The Digital Home Video: Why tech companies should be more honest

In this episode, I discuss why it's imperative that tech companies be more honest and stop playing the PR game, while trying to pull one over on us. Honesty is what will set companies apart from competitors!

And as always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter!

[Quelix]

Don - couldn't agree with you more. I work with several friends helping tech companies create and promote great ideas @ StageTwoConsulting. We're fortunate enough to work with companies who are accomplishing innovative things in their space (Boxee, TuneUp Media, Bug Labs to name a few) and so the truth is our most compelling story to tell.

Blame for the "spin" problem is shared between PR who are desperate to get coverage for clients and won't say no to their clients, and by companies who are making mediocre products. Case in point, look at the Cuil launch. Someone on their PR company should have stopped and said,"We're not launching this right now because it doesn't work." That small battle before launch would have saved them from a PR nightmare afterwards with dozens of people who all now believe Cuil is an enormous fail.

Unfortunately most PR people don't understand that by promoting a bad product by lying, they're creating anti-product evangelists - unhappy consumers (and bloggers) who were sold the idea of one product and received something completely different. That translates into blog posts, comments, and word of mouth that all negatively affects the company.

[RobinQueens]

Don, I guess my question is, if you already know/suspect that an interview with a PR rep is going to be mostly FOS, why bother with the interview? I love most of your stuff be it here or the columns, and I hate to say this, but when I listen to TDH podcast, I always skip over the interviews with corporations. Perhaps it has to do with my being a former customer service manager in Fortune 200 corporation . I also know that PR and customer relations are joined at the hip. though not usually part of the same management team within the corporate structure. But I do know it will be nothing more than (supply your own negative adjective) I quit that world because it made me physically ill to be FOS on a daily basis. Yet, as you stated I understand the hows and whys of the practice of PR,
Keep after them Don, Good job

[aztec92154]

Have you seen these HP ADs? These are actually made to sell HP computers... seriously.

http://knockyoursocks.blogspot.com/2008/06/hp-hand-ads-amuse-me.html

[SebDavies]

Im going to disgree for once! But Vista aint bad! Its got a bad reputation but if you actaullt use it then youd now it hasnt got any problems! Seriously i wish thered be someone in mainstream who doesnt diss it!