Can someone please explain something to me? I’ve spoke to probably 1/2 a dozen PR firms in the past two weeks about booking speakers and soliciting exhibitors. Some are great and know their clients message cold.

Others left me scratching my head. They didn’t know the answer to even basic questions about who does what at the company - even what kind of products they sell. This group all did have one thing in common - they were representing relatively new companies. Why in the world would a company less than a year old hire a PR firm that knows nothing about them to answer all questions? In fact, on the Contact Page for most of these companies, the only name and number was that of the PR firm. No mailing address, no phone number, no nothing. “Questions? Concerns? Want to write a really great article about us? Well we personally don’t have any time to answer real questions, but here’s the number to our expensive PR firm. They will take your questions, figure out the right spin, and get back to you with the answer.”

God forbid the Vice President of the company would answer questions themselves. I understand the need for good PR, but should their main role always be to simply run interference? I don’t get it. If your business plan is garbage and your product sucks, all the great PR interference in the world isn’t going to hide it.