Industry News & Commentary

Archive for Industry News & Commentary

Jan

VW Succumbs to Gobbledygook

Posted by: David Daniels on January 13, 2012 | Comments (2)

Many marketers fall victim to gobbledygook, but I expect better from Volkswagen. This effort was an epic fail.

“Volkswagen’s rich history of developing state-of-the-art technology coupled with our industry leading telematics architecture and experience will allow us to deliver a robust set of services to meet the global needs of today’s and tomorrow’s drivers.”

Who is this written for and what are they attempting to communicate?

How about…

“XYZ technology will make the experience of driving a Volkswagen safer and more enjoyable by connecting customers to the information they need when they need it.”

I don’t profess to be a copywriter by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe my copywriting friends can provide a better alternative.

Categories : Industry News & Commentary, Pragmatic Marketing, Product Marketing

Comments (2)

Oct

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?

Posted by: David Daniels on October 21, 2011 | Comments (0)

Hollis Tibbetts attended the Effective Product Marketing class I taught in Austin. He synthesized his learning into a great article over at Sys-Con Media.

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?
— In building, marketing and selling software, the biggest enemy isn’t the competition. Or “rivals” at work. It’s YOU and the people you trust the most.
Your biggest enemies are smart – sometimes blindingly smart. They’re confident, and convincing. And incredibly dangerous – because you trust them, and you think they’re helping you succeed. They may not be guiding your boat right into the rocks, but they’re probably not taking you where you need to be. And the difference between survival, success, and phenomenal success can come down to very slight variances in navigation over time.

Are you your own worst enemy?