Why Motorola and Sony Ericsson need to 'get' it
Published by Steve Litchfield at 7:51 BST, October 24th 2007
Two incidents in the last few weeks really exemplified why Motorola and Sony Ericsson just don't 'get' publicity or the press/blogosphere, in the same way that Nokia 'do'. And which of the big three is running away with all the attention and market share?
First up, I was attending an HTC launch in Kensington (yeah, yeah, it was for my Smartphones Show, ok?) and I happened to notice a big Sony Ericsson store. I did a double take and popped inside for a look. I asked the first salesman how many other similar stores Sony Ericsson had in London and was told "Sir, this is the only one in the world!" Impressive, to have hit upon it by chance then.
Right, I thought, this will make a great feature article on AAS, loads to photograph (artily) and generally put the concept of a Sony Ericsson flagship store on the map. Out of courtesy, I checked with the salesman before I started snapping away with the E90 and was stunned to receive the answer "Sorry, sir, you can't take photos in here."
"It's OK, I'm press and from AllAboutSymbian", I said, "I want to run a feature on this store on the site." A million unique readers a month, and so forth. "Sorry, sir, you still can't take photos."
I headed for someone who looked more senior and asked again, to be given the same answer. "But I'm trying to give you guys some publicity!" I spluttered. "How will people ever find their way here if you don't tell them about it? I also write for PDA Essentials magazine and do a video show that goes out to up to 100,000 phone addicts!" Still no joy.
And guess how many customers were in the entire store during this saga? None at all. Sigh. Hey, Sony Ericsson, why not actually embrace publicity rather than shunning it?
Motorola were next to impress me with their anti-PR, this time at the Smartphone Show. As has been widely reported, they were showing off loads of Z10 prototypes running a new onboard video editing suite of their own creation, filming basketball jugglers and the like throughout the day. Great idea to show off the phone and tools. Or so you'd have thought.
I tried to photograph one of these Z10s (the followup to the Z8, Motorola's first UIQ 3 smartphone) and was repeatedly told that I couldn't do this. I queried this with Motorola's senior guy at the event and was given a quite reasonable answer, "These aren't really finished Z10s, they're prototypes and the finished hardware will be different'". OK, I do understand, really I do. No problem. But the point of the whole stand demo was to show off their (very impressive) UIQ 3 video editing software suite. I asked if I could film or take photos of (or even screen grab) the video software instead.
"No, sorry, none of those are allowed." "But I want to write about the software and tell the world!" "Sorry, you still can't take photos."
So there you are. The only thing I was allowed to photograph were the err.... basketball jugglers. I know, I know, you'd rather have seen a Z10 proto or some great new software, but.... blame Motorola.
These two anecdotes seemed to epitomise the attitudes of the two companies in recent years, certainly from my point of view. Sony Ericsson and Motorola are appalling, quite appalling at keeping journalists informed and resourced. While, in contrast, Nokia consistently go out of their way to keep a flow of press releases coming, to provide all press materials needed, to run a sumptuous blogger relations program, to think of new and innovative ways to fire peoples imaginations, and so on. Yes, Nokia's a bigger company with more money, but that's no excuse - being good at PR is something even tiny companies can manage in this connected, Internet age.
So, next time you think about accusing a writer about being Nokia-biased, please see it from our point of view. It's tough to write about companies that seem to actively shirk being written about...
Steve Litchfield, AllAboutSymbian, 23 October 2007
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Categories: Miscellaneous, Editorial Thoughts, Events
Platforms: General, S60 3rd Edition, UIQ 3
News Discussion
Ruel S.
I'm in the PR business here in Manila and I can relate to Steve's experience. What he had gone through during the Sony Ericsson and Motorola events is just sheer PR nightmare! It's stupid not to allow members of the media to document and shoot photos of such significant events. Sony Ericsson and Motorola spent for their events anyway so they should have milked every drop of publicity out of it. It's a shame that Sony Ericsson and Motorola did not have the smarts to think otherwise.
Al3xandr3
Next time, just put the timer on and place the E90 on your trousers back pocket. With the camera standing outside. And bang!
krisse
That does sound shocking.
Surely the main point of a branded-store is to promote the brand, so why refuse the press permission to take pictures of it? Sony Ericsson need their heads examined if they think this no-photos policy is going to help them get the word out about SE phones.
And if Motorola didn't want people taking pictures of the Z10, why the heck did they have it on public display at an event that anyone (even non-press, non-industry people) can attend? It's like holding a press conference without allowing anyone to record what you say.
As Steve says, money is no excuse, it costs absolutely nothing to allow people to take photos.
Gadget17
Create, Edit and Blog videos or images EASILY anywhere (well almost anywhere!!)
Dynite
I saw the break dancers etc at Moto's stand - I didn't have a clue what they were there for! Now i know. lol
JimH
Curiously enough, Esato were allowed to take photos in the store in their
store review
Sounds like the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. But, then again the store is run for SE by Carphone Warehouse...
Unregistered
Hi Steve,
I too belong to the PR Business and quite frankly am shocked to the core to what Ruel S., rightfuly mentioned as the PR nighmare.
But i believe, this is not a stand alone incident and there had been factual incorrections in what was being told to you at the London Sony Ericsson Experience store. As far as i can remember, India alone boasts of over 28 such stores.
