Steve Jursa (EVP in the San Jose office) recently attended a presentation called “The Mind of the Engineer” by Aspen Core, the company that owns EE Times. They surveyed over 4,000 engineers around the world to better understand their day-to-day jobs, how they gather information and what their guilty pleasure on Netflix is (just kidding …more
I made my first trip overseas in 1994, supporting press conferences in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore in one week. Talk about a PR hustle. As you might expect, things didn’t always go according to plan. At our first press conference in Tokyo, no one had bothered to mention that the format …more
Apple’s recent product introductions generated the expected media hoopla. I think the only publication that did not write about Apple’s announcement was “Miniature Donkey Talk Magazine” (yes, it exists). Apple under Steve Jobs essentially invented the show-biz event for introducing tech products. They know how to do this better than any company on the planet. …more
Tech companies more than any other industry recognize that their ability to recruit A+ talent has a say in their long-term success. Magnifying the issue, the tech sector has been on a roll, and the talent pool hasn’t kept pace. With demand out of whack with supply, there’s even more pressure on companies to do …more
I recently made an online purchase from Canterbury of New Zealand which makes great stuff even if you don’t play rugby (I don’t). After placing the order, I realized I had forgotten to plug in the discount coupon. I went back to the site and figured I would take a shot with the online …more
Between the internet, social media and human beings’ proclivity for talking, transparency is the rage. Companies figure that even sensitive information — especially sensitive information — eventually finds its way to the outside world, so they’re better off sharing their perspective before the grapevine kicks into gear. Yet, there’s zero transparency in the letters that …more
Google is once again in the news for a decision on China. According to the news report, Google is considering a move to re-enter the China market, this time with a search engine that capitulates to government authorities. With that as the backdrop, I thought it was worth dusting off a post from a few …more
We’ve strived to be the cobbler’s kids who actually do have shoes. In practical terms, we’ve pitched stories on the Agency and our perspectives to journalists, some resulting in media coverage. As part of the blog’s 10-year anniversary, I’ve dusted off one of the better articles on our storytelling mentality. David Blecken at Campaign Asia …more
Previous posts have discussed the use of communications to send a message to a very specific group, sometimes even an audience of one. For example, Intel decided to serve notice that those infringing on its x86 intellectual property will face consequences. Not wanting to come across as heavy-handed to consumers — this shot across the bow …more
