I just saw a press release issued by Compuware Corporation. What caught my eye was the last content paragraph. It says:
Compuware will present a one-hour WebEx titled, "Deliver Superior End-User Experience Through Agentless Monitoring," on July 27, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. The WebEx content is based on the information used in Compuware's recent 15- city North American seminar series. Attendees will learn techniques such as implementing end-to-end transaction level monitoring without the use of agents or scripts as well as determining the root cause of performance problems. Interested parties can register for this free WebEx at: https://compuwaremc.webex.com/compuwaremc/j.php?ED=93091252&RG=1 .
I wonder how the marketing and branding gang at WebEx like the use of their company name as a generic noun for a webinar? On the one hand it's amazingly flattering and a nice indication of how the company has grabbed marketing and recognition prominence in the industry. It can't hurt to have your name show up in client press releases. On the other hand, you don't want to run the risk of turning your brand into a generic (Wait, let me grab a kleenex and wipe my eyes, then I'll xerox a copy of the press release and send it to them). Do you run the risk of annoying your clients by asking them to say "will present a one-hour WebEx brand web seminar?"
Branding is a tricky business!
