A while back this blog gave free PR advice to social network startup Diaspora. The recommendation was to use strong privacy controls to distinguish itself from (and become an attractive alternative to) Facebook. Similarly, this blog advised MySpace (which still exists!) to do the same, during a particularly bad social media privacy-related episode at Facebook.
The fundamental PR tactic here is to take advantage of your competition’s weakness, and it never goes out of style. Indeed, even though it’s on the verge of a $100 billion IPO, Facebook’s filing papers contain numerous points to exploit by crafty entrepreneurs. Such opportunities are uncommon, so “attack now or forever hold your peace” should be engrained in every ambitious startup’s mindset.
Don’t believe so? Then take a look at Microsoft, which got a ton of positive press this past week by taking on Google’s recent privacy flap. While Google was still reeling from a poorly announced revision in product privacy policies, Microsoft was able to promote its own products and skewer Google in the process. In a full-page ad in major global newspapers, Microsoft blared “Google is in the process of making some unpopular changes in some of their most popular products …. Those changes, cloaked in language like ‘transparency,’ ‘simplicity,’ and ‘consistency’ are really about one thing: making it easier for Google to connect the dots between everything you search, send, say or stream while using some of their services.”
Not the kind of PR jab any company wants to take, particularly when Congress is breathing down its back on the same issue. And how do we know Microsoft’s tactic startled Google? “Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the ad campaign.” Advantage: Microsoft.



