by
Rachel Cummins
| May 17, 2011
Many of you will be familiar with the recent story about Facebook’s PR firm being recruited to smear Google regarding privacy issues. In the end all Facebook have achieved is to hold a mirror up to their own issues surrounding users’ privacy. By attempting to highlight Google’s shortcomings in this area they have simply served to bring attention to their own flaws. An interesting story on many levels, but what can the technology marketing manager learn from all this?
Be clear about your own privacy information
When thinking of privacy issues surrounding marketing to an existing or potential customer, we must consider information: the information we want to gather from them and how clear we are about that fact. Of course, we want to get information as we make contact with them so we can streamline and improve our marketing, but by being open and clear rather than burying privacy terms in small print, we will foster a relationship based on trust rather than one that is based around sneaking information and not being clear about the basis on which we are communicating with them. In short, don’t bury dodgy information sharing terms in small print; give your customers a clear chance to opt out of any third party information sharing.
Don’t concentrate on bad mouthing other companies; it only makes you look bad
Like many mothers say to their children, if you can’t say anything nice about someone, don’t say anything at all! This is a wise mantra when it comes to marketing too. Whether you use PR companies to do the dirty work for you or you do it yourself, if you concentrate your energies on other companies and highlighting why they are bad, you are wasting precious time and energy that could be spent on highlighting your own company and why you are so good! It’s always wise to be aware of your competition, but never try to further your own cause by bringing them down.