Let’s see how many cardinal rules of tech product launches Apple can violate in a 30-day period.

1. They released a new, bleeding-edge device behind enough hype to make the next Harry Potter movie look like a Mary Kate and Ashley video – only the darn thing wasn’t completely cooked, yet. Consumers generally understand that new releases may have their share of minor glitches here and there, but with the iPhone 4G release, it was suffering from reception problems. Now, I’m not a tech geek, but when you release a phone that doesn’t get good reception, I’d call that a primary issue. It’s like when you go to a KFC a half hour before closing, and they tell you they’ve run out of chicken. Come on! The “C” on your sign stands for chicken! How do you run out of it? (I wouldn’t be so upset about it if they didn’t put that “secret ingredient” in it that makes you crave it!) So, cardinal rule #1 – when you release a high priced, high hyped new tech device, you have to make sure it, you know, works. Read more →

Below is an article on the subject of crisis PR. I am fortunate to have on my PR team Tony Panaccio, a veteran agency PR strategist with specific experience in handling the message and the press when worst case scenarios come true. I asked Tony to write this article and I think you’ll find it interesting and relevant, given the current 24/7 media culture. Enjoy! Read more →

There is a new price tag for failure, approximately $21.5 billion.

That’s the amount financial analysts say the Tiger Woods PR debacle has cost the companies who had hired Tiger as a spokesperson. The personal loss of credibility goes far beyond affecting the $100 million man, and has substantially affected the value of the companies who depended on his image to sell their products and services. Read more →