You know Google is really close to announcing the Google Phone, when they make no official comment, but they run a puff piece on the ‘Head of Mobile Platforms’ talking about how cool he is, but with ‘no comment whatsoever’.
It’s a gigantic framing exercise. Here’s two elements from the technique that are clearly being deployed:
* Stories (myths and legends): To frame a subject by anecdote in a vivid and memorable way.
* Spin: to talk about a concept so as to give it a positive or negative connotation.
Essentially talking about it enough times (or actively/passively encouraging _everyone else_ to talk about it) creates the story and spin to such an extent, it might as well exist in the popular (techy) consciousness.
No one will be surprised when this launches. Now that Google is actively framing the story (vs. leaks and rumours) by running interviews with their lead people, an announcement has to be soon – this coming week, perhaps?
It’s fascinating to watch the way Google runs its PR campaigns – very different to the ultra secretive Apple, Nokia and any other company I pay attention to. It’s almost as if there’s a lack of confidence – Google et al need to feel the interest and demand in advance of launching a really new concept.
The fact that Google chooses the NY Times to head the story (and the much more esoteric Open Social pre-announcement) shows the full power and reach of ‘old media’ over the self-appointed blog networks. In PR’s eyes, they’re still a second tier distribution method for ‘big news’.
Link to story and related discussion on TechMeme