CG’s CES Highlights: Getting the Stiff Arm from LG
John Biggs
24 comments »
This is an actual photo of the watches or, rather, some guy’s hand protecting them.
I thought this sort of stuff was over thanks to the rise of immediate, online journalism/kvetching, but I stopped by the LG booth to take a look at their watch/phone prototype and was quite indelicately turned away. I won’t bother describing the product here because it’s basically the same concept I’ve seen at countless trade shows over the years (”It’s a watch! It’s a phone! It’s a watchphone!), but when I stopped to take a picture two booth reps and then two PR folks stopped me from grabbing images of something that is already widely disseminated. It’s odd that in the days of immediate information access this antiquated notion of “no pictures please” is still in place in that bastion of openness that is the CE industry.
For more CES shenanigans, update CG early and often.
Funny considering when I was at Samsung a few years ago some LG Enigneers were trying to take pictures of our new products and tried to rationalize it as “OK” because since they were Korean it was just for national pride. Try coming back wearing a Hyundia shirt.
sorry to hear you got turned back…but is that really news? perhaps LG isn’t familiar with TC, but that’s all part of growing your name and business. hopefully others will be more open but not sure how news worthy that is. sounds much more like a rant.
I don’t understand what’s the purpose of displaying a product at a trade show and forbidding people to take pictures. LG should attend basic marketing 101 courses. I would pay to be on TC and these guys are stopping from being on TC for free!
It doesn’t make any sense.
this is a blog not CNN….while the objective is to discuss tech news, it will always (hopefully) have a personal touch (the occasional personal experience, a rant, etc).
Could be part of their strategy. They are probably going after the perception that if it is “secret” it is “exciting” to the media and consumer.
Good way to drum up media (like a TC blog post)… but not sure we should give them credit for thinking of that. And not sure it quite brought the kind of attention they were looking for in this case.
If you had seen it SOOOO many times before…then why did you try to take a picture?
and do they allow pictures anywhere in the exhibit hall?
Don’t they want their product to be buzzed about? Don’t they need pictures to hype about it? This secret doesn’t make the consumer excited about it, it makes them rather bored. The only way rumors are spread are by mocks up and fuzzy pictures of prototypes at trade shows.
instead what we learn is….. LG’s people have strange looking, stumpy hands…….
debbie diamond sounds like a hall monitor….though a strangely sexy hall monitor….
Translation: I’m a famous blogger and LG is stupid to have stiff-armed me like I was some 3rd-string free safety. I could have given them great publicity and made them millions, even though the reality is I wouldn’t have because I’ve seen the watch-phone a bajillion times already. In fact, I don’t even know why I tried to take a photo, since watch-phones are a stupid and old idea that I have seen many times before.
I’m pretty sure that the watchphone was sweet, as LG designs some of the best looking products with the best UI. You don’t have to knock on the phone just because you got treated like a normal person.
lucky them, they still got a post on TechCrunch
some booth dudes are gonna get the boot.
Maybe they have something against free advertising.
I’m reminded of an episode of Entourage where a geeky blogger with too much power threatens to give Aquaman a bad review because Vinny Chase didn’t bowdown like other movie industry people.
I understand you write for one of the top tech blogs, but I’m sure TC didn’t reach its elite status from garbage posts like this. Just my 2cent
@10 and @14 - Yes, I am a geeky blogger and yes I have a power complex HOWEVER I’m trying to report on the show for you guys and it’s stupid stuff like this that makes electronic reporting so, if not difficult, more frustrating. I’m posting this as a service to folks who are reading and who might be manning booths at PMA or CEATEC or any of the other countless shows out there, encouraging them to rethink photo policies.
Actually, Vinny Chase did bow down and sent strippers to the blogger’s hotel room to appease the blogger gods. However, this tactic did not work on John, who ripped LG regardless.
I’m impervious to strippers.
John,
With all due respect, I’m just a little curious why you decided to write about this, when there are hundreds of great companies showcasing thousands of innovative products, if you’re “trying to report on the show” for us. Let’s stick to the plan and write something about a great new product your readers would actually want to read about.
LG has forbidden unscheduled photography at their CES booth for years and years. I’m surprised they let you leave with one of their hand.
Engadget got photos and a video?
…but they’ll undoubtedly be sending you a release and press pics, even though they snubbed you at the booth. I hope you know where to tell them to stick those
Guys. I am an avid reader of this site. Stop sensationalizing the news. Just cover the product if you can and move on. Keep up the good work. Thanks!
I think LG should get “bad press” if they’re jerks. So keep it up.
I generally hate when anyone tries to bar picture taking for no good reason.
I work for LG, take it from me, the watch/phone looks/works awesome.