Sometimes, non-tech companies find themselves the source of geek obsession. In San Francisco, one of these companies is Samovar Tea Lounge.

The question is: how to embrace it?

In the case of Samovar, they put a personal appeal to the tech community in their actual menu, called “Tea and Technology.”  It’s a simple gesture but one that communicates Samovar’s technology philosophy and also how fans can extend their Samovar experience outside of the cafe through digital mediums, such as their e-newsletter, Twitter and videos on their site.

It’s amazingly smart and a good example of a company that is really tuning into who its customers are beside the obvious (in this case, tea enthusiasts).

Check out the video, which also includes an ode to summer at the end that I made for all of my wonderful viewers.

Tea and Technology from aziari on Vimeo.

Know any other non-tech companies that are using some innovative methods to connect with their tech-y customer base? Please share!

Everybody is weighing in on this weekend’s NYT story on PR in Silicon Valley. If you haven’t read it, don’t waste your time or your lunch.

Yes, it really is that bad.

In case you have already read the story, here’s my short rant. To preface it:

I’m NOT going to rant about the story being a misrepresentation of tech PR in Silicon Valley (or anywhere else for that matter).

I’m NOT going to rant about how PR is so much more than getting publicity.

I’m NOT going to rant about how the lead subject in the story, Brooke Hammerling, comes off as an incredibly vapid human being. If you’ve read the story, that picture has already been clearly painted.

What I WILL rant about is about how sad it is to use your “friends” to get yourself (and your client) in a New York Times article and talk about how much you can “influence” them.

You don’t make “dear friends” to influence them.

My best friend, Meg Marie.

PR is very much about relationships. It always has been and the social Web has not changed that.

On a larger scale, business as a whole is about cultivating strong relationships – whether that be with partners, vendors, media, employees, analysts…the list goes on.

But as Doug Haslam of SHIFT said on Twitter tonight, having a relationship and name dropping incessantly are two very different things.

I will promise you all one thing: No matter how “connected” I ever become and how many of you I know and one day hope to know, you will not find me bragging to anyone who will listen about how I know you and how easy you are to influence.

If I had a friend who used me like that, I would run. And fast.

To my mom, dad and the rest of my family who may have read the story, please keep in mind that this story is the furthest representation from who I am and what I actually do all day.

After all, I am still waiting for my chartered yacht invitation from [insert random tech billionaire here].

Now, where did I put that swimsuit?