SCEA fills months-vacant top PR slot. Salut!

by Vladimir Cole { Sep 6th 2006 at 12:55PM }

After Molly Smith jumped ship back in the beginning of June, we wondered who Sony would tap to lead their foundering PR efforts. As of yesterday (three months after Molly's departure) they've finally got their man: Dave Karraker, former PR chief for brands including Stolichnaya, Maker's Mark, Kahlua, Beefeater, and Courvoisier.

Let's hope that he got a nice parting gift from his previous employer, because he's going to need a stiff drink (or three) to sort out the shambles that Sony PR is in.

Let's also hope that Dave's brought his bag of high-proof tricks to Sony. Sellers of tipple have long claimed that underage youth are buying their goods without any attempt on their part to market to those youth. That's pretty badass right there, so imagine what the man should be able to do with a product that's actually legal for those under drinking age...

Tags: playstation, ps2, ps3, scea, sony, sony computer entertainment america

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

apoc06 @ Sep 6th 2006 1:07PM

Wow! They've been operating this long without a PR head? I swore they would have filled the spot or at least promoted someone internally by now.

Sony has ALOT of buzz floating around. Buzz is always a good thing; even when it is as negative as it has been recently [today in particular]. I hope he can get a grasp around how to harness all the negative air floating around the PS3 launch.

A shame though. Most likely, it's a little too late. Announcements like this are usually made before he actually relocates and finds his way into the office to actually do work. On top of that, it will take him a week or two to finally get a grasp on the company... so I'm not sure if his appointment will be in enough time to effectively affect the PS3 launch.

Psaakyrn @ Sep 6th 2006 1:12PM

Bah, no wikipedia page about him? Where are we gonna find out information about him then? :/

(aka, if anyone knows more about this person, please set up a wiki page on him)

darryl @ Sep 6th 2006 1:14PM

Oh Joystiq, too much! You can just feel the hate oozing from your words. Tone down the hate, please. It's gross.

Martin @ Sep 6th 2006 1:20PM

offtopic question is the picture from a old series, where the person on the picture is called max

Psaakyrn @ Sep 6th 2006 1:22PM

to #3 darryl

Erm, I think you misread the article, this is good news. Assuming that he's a good candidate he just arrived in time for the launch wars.

socrates @ Sep 6th 2006 1:24PM

What does Max Headroom have to do with this?!? Just due to him being in a coke ad once?

Mmm...Kahula. Now I want a white russian while I play a ps3. That sounds like a good combo.

vc @ Sep 6th 2006 1:28PM

Socrates: Max Headroom, PR, Talking Heads and so on have a long history together.

El Hajjish @ Sep 6th 2006 1:26PM

Max Headroom's constant stuttering and clitches will be a refreshing change from the usual Sony fare. It will sound like "Fi.. Fi... Five Hundred Ninety.. Ninety Nine US Dollars. Click Click." (Those you were around during the 80's would get it)

socrates @ Sep 6th 2006 1:33PM

Well, maybe if I heard Max stutter it a thousand times I'd learn how to spell "Kahlua".

inajeep @ Sep 6th 2006 1:46PM

I miss the Max Tv show. I really do. Good luck Dave, you really stepped in it now. Think of this as an opportunity.

vaylen @ Sep 6th 2006 1:48PM

If I didn't know better, I'd swear Vlad has an axe to grind against Sony. But we KNOW that can't be the case.

El Hajjish @ Sep 6th 2006 1:59PM

I think after today, a lot of people have an axe to grind with Sony, not just Vlad: Europeans and Australians for being denied their system, and Japanese and North Americans for knowing they're going to have to deal with a lot of crap to get one.

32_Footsteps @ Sep 6th 2006 2:01PM

"Sellers of tipple have long claimed that underage youth are buying their goods without any attempt on their part to market to those youth."

And if you actually believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

Actually, given how well alcohol ads work on underage drinkers, I can imagine seeing the PS3 version of the Absolut ads (which the Stoli people have been wishing they could rip off for years).