Corporates dip their toes in the blogging waters

by Sarah McDonald
Starting a corporate blog – and thereby putting the company into a global fishbowl – is sometimes seen as a risky strategy. This view is reinforced by the handful of large companies with large marketing budgets that have spectacularly failed to read the blogging waters. Like the Wal-Marting Across America blog (walmartingacrossamerica.com), a tale of the adventures of couple Jim and Laura travelling across the country and visiting Wal-Mart stores along the way. Its positive impact on Wal-Mart’s reputation was short-lived when it was revealed Wal-Mart was paying Jim and Laura to write the blog, in a publicity stunt concocted by Wal-Mart’s PR firm Edelman to present a different side of the oft-criticised retailer.Electronics giant Sony also ran into strife last Christmas when it was revealed that an “All I want for Xmas is a PSP” blog, supposedly authored by gamers desperate to get their hands on a PlayStation Portable, was in fact created by Sony’s marketing firm Zipatoni. Both deceptions caused a huge fallout for the companies involved.But businesses that follow a few basic rules (most importantly, don’t lie) have found there can be many positives to corporate blogging. Not surprisingly, the IT community has been one of the first to come on board. Former Microsoft employee Robert Scoble is credited with helping to change perceptions about Microsoft within the IT community, through his popular blog (scoble.weblogs.com).That Microsoft supported his “warts and all” style of blogging, including his dissatisfaction with his salary, earned respect for the way the company encouraged a more open style of discourse.Local examples of corporate bloggers include Fronde CEO Jim Donovan (En Avant: jimdonovan.net.nz) and IT entrepreneur Rod Drury (www.drury.net.nz). Mr Drury sees his blog as an investment in building his and his company’s profile and brand. “Building a communications mechanism and being open with your customers puts money in the bank for when you need it … it creates a lot of loyalty,” he said. Mr Drury said for corporate blogs to work they have to be interesting and offer some value for readers – like looking at industry issues rather than just being a PR mouthpiece for a company. Blogger David Farrar (www.kiwiblog.co.nz) said corporate blogs can work as long as they are written by an individual and avoid PR speak – “as long as it’s not just a sales pitch from an unknown hack.”According to an Ogilvy paper entitled “How trust, technology and personal media affect brands and issues,” it’s all about making sure a company “leads the conversation” – that is, being first to the punch with both the good news and the bad.This way, it’s more likely that people will accept a company’s version of events when something goes on, rather than allowing other bloggers to take the high ground of uncovering a scandal. The paper also offers advice about the way information is presented: “The tone of voice in social media is conversational and authentic. Anything that sounds rehearsed, contrived or meant to sell or manipulate will not be accepted in a social network.”Saatchi & Saatchi general manager Dean Taylor echoed this sentiment, saying the cardinal rule of blogging – and other forms of social networking – was to be emotionally honest.