Benny: I think CKFR should do more hand-holding with the reporters who "don't get it." I am afraid the coverage in the trade press is getting away from CKFR, and this is likely to be repeated on a much larger scale when the general-interest press starts writing more about web banking, e-bill and billpay as consumer issues. In short, I think the situation is starting to become a serious problem.
I've been a big supporter of Pete Kight's philosophy here, which (as I understand it) is to let the company's performance speak for itself. But lately I have been concerned to see so many trade reporters just flat get it wrong, assuming MS is the "leader" here because they know the company's name and take its press releases at face value. Once that false "reality" is accepted in the trade press, it is likely to be picked up uncritically by general-interest reporters, who assume the specialized trade reporters know what they're talking about. Eventually we could see Microsoft anointed by the press as the "leader" in this area. And unfortunately, perceptions have a way of becoming reality, not only in politics but in business as well. Bankers, and their customers, will believe what they read if they don't hear anything different from CKFR.
Personally, I would like to see CKFR do the following:
1. Contact every reporter who has screwed it up and politely, gently supply them with the facts -- "vaporware" vs. product; number of e-bill clients actually signed vs. signed for "pilots", etc. This needs to be done very diplomatically, as nobody -- least of all us reporters -- likes to admit we've been wrong.
2. Consider a pro-active campaign to get the message out in advance to key reporters covering banking, web, and personal finance beats. If CKFR lacks the resources to do this in-house they should spend a little to hire a good PR firm to do it for them.
3. Arrange a big news conference to show off Genesis at some appropriate point. Hold a ribbon cutting (photo op!) and announce that it is "fully operational" as of right now today at 12:01 pm (even if it was 99.44% operational a month earlier). Then let Pete talk about number of customers, number of billers, plans for future.
Just my opinion. But I hope they're reading this thread in Atlanta.
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