I've been drinking the transparency kool-aid, clearly...

I know I am a horrible blogger as I post my thoughts a week later, rather than twittering them as I have them - but oh well, right. Take me as I am.

Soooo...last week at the consumer electronics show I tried to swing by a press conference for a new wireless technology trying to make waves by bashing Bluetooth (I work with the Bluetooth SIG). I can't say anyone is really all that concerned about this 'competitor' - Rick Merrit announced they were dead in a roundabout way on Interconnects early last week - but I was intrigued to see what they had to say. Mostly, I was interested from a professional stand point - I am always curious to see where a company that develops messaging based on bashing their opponents goes from the initial splash - I was hoping this technology had something positive to say about themselves rather than just ripping on Bluetooth.

Sadly, I was denied entrance to their press conference. I suppose I have been living online too much lately in that I think transparency is key in everything you do, but I was shocked. I literally could not believe they wouldn't let a rep from the company they are tearing apart on their webpage and in press releases in to hear what they have to say - seems utterly ridiculous. Like calling names behind someones back and then hiding when they come to call you on it. I then asked if I could take a press kit, but the sour PR gate keeper said absolutely not. I pointed out that their press information is all online, and I could just download the information, and was told I could do whatever I wanted, but I wasn't getting the information from her.

I looked at the information online - seems like they didn't really have anywhere positive to go and they are just continuing with their 'better than Bluetooth' line. Sad really. If anyone from this technology (I just cannot give them more online coverage by mentioning their name, but if you are even mildly clever, you can crack the code) had come to ANY of the many SIG events at CES, we would have gladly chatted them up, let them have a press kit, pointed out why things at the Bluetooth camp are successful, and yeah, probably told them why we thought they would fail - but at least we would have had the balls to do it to their face. Transparency is key, not only in successful blogging, but also in not looking like a fool, apparently.

taking the blogosphere seriously...

As I mentioned below, I sat on a panel at CES with the same title as this post. As I was perusing the web today, I came across this prank the Gizmodo guys pulled at the show. This is the number one reason why I hate bloggers - as a PR professional, I go out of my way to work with ANYONE who is interested in any of my clients - bloggers, analysts, journalist, regular joe-shmoes - anyone. My clients LOVE bloggers and spend excessive amounts of time and money trying to figure out how to best help them with their coverage - not trick them, not feed them messaging - but actually help them. And then one of them pulls something like this. If I were Motorola I would hunt down Brian Lam and give him a STERN talking to.



While the prank in itself is humorous, I suppose, it is disheartening to watch a representative from one of the largest tech blogs out there get into CES (after quite a bit of bitching in the years past about not being allowed in because they are just bloggers) and then pull this kind of shit. The good news for me is that as long as there are bloggers out there acting like this, there will be panels such as mine at CES.

Sitting in McCarren

CES is over (for me) and now I have the rest of 2008 to recover and get ready for next year (although my performance was so stellar this year, I actually might not get invited back). This marks the first year I didn't have booth duty, so I spent the majority of the show staffing interviews, setting up at press events/parties or walking (if you can call the crawl with which show traffic moves walking) the show floor. Samsung and LG were really impressive. I remember a CTIA a couple years back where LG had a tiny little presence, and now their booth rivaled some of the other big dogs - very impressive.

I spoke at CES this year, sitting on a panel about taking the blogosphere seriously - not a huge turn out for the panel, but I actually really enjoyed the chat. Jerry of Jerry's Juice Bar (and fellow Longhorn) was on the panel along with Ryan Block (hmmm, what blog does he write for, I can't remember) and Pete with Buzz Metrics. I really enjoyed some of the other stories shared by panelists and I REALLY enjoy watching the way people react to Ryan Block. It is kind of like watching Walt walk through the Pep-Com event - people just go crazy and get a little star struck. Mostly I liked walking around the show with my speaker badge. Next year I might register as a blogger - perhaps every year I should try to have a different badge title.

Now I am waiting in the sports bar for my delayed flight considering a job move to an industry far removed from the world of consumer electronics...I'll let you know if I come up with anything interesting.

Things that make me cry...

1. CES car/taxi/shuttle
2. CES schedules
3. CES speaking opps
4. CES

hmmmm, there appears to be a theme...

UPDATE:

5. Advancing slides

6. Engadget coverage reports

7. Cari wearing sunglasses and Jucy sweats