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April 04, 2007
Wish I had a stopwatch...
Love 'em or hate 'em, Microsoft knows how to do PR...
At 10:49 AM ET, I dashed off a note to the Rapid Response Team at Waggener Edstrom -- Microsoft's agency of record, asking for more information about the new TV broadband gizmo they sent over to the FCC.
At 10:55 AM ET, I received a response from the RRT, saying someone would be in touch with me. (timestamped at 7:55 AM PT)
By 11:33 AM, the words "Microsoft" and a 202 number -- their Capital Hill/DC office -- appeared on my caller ID and I was chatting with someone who knew a bit about the gizmo and put me in touch with a compadre in the "White Space Coalition" who had more of the technical and holistic (my word, not theirs) details.
I don't know how much Microsoft pays W-E, but I'm seriously impressed. This doesn't mean I'm going to convert all my boxes to Vista (sorry, guys), but it's still a demonstration of serious organization and execution.
People could learn serious stuff from this example. I've called into various government agencies and had to go through three levels of sub-contractors and two days of time before someone called me back (Yes, it's the Federal Government, but still...).
Most of my encounters with the private sector have been good; even the independent one-man shops are happy to call back, but you've always got the exception to the rule.
I remember trying everything to get a hold of someone at one DC-based company that had just sent out a press release about Something Wonderful. E-mailed their designed PR contact two or three times. Called at least twice to their switchboard, getting to the mailbox of the designed "media contact," leaving a message. I suppose I could have driven out there and shown up in their lobby, but people just don't like that... something about stalking and/or "60 Minutes."
Funny thing, the article I wrote goes into print and a week later I'm getting a call from the company's PR firm and they're wondering why they didn't end up in the piece. So I go tell the poor sap that's following up what I did and when and there's a bit of silence on the phone and he says "Yes, our client just recently had some issues in that area..."
*sigh*
Posted by dmohney at April 4, 2007 08:28 PM