I spent time with three big brands this week.
I also ‘worked’ briefly with The Tech Chap, bumped into Vicki Butler-Henderson (one for the UK petrolheads, there), and occupied the same physical space as some bloke from Love Island. Although, the less said about the latter, the better.
This means two things: it has been a really good week for my business, and I really need to make those changes I’ve been promising myself. It’s also time to clarify something about being a tech YouTuber who gets invited to these fancy events.
On Monday, I visited LG’s head offices in Weybridge to get some hands-on time with their 2024 TV lineup. It was the first invitation I’ve had from LG for such an event, and I immediately found myself in a room with many tech press stalwarts, who have been doing this stuff for a lot longer than myself.
And Ben, from Lover Of Tech, because he’s everywhere.
Gaining access to products before consumers get their hands on them has been a key strategy for me, right from the start. The more you work within the tech reviews niche, the more you realise that the earlier you can put stuff in front of your audience, the faster that audience will grow. It also sends a signal to both that audience and other brands that you’re serious about this stuff; you’re not a hobbyist content creator who just wants to get early access to cool devices (although, that’s a nice trade-off).
Getting into these circles isn’t easy - and it’s even harder to remain within them. Something else I’ve become increasingly aware of as I wedge myself further into the nether regions of this industry is that big brand opportunities come down to two things: luck, and who you know. Hard work plays a massive role, obviously - without it, you’ll never get noticed; but the biggest brand opportunities I’ve had have either come completely out of the blue or via an extremely kind introduction from someone else. Any proactive efforts to ‘get in’ with brands and PR companies have usually fallen on deaf ears.
You can therefore imagine how I felt for my second trip of the week, which was to Apple’s UK HQ at Battersea Power Station in London. I’ve been there before, for a briefing on the M3 iMac and MacBook Pro, but this time it was different. The visit last November was after the launch of those devices - this week, I was officially under embargo and in receipt of an M3 MacBook Air before it hit the shelves. This is, to not put too fine a point on it, massive for my business. It was the first time I’d received a product from Apple before launch, and the access I had during my time at Battersea Power Station was invaluable. The opportunity I’d been given became clear as soon as I entered the reception area. I’d been placed in a group of just five industry press people, including Tom (Mr Tech Chap) and some writers from very well-known tech publications.
And little ol’ me.
How did that happen?
I even managed to get Tom to film me playing with the M3 MacBook Air at one point.
Again - how did that happen?
My week wasn’t done, though. Yesterday, I travelled to the rolling hills of the Cotswolds with my General Manager, Niall, to attend the press launch for the BMW iX2 and the new Mini Countryman. That’s where I bumped, almost literally - although not in a car, I might add - into Vicki Butler-Henderson and spotted the aforementioned Love Island guy (I had to check with my girlfriend on that last one - I promise). We spent all day testing and filming both cars and networking with the guys from BMW who were utterly lovely.
I know what you’re thinking. Of course BMW were lovely. Of course Apple wanted to invite me into the safety and undeniably impressive environment of their inner sanctum. Of course LG fed me well and ensured I could hear every single detail about why they’re apparently better than Samsung. These are all free tickets to great reviews, aren’t they?
Well, no, they’re not - although I completely understand why one might think so; I probably would if I were on the other side of the fence. However, the truth is that I’m now a member of the tech press, and it’s my job to hold these brands accountable for the stuff they’re sending out into the world and the hands of consumers. The hand-carved ham and surprisingly tasty couscous at the BMW event were undoubtedly lovely, and how Apple had built mini working spaces for the MacBook Air-using creators they presented us with was gobsmackingly impressive, but that kind of treatment doesn’t mean I’m going to side-step the uncomfortable conversations.
For instance, while I needed more time with it, the Mini Countryman’s user interface was rather perplexing for my 43-year-old brain. Similarly, I’ve stated publicly that, if you own an M1 or M2 MacBook Air, there is absolutely no reason to buy the M3 version - it’s not a big enough upgrade. And as for LG, well, those breakfast pastries were absolutely scrumptious, but I’m going to wait until I actually use one of their new TVs in anger before passing judgement on it.
I think it’s important to use this Substack newsletter to illustrate this very real challenge of being a tech reviewer, because I know a lot of you want to follow in my footsteps. Hopefully, you too will one day find yourself within the inner circle of review unit seedings and press events. You just need to keep in mind that it’s a tightrope; you want to keep the brands on side in terms of retaining early access, but you must be honest with your thoughts on each product. I’m confident I’m striking that balance nicely, but it is hard.
As for the changes I teased you with earlier, they relate, once again, to my time. Or, more specifically, reclaiming it. I’m in the process of hiring an assistant, and I’m working with my consultant on the bigger picture for Mark Ellis Media - because if this week has taught me anything, it’s that I don’t need to be thinking about my email inbox while doing the whole ‘key person of influence’ stuff (and, yes, I hate that phrase, too).