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The T-Mobile G1 & James Whatley: What a fooking annoyance

Started by Ewan · 8 months ago

Here we are trying to get James Whatley, one of the most influential Nokia-fans on the planet, to play with and understand the new T-Mobile G1.
I was tickled pink on Friday to be able to give him the test one we were sent over by T-Mobile. This is the first ever handset we’ve rece ... Continue reading »

16 comments

  • willmcinnes

    8 months ago

    Hello. I don't think we were aware that Mr Whatley was going to have a play with it, AFAIK we weren't told that - and in the absence of that info we felt there was an opportunity to share the G1 with other similarly knowledgeable and smart mobile-heads (I think we're hoping to lend our one loan handset to Tom Hume, Future Platforms, next). That's our goal - it may come across as stingyness or boring logistics, but we want to share the experiences around.
    I accept that a few days only isn't ideal for you guys though - perhaps you could suggest the ideal timeframe for us to be aware of in future?
    And I'll give you a call to work out a plan for the other MIR hombres: we do (genuinely) care, it's just hard to juggle.
    It's a brave new dawn. Now that Obama's here, even mobile handset loan programmes will be easy to manage and everyone will be happy.
    reply
  • edcave

    8 months ago

    Am i understanding correctly that you only have ONE G1 handset you are sending out to 'smart mobile-heads'?

    Surely you need more than that? By the time it has got round everyone to voice their opinions their will be something new out......
    reply
  • Kip Hakes

    8 months ago

    I'd maybe suggest having a couple more review handsets to pass around.... ;)
    reply
  • willmcinnes

    8 months ago

    Yep! To be fair, it was super hard to get any devices before launch, such was the demand across the business and the initial scarcity of devices in the UK before launch. And also, these are baby steps - these are the first tentative steps into engaging online for T-Mobile, and from my perspective one handset is better than none, and we can build from here. We are building relationships with a small number of people (we hope) and I reckon the last few weeks will be really important when we look back in a year or twos time. I am talking 'for' T-Mobile here but it's important to recognise that I am an agency guy, telling it honestly how I see it.
    reply
  • Ewan

    8 months ago

    It's insufficient support from T-Mobile that I have the issue with, Will -- not your agency.
    reply
  • South77

    8 months ago

    Will, credit for the tone of your response. Bloggers, eh?

    To be fair on MIR though, they need to have a good poke at it, otherwise what's the point?
    reply
  • Mac Morrison

    8 months ago

    stepping in to wills defence - i don't know will from adam - but I know how hard it is for agencies to get hold of hardware and sample products - I used to share an office with a pr agency and its was comical the lengths they had to go to, to get samples to send out - and get back again.
    including going down the shops and just buying product at times.

    which was kind of counter productive.
    reply
  • Ewan

    8 months ago

    Yes this is my issue Mr Morrison. The support that big companies give to these kind of trials and demos is generally appalling. One exception is Nokia.
    reply
  • Mike42

    8 months ago

    bet you expect it back still assembled, unprodded and unexposed by Mr Lane...
    reply
  • Ben Smith

    8 months ago

    Will kudos for the good-humoured response.

    I think the key thing here is always to arrange a loan with an explicit return date stated at the outset. We may not like it, but if we know you only have one device and we're mega privileged to be first we'll plan accordingly.
    reply
  • Mac Morrison

    8 months ago

    though oddly t-mobile have a store in inverness - but no signal.
    reply
  • MarkW

    8 months ago

    Whoops - that's the ball dropped again by T-Mobile and their agencies. Some people never learn. One demo handset. I despair.
    reply
  • willmcinnes

    8 months ago

    @MarkW Nothing like hiding and sniping. How very 2007.
    reply
  • MarkW

    8 months ago

    What? If you're the representative of T-Mobile, is that any way to interact with potential customers? Your concern is not me apparently 'hiding and sniping' it's the overall impression you're creating. I don't need to impress you. You, on the other hand are the ambassador for your client.

    Very professional. Well done.
    reply
  • willmcinnes

    8 months ago

    My comment was truly idiotic, and I agree with you Mark - belatedly I see that you contribute lots to MIR, my first impression was that it was a 'hit and run' jibe of a comment from an anonymous competitor. Should've checked first, for that I'm sorry.
    But I feel that your comment is not accurate - I don't feel that we've dropped the ball (until my comment). Since we were given the go-ahead by T-Mobile we've been giving MIR the same access and level of support that has been given to the FT, The Guardian and all the other 'traditional' media during this launch. There are limited resources to go around. I'm going to step out of this conversation now because I'm not really helping things.
    reply
  • MarkW

    8 months ago

    Fair enough Will. Continuing the love-in, I can see how I would have annoyed you and no, I'm not with a competitor. I represent one of the UK's top-ten brands - but it's a long way from being a comms biz! I think keeping MIR on a par with the rest of the media is a good move on your part. So let's leave it there.
    reply

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