Comments on: corporate blogs and whatnot http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/ "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards" Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:03:19 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Insanely Great Sites! http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3675 Insanely Great Sites! Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:27:48 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3675 <strong>Finding your passionate voice</strong> What are you passionate about? Write about it. There are plenty of boring impersonal business facades online -- if you're excited about what you do, it'll show, and it will get results. Finding your passionate voice

What are you passionate about? Write about it. There are plenty of boring impersonal business facades online — if you’re excited about what you do, it’ll show, and it will get results.

]]> By: Ryan Howell http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3672 Ryan Howell Mon, 17 Jan 2005 01:52:50 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3672 Who cares? Read about it in the annual report. Warren Buffet is a better time than Shakespeare. Who cares? Read about it in the annual report. Warren Buffet is a better time than Shakespeare.

]]> By: EchoDitto http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3674 EchoDitto Sat, 15 Jan 2005 02:33:49 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3674 <strong>Blog or Die...</strong> <p>This whole <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.05/mustread.html?pg=2" rel="nofollow"> Blogging</a> thing isn't just for geeks. The world is <a href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/001290.html" rel="nofollow"> changing</a>, and companies and organizatio Blog or Die…

This whole Blogging thing isn’t just for geeks. The world is changing, and companies and organizatio

]]> By: Niall Cook's Marketing Technology Blog http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3673 Niall Cook's Marketing Technology Blog Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:09:33 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3673 <strong>The corporate blogging dilemna</strong> The corporate blogging dilemna

]]> By: /pd http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3671 /pd Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:44:30 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3671 who cares if 'they' ..whoever they are..get it or not !! "I blog, therefore I am" - /pd Its a matter of attitude .. if you get it-- thats all that matters !! who cares if ‘they’ ..whoever they are..get it or not !!
“I blog, therefore I am” — /pd
Its a matter of attitude .. if you get it– thats all that matters !!

]]> By: Hamish http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3670 Hamish Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:11:36 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3670 Hi Jon I agree from a personal perspective about the "Don't be Stupid." rule, especially where a generally smart bunch of people like Microsoft are involved. However: some people, even nice well intentioned ones, just get caught at home to the fuck up fairy. Second, what may seem totally innocuous to you or I could soon seem like baby-strangling in front of a good lawyer, especially when taken out of context in the "Is this Really Good for Shareholder Value, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury?" lens. Hi Jon
I agree from a personal perspective about the “Don’t be Stupid.” rule, especially where a generally smart bunch of people like Microsoft are involved. However: some people, even nice well intentioned ones, just get caught at home to the fuck up fairy. Second, what may seem totally innocuous to you or I could soon seem like baby-strangling in front of a good lawyer, especially when taken out of context in the “Is this Really Good for Shareholder Value, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury?” lens.

]]> By: Jon Husband http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3669 Jon Husband Fri, 14 Jan 2005 20:59:13 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3669 Good post. What Hugh and Niall said, up thread. People talk ... that's what they do. If there's news or issues that are less than pristine about a corporation's prodcuts, services, employment practices, or whatever, broadly speaking two responses are possible. Acknowledge it and address it (used to be called "continuous improvement", I believe) or deny it, hide it and spin. Responding honestly and openly to such issues if raised by blogging can go a long way towards demonstrating a company's philosophy and practices towards its engagement with customers and markets ... and even short-term this will be noticed. Denying it, hiding it and spinning - keeping it inside the moat and behind the walls has been somewhat more the standard practice, and we all know how effective that's been. Yes, there may be a legal issue raised. Discussion in the company as to how to best go about being honest and open with customers and markets would probably go a long way to alleviating that possibility, so that some form of effective corporate policy (such as MS's "Don't Be Stupid") can be implemented and refined as the feedback loops between customers, employees and the company's other internal and response mechanisms begin to operate. After all, not having blogs hasn't exactly protected corporations from litigation when they've acted stupidly ... it's just made them more newsworthy when it does happen. Good post.
What Hugh and Niall said, up thread.
People talk … that’s what they do. If there’s news or issues that are less than pristine about a corporation’s prodcuts, services, employment practices, or whatever, broadly speaking two responses are possible. Acknowledge it and address it (used to be called “continuous improvement”, I believe) or deny it, hide it and spin.
Responding honestly and openly to such issues if raised by blogging can go a long way towards demonstrating a company’s philosophy and practices towards its engagement with customers and markets … and even short-term this will be noticed. Denying it, hiding it and spinning — keeping it inside the moat and behind the walls has been somewhat more the standard practice, and we all know how effective that’s been.
Yes, there may be a legal issue raised. Discussion in the company as to how to best go about being honest and open with customers and markets would probably go a long way to alleviating that possibility, so that some form of effective corporate policy (such as MS’s “Don’t Be Stupid”) can be implemented and refined as the feedback loops between customers, employees and the company’s other internal and response mechanisms begin to operate.
After all, not having blogs hasn’t exactly protected corporations from litigation when they’ve acted stupidly … it’s just made them more newsworthy when it does happen.

