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To: kech who wrote (53936)	5/1/2003 10:24:51 PM
From: Mike Buckley	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 54805

Tom, What would you say is the difference between FUD and "good marketing"? From my point of view, there is no difference when FUD is truthful and is based on truth. It's when FUD becomes intentionally untruthful or is based on intentional falsehood that it becomes bad, unethical marketing. FUD on the other hand, I would reserve for explicit and misrepresentative attacks on the competitor's products, timelines of deployment, expected success of competitors products etc. I understand but I don't reserve use of the term to such limitations. To be clear, I believe we need to remember that FUD is the acronym for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. The acronym doesn't say anything about whether the reason for such concerns is valid or invalid. Similarly, it doesn't include any qualifications as to whether those concerns are based on truth or falsehood. Otherwise, the acronym might be FUDBOF (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt Based On Falsehood :). Not that anyone has to agree with me, but that's why I think of FUD in a broad range that also includes truthfulness and good marketing. -Mike Buckley

To: kech who wrote (53936)	5/1/2003 11:08:11 PM
From: Eric L	Respond to of 54805

FUD & FUDD Tom, << What would you say is the difference between FUD and "good marketing"? >> ... or "bad marketing" (ineffective marketing)? There is no difference. FUD is a formal sales and marketing discipline that is incorporated into a sales or marketing campaign. That sales and marketing discipline was pioneered by IBM, who practiced it (and still practices it) superbly and effectively. The discipline is (ideally) incorporated SUBTELY into a product or solutions pitch, and in one fashion or another is intended to cast fear, uncertainty, and doubt, about what a competitor comparatively can deliver, in what time frame they can deliver, how robust and well supported the product will be regardless of when they can deliver, etc. All of this while accentuating the positives of ones own product, and ideally not making it overly obvious that you are denigrating the competitor in the process. Add disinformation, half-truths, untruths, to the mix, and you have FUDD, with the final D standing for disinformation. Now you're in a different ball game. If any piece of that disinformation is discerned by the target audience to be untrue, games over. As I stated before, some companies incorporate FUD into a sales or marketing pitch effectively and some ineffectively. Some companies spend considerable time and dollars building an effective sales and marketing organization. Some don't. Those that don't, often have their corporate executives making a sales or marketing pitch. Sometimes that's effective. More often it's not. Often these executives talents lie elsewhere, and if they have never taken the time or seen fit to build an effective sales and marketing organization, they are likely to be less effective than the to sales and marketing professionals that they could have employed, but don't. Bottom line measure of that effectiveness or lack thereof, is technology adoption, or lack thereof. That's what we discuss on this Board. - Eric -