”

Interesting to see where different groups are congregating as well as providing insight for PR on where certain influencers are more likely to be found.