Silence is not golden

Have any you read Shel Israel's post on the exploding batteries saga and Sony's reluctance to talk?

A number of years ago I was involved in a crisis management team set up to "protect" the dodgy management practices of a bank that was imploding. I was young and naive and it was one of my first insights into the corridors of power of senior bank management so I leapt at the chance.

At first no-one "saw" what was happening except for a single, stubborn online American journalist who just wouldn't let it drop but because he was alone, the PR spinners (my bosses) decided to keep silent. He went public and in a few days the story was global and the end of the road was in sight, as at that point, the snowball had grown out of all proportion.

To bare too soon?

I have just finished chapter 9 of "Naked conversations" and it's made me realize what a steep hill I've given myself to climb.

The 10 reasons why companies shouldn't blog and the FUD concept (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) that "..reflects corporate inertia to changing existing systems" rang more than a few familiar bells.

There's a lot more to jumping on the bandwagon than a good leap. I agree that it takes focus and a solid foothold if you're going to avoid bloody noses.

So how is the 1D PR world I live in going to change and adapt to 2D dialogues? I'm not in the position to answer that question yet but it's one I've started asking myself.

It was a busy one today. "Same old same old" springs to mind but lessons are there to be learned if we open our eyes and minds.

Today I learnt an important lesson and that was to find out about myself by going public with my thoughts.

It's not easy being innovative in one of the world's most creative nations accursed by age-old PR principles but it sure is fun trying to put new ideas and concepts into practice!

There are very few English/American copywriters in Italy (or at least I think there are) so in a way it's a lonely path but I have always felt that this country, it's creations and history needs a broader platform to shout about its true beauty so I'm looking forward to seeing and sharing just what can be done.

Another day another change. At least that's what's happening in my life right now. It's all moving so fast sometimes it's hard to focus..

Re-track a little: up until January 2006 I was just a copywriter working, among others, for Acer Emea. Still am, but things are beginning to move. Fast. Acer's company's entire communication strategy is evolving and I'm right in the thick of it. How did it happen? Well it all started with a simple comment I made during a coffee break about the potential of web-based strategies. You know, interactivity, blogs, that sort of stuff.

Now I'm no communication guru, but I do "live" in PR and am quite fluent in the language. And that's where the problems started. I mean, even though the content of their traditional marketing material has shifted from technology to benefits (finally!), I can't shake that feeling that this form of communication is very much rooted in the past. There's nothing really wrong with it (I do put a lot of effort into trying to get the right message across), but it just seems a little, emm, flat.

Besides, there's just soooooo much more to Acer than mobility, performance and value for money. Does anyone out there actually know what Empowering Technology (I didn't create the name, honest!) actually is? what it does and, perhaps more importantly, why it got onto almost everything Acer builds in the first place??

But I digress

While on holiday this summer, I started looking into SEO techniques to spruce up the content and stumble across a treasure chest of combined knowledge I never knew existed. Web marketers like Michel Fortin introduced me to others like John Reese and my current favourite Ewen Chia and that was just the start. When I discovered Seth Godin it felt like my flat world had just been bent into a perfect circle, hurling me towards the awkward path of rediscovering who I was and re-learning everything I know.

Now I'm no slouch when it comes to picking up stuff online but obviously the path I've been treading (Italy? Acer?) was simply light years behind all this. And if anyone's wondering why I'm ranting, the answer's in the book "Naked Conversations" by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel.
Let's put this into perspective. I love Acer, it's products and its serious crack at changing things. OK it has a pretty lame mission statement but it does remain true to it's own promise. Perhaps it's finally waking up to itself.

Trust me, if Acer gets it's act together, we're all in for a treat.