So the reason to shy away from the media is clear...absence of correct information. Now, on being told that you were from media and would like to quote the gentleman at the store along with the pictures, he was just trying to save his job when he denied to let you do so.
What i feel Sony Ericsson needs to do here is frame a clear cut policy for the media and train the staff managing the experience stores to handle such media queries and cooperate with the media. Also, there should be a media drop in box, where the journalist who would like to approach the Sony Ericsson management can drop in their contact details, and Sony Ericsson gets in touch with them within 48 hours without fail.
These things in place, am sure is going to be a win win situation for all...the publication, its readers and of course for the company as well.
Just hope that someone pays heed to these suggestions or can come up with better suggestions that can be implemented.
- Adish
Unregistered
Adish, the London SE store was announced has the first of its kind when it opened, with more to folow in other European cities...
Regarding the article, i 100% agree...SE, Moto and UIQ should really look to what Nokia/S60 are doing, and change their behaviour
Unregistered
Hi,
this article was posted on Oct 24, 2007. Hence am sure the incident took place within last week. and TBQ, the sales person said, "Sir, this is the only one in the world!".
am sure that there must be many more such stores...agree it could be first of its kind but certainly not one of its kind.
about the article, it might be true in that part of the world but with the Indian media, without Sony Ericsson, no story is complete and Sony Ericson always keeps the media fraternity excited about what's more to come.
if you want, i might be able to help you with some online links, to support whatever i say....
and yes...am not being defensive... :) cheers!
stuclark
Motorola were amazing at the Smartphone Show. Early in the morning (before the public arrived) I was told that while I couldn't take any photos or screen caps of the Z10, they were finished hardware. 20 minutes later, Steve's told they're not finished.
By lunchtime, they were "a concept handset that's nothing like anything we're releasing, and most of these features won't see the light of day".
It did make a mockery of the whole thing when I saw 10 Z10s sitting next to each other on the stand in the morning! (I shouldn't have asked before taking that photo)
Unregistered
Yeah, they don't know how to court the press, and they DEFINITELY don't know how to court their smartphone customers (in fact they treat them as if they don't exist at all after having bought the phone).
SE in particular really need lessons in PR. Why hire Saatchi and Saatchi to run expensive ad campaigns if you don't follow through with basic communication ?
And yes, SE, the online world and the blogosphere really do exist...and they're talking about you....
Ruel S.
I agree with the comments of Adish. The staff should have been trained on how to properly handle media queries and a highly-skilled media relations officer should have been present throughout the event's duration.
And as one unregistered user mentioned, I don't see the point why these big companies pay big bucks to major ad and PR companies like Saatchi & Saatchi (Sony Ericsson) and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide (Motorola).
Jay3gsm
satsuma
The Z10 will be a pretty decent handset when it's finally launched but going back to the main topic....
Motorola definitely do NOT get it.
Behaviour at the Symbian expo was pathetic.
Earlier this year they stopped people taking pix on their stand at 3GSM in Barcelona and basically treated anyone that wasn't from an mobile phone operator like sh1t.
The year before at CTIA in vegas I witnessed people being trated equally shabbily on the Motorola stand.
Motorola's attitude towards its public sux :mad:
Unregistered
I got a free SE w85i with my t mobile contract, used it only a few times but my nokia E70 is my life.
w3rty
First you talked to salesmen in a shop: what do you expect from those guys when it comes to deal with the press? They probably don't have any training and the safe stance in that case, probably was to have nothing to do with a journalist rather than doing something wrong. I might have done the same. An unexpected journalist certainly was suspicious to them (an in the movies, the bad guys are always unexpected cablemen or reporters or delivery guys :)
Regarding Motorola at the smartphone show, we can safely bet that they got a PR briefing. However, when i asked (yes, i was there) them if I could take pictures, the politely told me no, because this was a "concept device" (read "prototype"). Anyone who claims to know even a bit of the mobile word is aware that manufacturers don't like to show prototypes to the press. I guess it's a matter of avoiding to set expectations on something that's bound to change.
stuclark
The point about Steve's post is that it was very very clear to everyone in the know that the phone being shown at the Smartphone Show was and is the Z10. It was not some "prototype" which won't make it to market, it's a device which was meant to be released in October this year, however has now been delayed.
It's not as though Motorola can even claim it doesn't exist, as unfortunately for them
O2 leaked the Z10 some time ago.
chilko
in fact, the pr of nokia in bulgaria sucks. they are represented by the greek company alpha copy, which doesn't give any phone for test purposes, so it's impossible to make a review of the new models for my work site. in the same time local representatives of sony ericsson and motorola are very helpful in providing their latest phones long before their market appearance.
the irony of all is that i love nokia, but i'm simply forced to write reviews for other brands. ok, maybe bulgaria is a small market, but here the finns are still the most popular mobile manufacturer.
i don't know, should i contact nokia directly or what?
krisse
Quote:
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Regarding Motorola at the smartphone show ... Anyone who claims to know even a bit of the mobile word is aware that manufacturers don't like to show prototypes to the press.
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...if they didn't want to show the Z10 to the press, why did they have it on full view at a public event attended by the press, consumers and rival manufacturers?
Moto's behaviour at the show made no sense. Banning photos at a public stand is the equivalent of a pub banning drinking.
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