Innovation
Rupert Goodwins' Diary
Monday 17/03/2003The team has arrived back from CeBIT, and we're deep in the middle of the debrief. As usual, there are plenty of stories that weren't quite right for the site, for one reason or another.
Monday 17/03/2003
The team has arrived back from CeBIT, and we're deep in the middle of the debrief. As usual, there are plenty of stories that weren't quite right for the site, for one reason or another. One of the most intriguing was a large French phone/DSL/networking company's beta test of its new phone upgrade promotion. It was demonstrated to a rather surprised journalist by one of the company's risingest young executives in a post-show bar. Showing great ebullience and enthusiasm -- obviously excited by the joys of Hannover -- the exec grabbed the journo's mobile phone and conducted a quick analysis of its pros and cons. So dissatisfied with the results was our truculent Frank that he promptly flipped the device into the nearest stein of lager, where it rapidly disappeared beneath the mobile foam. Oh dear. Upon removal from the drink, the phone was completely ruined, its memories a blank and the stored messages gone for good. I know the feeling. But when our slam-dunkin' pal came back to his senses, he had the good grace to offer to buy the astonished hack a brand new mobile -- which is an interesting way to get more of their phones out there. And they do have a name remarkably close to Alcohol. Perhaps they could do a co-branding deal with Heineken.
The team has arrived back from CeBIT, and we're deep in the middle of the debrief. As usual, there are plenty of stories that weren't quite right for the site, for one reason or another. One of the most intriguing was a large French phone/DSL/networking company's beta test of its new phone upgrade promotion. It was demonstrated to a rather surprised journalist by one of the company's risingest young executives in a post-show bar. Showing great ebullience and enthusiasm -- obviously excited by the joys of Hannover -- the exec grabbed the journo's mobile phone and conducted a quick analysis of its pros and cons. So dissatisfied with the results was our truculent Frank that he promptly flipped the device into the nearest stein of lager, where it rapidly disappeared beneath the mobile foam. Oh dear. Upon removal from the drink, the phone was completely ruined, its memories a blank and the stored messages gone for good. I know the feeling. But when our slam-dunkin' pal came back to his senses, he had the good grace to offer to buy the astonished hack a brand new mobile -- which is an interesting way to get more of their phones out there. And they do have a name remarkably close to Alcohol. Perhaps they could do a co-branding deal with Heineken.