SAP’s jargon-filled hybris press release: why bother?

SAP’s jargon-filled hybris press release: why bother?

Why are you still doing press releases? And why are they so awful? In 20 years as an analyst, I received 10,000 press releases. I acted on four of them. But PR pros still craft releases and send them to wire services to clutter up everybody’s inboxes. They’re not just poorly read but poorly written, like this delete-provoking…

Why there is so much bullshit: an analysis
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Why there is so much bullshit: an analysis

All day long we read on our various screens. This has vastly increased the demand for content, which comes to us through many channels. But those who create it have forgotten what good writing is. Think back to the world of 1980. The average consumer or businessperson at that time had no email, and there was no Internet. What…

VMware / Deloitte “native advertising” makes delicious waffles
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VMware / Deloitte “native advertising” makes delicious waffles

If you like sausages, don’t ask how they’re made. But I’m happy to explain how waffles are made, including this piece about CIOs from the Wall Street Journal, titled “CIOs Redefining Role to Fuel Integration, Innovation.” VMware, the technology company,  wants to impress CIOs. CIOs read articles in the Wall Street Journal‘s “CIO Journal” section. But…

Companies with a purpose

Companies with a purpose

Do your customers know who your company is? Do you? After my critique of Inovalon’s impenetrable “Who We Are” page, I began to wonder about purpose statements. My hypothesis is that companies with powerful, clear, differentiated statements about who they are have more effective employee teamwork and strong brands. Note that I don’t say that the statement causes…