Maybe I skip over all the technical articles so I miss good reporting in trade publications, but this one stood out on a number of levels. Martin Rowe of Test and Measurement World reviewed new product offerings that change the configuration of oscilloscopes: Tall and Shallow or Short and Deep? Why do I like this article:
- Martin writes honestly about an decision that will frustrate buyers of new scopes. The article is talking about what engineers are talking about and Martin is acting like a peer.
- The article names brands and specific products.
- He talks to different engineers about it, from different perspectives. And what the engineers said was worthwhile, covering a lot of the factors that should be considered.
- He summarizes with his own opinion and a raises another potential issue that may be of more consequence (computer interface availability).
As a marketer, you might cringe a little to see a critique of the product offerings, but this is honest, worthwhile writing that engages the reader. And that’s what trade publications should be doing, especially when they are talking about the products they cover. It may seem simple, but rarely do trade pubs do this well. T&MW did. Kudos.