Alright, Mr. DeMille. I'm ready for my closeup.
The news media flocks to CES – bloggers, TV crews, freelancers, stringers, radio shows, tech writers, consumer trend reporters. They all spread out across the convention center in waves (or in the case of many of the radio shows, sit encased in temporary, pseudo-soundproof studios tucked away in the corner, surrounded by clear plexiglass like bizarre media terrariums. "Ooooh look, Mommy! It's a live radio reporter. Can I feed him?")
The coverage actually starts before the show with energetic previews of what's to come at the show, followed by the live or taped demos, the interviews on camera in the booth, at the vehicle, in the press center. Reporters want to cover the cool, the up-and-coming, the wild and wacky. Columns are filled with observations on consumer trends, technological innovation, and often (and sadly) incorrect or misapplied information. You end up developing a thick skin on these but sometimes you just have to shake your head. How a reporter could come away from our demo vehicle and describe the TracVision A7 as "bathtub-sized" or "monstrous" is beyond me! And don't even get me started on the writer who claims he was told that an A7 was once installed on a Corvette!
Getting in front of the media hordes is a major goal for virtually every company here. From our perspective, KVH is in a great position with regard to getting attention. Our products are cutting-edge and definitely offer a "wow" factor; they tie in with the trends the the media is following (mobility, Internet access, entertainment); and they look good on TV. It's an unusual TV reporter or editor who would turn down the opportunity to show his or her TV program on the TV screens in a car. After all, the more eyeballs are watching that channel, the higher the ad rates!
Our team works hard on getting that story out and making sure we make a strong pitch (sometimes starting months in advance) to inform reporters that we're at the show and why we offer a story that their audiences will appreciate. That's how the "Good Morning, America" segment came about.
GMA was great in that we saw the results immediately. Same thing with Yahoo News. The results of other interviews carried out in our exhibit this week – with Mobile Electronics, Rolling Stone, Popular Mechanics, for example – may not show up for weeks or months.
Of course, the Internet makes it easy to see those other immediate results, whether on a blog link CNET or Crave, or in an online version of a newspaper that picked up the story.
Then of course, there are the bluebirds, the unexpected visits from media that require you to be on and available with zero notice, like Motor Trend Radio. Not much prep time for these, no makeup, and it all happens with the noise and bustle of CES going on around you.
Marketing VP Jim Dodez (left) goes on the record with CBS Radio. It's amazing what they can do with handheld digital recorders these days.
Being flexible is a survival skill, especially when speaking to the media. Anyone in the booth is a target, especially if the PR and marketing guys have scampered off somewhere else. Don't forget to look for the Home & Garden TV program next June featuring regional sales manager Ken Lokey, caught on camera and doing his best impression of a hand model!
The coverage actually starts before the show with energetic previews of what's to come at the show, followed by the live or taped demos, the interviews on camera in the booth, at the vehicle, in the press center. Reporters want to cover the cool, the up-and-coming, the wild and wacky. Columns are filled with observations on consumer trends, technological innovation, and often (and sadly) incorrect or misapplied information. You end up developing a thick skin on these but sometimes you just have to shake your head. How a reporter could come away from our demo vehicle and describe the TracVision A7 as "bathtub-sized" or "monstrous" is beyond me! And don't even get me started on the writer who claims he was told that an A7 was once installed on a Corvette!
Getting in front of the media hordes is a major goal for virtually every company here. From our perspective, KVH is in a great position with regard to getting attention. Our products are cutting-edge and definitely offer a "wow" factor; they tie in with the trends the the media is following (mobility, Internet access, entertainment); and they look good on TV. It's an unusual TV reporter or editor who would turn down the opportunity to show his or her TV program on the TV screens in a car. After all, the more eyeballs are watching that channel, the higher the ad rates!
Our team works hard on getting that story out and making sure we make a strong pitch (sometimes starting months in advance) to inform reporters that we're at the show and why we offer a story that their audiences will appreciate. That's how the "Good Morning, America" segment came about.
GMA was great in that we saw the results immediately. Same thing with Yahoo News. The results of other interviews carried out in our exhibit this week – with Mobile Electronics, Rolling Stone, Popular Mechanics, for example – may not show up for weeks or months.
Of course, the Internet makes it easy to see those other immediate results, whether on a blog link CNET or Crave, or in an online version of a newspaper that picked up the story.
Then of course, there are the bluebirds, the unexpected visits from media that require you to be on and available with zero notice, like Motor Trend Radio. Not much prep time for these, no makeup, and it all happens with the noise and bustle of CES going on around you.
Marketing VP Jim Dodez (left) goes on the record with CBS Radio. It's amazing what they can do with handheld digital recorders these days.
FOX News gets the scoop on the TracVision A7 from Marketing Manager Chris Watson (right) as Joe Hendershot looks on
Being flexible is a survival skill, especially when speaking to the media. Anyone in the booth is a target, especially if the PR and marketing guys have scampered off somewhere else. Don't forget to look for the Home & Garden TV program next June featuring regional sales manager Ken Lokey, caught on camera and doing his best impression of a hand model!
posted by KVH at 2:49 PM
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