Comments on: CNBC Calls Google Presenter a Johnson. Was that fair?

By: Miguel.M

Miguel.M — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:01:11 +0000

Of course we’d expect something really “wow” from Google in any event and specially with this launch.
But the guys in CNBC really behave like moroons,
showing their ignorance calling “overhead projector” to an obvious “document camera” and worse… mentioning Steve Jobs an his “slick looking POWERPOINT presentation” and finally crossing the line when that “Half Botox(ed) Face” called the presenter a “johnson”… or maybe who knows, he was just recalling his own needs…

By: Carl Pullein

Carl Pullein — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:32:54 +0000

I think that Google made a huge mistake hear. This was a high shot product launch. And Google’s first attempt in to the hardware market.

In your Presentation Landscape document (which, by the way Nancy, is awesome – thank you) this was a high stakes product launch and it should have been rehearsed as such.

The poor guy at the beginning of the presentation began as if it was an internal product launch to his own staff members and not a product launch to the world.

I agree with Earl Gray – if you do not have enough passion about your own product, then the public are hardly likely to get excited about it either.

By: ben s

ben s — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:50:38 +0000

lou is a tool!

By: Russ

Russ — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:41:11 +0000

The guy from Piper is a tool. He acts like the NexusOne has no future.

By: Stefano Tresca

Stefano Tresca — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:20:43 +0000

And you did it again. I have just bought the book and it is going to my shelf near your Slide:ology and Presentation Zen.

What’s strange with that?

That I am a lawyer, in Italy, required to love boring documents full of time new roman 10pt text. So don’t tell my partners ;)

By: Dave Paradi

Dave Paradi — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:24:07 +0000

Thanks for this post Nancy. While I agree with the other comments, I think another aspect needs to be pointed out. It is not an “overhead projector” that is on the table, it is a document camera. This can be a great way to do a live demonstration of a small object. Google just didn’t use it that well. I’ve discussed some suggestions for using document cameras on my blog at http://pptideas.blogspot.com/2010/01/lessons-from-googles-launch-of-nexus.html and some other lessons presenters can learn from this discussion.

By: Nancy Duarte

Nancy Duarte — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:42:33 +0000

Yep. Pretty painful both by the presenter and painful dialogue from CNBC.

By: James Collins

James Collins — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:19:40 +0000

Agreed about the weak presentation, but I think it’s just as dismaying that CNBC is so terrible. How can anyone stand the nonstop douchey snark from their talking heads? But apparently lots of people in business have it on all day long. No wonder America has taken its focus off on innovation and let a bloated and stupid financial sector drive the rest of us down.

By: Earl Gray

Earl Gray — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:10:13 +0000

That was so very painful to watch. I still feel bad for the guy.

And about the product? If you don’t care enough to launch it with energy, its hard to imagine anyone expending the energy – and the money – to buy it.

One word summary: ouch.

By: Brian Wingerd

Brian Wingerd — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:21:18 +0000

Interesting question Nancy. Is it fair to call the presenter “a Johnson”? You can sense that they all appear to be Apple / iPhone fans. So naturally they are going to expect the same attention to detail when it comes to a product launch. Especially one that is supposed to rival the iPhone.

With the stakes as high as they were, yes – I feel it was fair. (sophomoric, but fair)

I find it fascinating that they spent an equal amount of time dissecting and criticizing the presentation as the product itself. (on a business and investment program)