Microsoft’s Channel 9 and the surprise memo
Cory Bergman April 2nd, 2007
When I first saw Channel 9 a year or so ago, I was stunned. This was so unlike Microsoft — an insider site that featured video interviews with Microsoft employees working on cool, upcoming projects. As in projects that have yet to be announced. Well, turns out the Microsoft staffer who runs the site wasn’t the most popular guy on campus after he launched it. As you can imagine, the marketing folks threw a fit. At first. Then they began to warm to the idea that transparency is a great way to build both employee and consumer loyalty. And besides, it’s a great recruiting tool. Well, Wired just did a story on Channel 9, and Microsoft decided to play along with the transparency theme by accidently emailing the reporter an internal memo that discussed how to spin the story. Wow, Microsoft is certainly taking this openness thing to heart.
Plus: Check out Channel 10, another Microsoft community site
2 Comments Add your own
1. bob | April 3rd, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Um, the briefing materials WERE accidentally sent out…by an MS employee, not by a member of their PR staff from Waggener Edstrom.
Besides, wouldn’t it be in MS’s best interests that one of their major vendors helped fully prepare their spokespeople to speak to a journalist? Do you really believe that this isn’t a common occurance across the PR/Marketing world? Are you that naive?
2. Cory | April 3rd, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Thanks for the clarification on who sent it.
And, um, no I didn’t infer anywhere that I thought it was odd that the PR company was helping prep Microsoft. I thought it was odd it was sent to a reporter working on a story about transparency, of all things.
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