Latest Articles
Latest Articles
What Do You Do?
My clients are large consumer electronics companies, so this question comes from my work with them. But it applies to everyone, in any business. Your answer should be no more than six words: What does your product or company do? Your ability to immediately and clearly...
CES Wrap: Ten Thoughts & Observations from The Consumer Electronics Show
Ten thoughts and observations from last week's CES, in no particular order: The consumer electronics economy is nearly 100 percent recovered from the great recession. Are you acting accordingly? More than 100 tablet devices will be introduced this year. Computer sales...
Why You Should Consider Eliminating Press Releases
A while back, I wrote about the idea of eliminating press releases all together. This created a mountain of incoming emails from irate PR folks. The reason I recommend doing this begins with the press releases you send. For your viewing pleasure, here are some...
Mistakes At Last Night’s CES “Unveiled”
I attended yesterday's CES Unveiled event for media last night. The usual, systematic mistakes were in on full display: Far more PR people staffed tables than executives. I can't tell you how many people told me some version of "Oh, he's not here. He was supposed to...
Common Sense is Missing
Common sense is missing in consumer electronics. Manufacturers needlessly complicate products and marketing. Devices get new features that a tiny percentage of customers will ever use only because manufacturers need a new product update, product numbers, and...
How to Stand Out From The Crowd At CES
Three tips if you are exhibiting at CES: Don't fill your booth with anonymous "booth boys and girls" -- hired solely for the days of the show -- who know nothing about your company or your product. They hurt you tremendously when media comes to learn about you. If all...
When you go to CES…
Many of you will be attending CES this week in Las Vegas. Many of you are in public relations and marketing functions. When you're there, having conversations with media and other interested parties, here are some tips and challenges: Challenge yourself to describe...
Logic versus Emotion
A mentor of mine recently said "Logic makes people think, but emotion makes them act." Let's consider that statement within the consumer electronics marketing context: When you market and communicate by focusing on technical specifications, as nine out of ten of you...
10 Minutes Per Day
This week's launching point: One of the biggest travesties in consumer electronics is that most companies aren't talking to customers. I don't mean Web surveys, or focus groups, I mean one-on-one qualitative consumer conversations (interviews) about: (1) what they...
Social Media
Social media is not the place to market to mainstream consumers. Social media IS a place to connect informally and loosely with distant family or acquaintances you'd rather not call or email. People are not receptive to marketing messages on Facebook, just as they're...