I’ll keep this short and sweet because it’s just an instance of stupid company tricks.
If you really wanted to get someone excited about a product that you have put together for a very specific industry like NEC has with its Vukunet product you could do what? Do a press release is definitely one option. Let’s forget the debate on whether press releases still work because this examples proves they do. Not in a good way, mind you, but in some way.
I have a friend in the digital out of home signage business and he found or was pointed to a press release for this new product. Honestly, I don’t exactly understand how all of this stuff works together other than my buddy thought this technology looked pretty neat.
So based on this press release which announces the widespread availability of the service he visits the Vukunet site and is asked to sign up to get started. There is some sort of special deal etc so he said that sounds good.
Long story short, NEC makes him jump through a bunch of form completing hoops then when he finishes that process and hits the button to get his free trial or whatever the heck they said was available he gets a message saying that thank you for inquiring but the product is not quite ready yet.
Huh? Why would you issue a press release and not have the website ready to handle the direct call to action that could result in a sale? Why? Because the PR hand wasn’t talking to the web hand who wasn’t talking to the marketing hand etc. at NEC. That’s my guess.
No matter what the reason though this sounds like a company that doesn’t get it. Way to go NEC! Promoting nothing will get you just that: nothing. Now my friend is determined to use any of your competitors at any cost based on his experience with you. Smooth.
