Case in point, an article that is, in my opinion, pure trash, appeared in The Riley Report, a regular feature on thewww.apmag.com site. The author seems to have followed an ultra-simplistic outline:
- cite and copy findings from a widely respected information source
- go wildly off the tracks, making unfounded speculations, accusations, and allegations
The factual findings discuss how the electronics industry spent US$38 billion dollars during the recent conversion from SnPb to Pb-free soldering. The cited work, performed by Technology Forecasters Incorporated, is very likely to be very well founded. Riley does well when he quotes and paraphrases their report.
But, then Riley alleges that "materials suppliers, such as solder manufacturers" are saying and doing anything"continue to preach lead-free benefits and minimize the faults" of Pb-free soldering in order to perpetuate the switch to Pb-free electronics assembly because it is delivering much of the $38 billion to our coffers.
What does a responsible B2B Marcom practitioner do when the target market is exposed to this? In my case, I drafted a rebuttal and shared it with my colleagues. In places they calmed me down. In other places they encouraged me to take things a bit farther. After the rebuttal was complete, I submitted it to the website on which the initial article appeared. They printed it.
Bottom line, everyone is entitled to an opinion. So, when a professional B2B Marcom practitioner feels that someone has made potentially-damaging, inflammatory, and unsubstantiated claims against their industry, I think it is proper to make a measured and speedy response directly to the target market. Hopefully setting things straight - but at least going on record with the other side of the story.
Please read, The $38 Billion Blunder: A Rebuttle Rebuttal, and tell me (after reading both pieces) if you think I did the right thing. If I didn't, please tell me what you would have done.
And for all you future B2B Marcommers out there ... please don't ever publish unsubstantiated claims and accusations. It hurts everyone and it's the wrong way to make a point.