Following on the corporate/blogging theme that I picked up on earlier, I see that Johnnie Moore and Max Blumberg (I didn't reallise that you guys knew each other, let alone set up a blog together!) have been busy being interviewed in the Telegraph talking about the impact of blogging on companies. In particular I note Max's comment at the end of the article. My reaction? I have no problem with anybody throwing money in my direction for maintaining a blog... it might even result in me posting on a more regular basis!
Posted by dompannell at October 21, 2005 12:02 AM | TrackBackHi Dom
Yes, Johnnie and I do indeed know each other.
I think as with many innovations, the first wave of bloggers are the aficionados, individuals that do it for the love and see it as a form of personal expression. That's pretty much where we are now.
The next wave will be somewhat less altruistic and looking for commercial opportunities with blogs e.g. I'm offering corporates workshops on how to use blogging as a formal communications channel. I bet the traditional bloggies will hate me for it, but I'm a commercial being...what can I say :) More here...
http://www.themarketingsociety.co.uk/main.asp?page=enuggets-case-studies-details&id=341
Best wishes
Max
Posted by: Max at October 21, 2005 11:14 AMI have to say i am skeptical about Corporate Blogging. I am sure it will be sold to corporates as some of them will buy into it but not sure of the benefits. Most internal employee blogs tend to be critical and or destructive and so you are giving your employees a license and time to do that? On the other hand blogs are by and large a one way method of communication. Ok you have the comments but.....
I suppose the best way of doing it from the corporates point of view is to set it up and sell it as communication and opening things up and then ghost write the blogs to get the requisite spin.
I will have a 10p bet with Dom and Max etc (limited to 50p) that in a couple of years time business blogging will still be going to be the next great thing or no-one will be talking about it. Lets face it Mr Power has been desperately trying to sell it for a couple of years now.
Posted by: John Howitt at October 31, 2005 7:18 AMI guess you are referring to, John, is blogging done by company employees/executives on behalf of their employer, or at least in line with the company line. That's certainly the subject of the Edelman/Intelliseek report (see my previous post). Max on the other hand is coming from a different angle; he and his esteemed chums at 173drurylane.co.uk are encouraging J Sainsbury specifically to engage better with their customers and other stakeholders. One of the ways they can do this is to answer the questions and criticisms that are raised on blogs.
Although there are currently some 16M blogs (according to the Telegraph article) only very few of these have significant influence. As time goes on, it will become easier to identify the most important ones as they will stand out from the clutter, companies such as J Sainsbury would do well to include them in their corporate communications programme.
Will company execs find the time to maintain their own blogs? A few will, but I suspect that you're right John; it won't be many.
Posted by: Dom Pannell at October 31, 2005 10:35 AM