]]> By: hugh macleod http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3668 hugh macleod Fri, 14 Jan 2005 20:55:59 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3668 Yeah, I saw that Waterstone's story, Gordon. Expect to see many more stories like it from now on. Yeah, I saw that Waterstone’s story, Gordon.
Expect to see many more stories like it from now on.

]]> By: Observer http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3667 Observer Fri, 14 Jan 2005 19:18:23 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3667 >Does it matter if they get it or not? It did to Joe Gordon. Waterstones - a UK book retailer - just canned him over a blog: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1388249,00.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1388249,00.html</a> >Does it matter if they get it or not?
It did to Joe Gordon. Waterstones — a UK book retailer — just canned him over a blog:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0„1388249,00.html

]]> By: Niall Cook http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3666 Niall Cook Fri, 14 Jan 2005 17:01:09 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3666 Thanks for the response, Hugh. I think we do actually agree - it will be a gradual change that most corporates will only really wake up to once enough of their market decides it's important. That may well take the sort of time you mention. Thanks for the response, Hugh.
I think we do actually agree — it will be a gradual change that most corporates will only really wake up to once enough of their market decides it’s important. That may well take the sort of time you mention.

]]> By: hugh macleod http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3665 hugh macleod Fri, 14 Jan 2005 16:43:48 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3665 Niall- I think genie's already too far out of the bottle to agree with your idea. Hamish, yeah, good point. Watch the tension between the bloggers/Cluetrainers and the lawyers rise and rise. What fun! The stuff we're talking about here has a 10, 20, 30 years course to run... nobody's talking about the whole house of cards coming crashing down by Christmas etc. Niall– I think genie’s already too far out of the bottle to agree with your idea.
Hamish, yeah, good point. Watch the tension between the bloggers/Cluetrainers and the lawyers rise and rise. What fun!
The stuff we’re talking about here has a 10, 20, 30 years course to run… nobody’s talking about the whole house of cards coming crashing down by Christmas etc.

]]> By: Hamish http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3664 Hamish Fri, 14 Jan 2005 16:11:07 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3664 Unfortunately, and this is a real bind for the reality and viability of the 21st Century corporation, the current legislative environment will discourage any such openness. In particular the SEC and Acts like Sarbanes Oxley in the US make it imperative that there is a lock down culture, so that the CEO can say that he or she had full control of the whole thing the whole time, and knew all that was going on. So, an unintentional exposure of product libility or other issues from a lower down source is totally unacceptable. Now, this is a good time to discuss the future role of the corporation, and the American dilemma of business (Republican and powerful) versus lawyers (Democrat, oh, and powerful.) Now, I would certainly agree that this a sweeping characterisation, but it holds some truth. In the midddle of this kind of environment, the musings of an individual are to be feared and not encouraged. So, this is where the earlier discussions about how marketing agencies need to help a client enact change, but in order to do this, they need to understand these kind of constraints to be credible at the highest level. "Markets are conversations, but remember, hostile fuckhead lawyers are listening, and the internet provides your unshreddable audit trail for litiginous shareholders and customers." This is a slightly different proposition, but alas, one that is the reality in many cases. Unfortunately, and this is a real bind for the reality and viability of the 21st Century corporation, the current legislative environment will discourage any such openness. In particular the SEC and Acts like Sarbanes Oxley in the US make it imperative that there is a lock down culture, so that the CEO can say that he or she had full control of the whole thing the whole time, and knew all that was going on. So, an unintentional exposure of product libility or other issues from a lower down source is totally unacceptable.
Now, this is a good time to discuss the future role of the corporation, and the American dilemma of business (Republican and powerful) versus lawyers (Democrat, oh, and powerful.) Now, I would certainly agree that this a sweeping characterisation, but it holds some truth. In the midddle of this kind of environment, the musings of an individual are to be feared and not encouraged.
So, this is where the earlier discussions about how marketing agencies need to help a client enact change, but in order to do this, they need to understand these kind of constraints to be credible at the highest level.
“Markets are conversations, but remember, hostile fuckhead lawyers are listening, and the internet provides your unshreddable audit trail for litiginous shareholders and customers.” This is a slightly different proposition, but alas, one that is the reality in many cases.

]]> By: Niall Cook http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3663 Niall Cook Fri, 14 Jan 2005 16:04:49 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3663 Fair point, Hugh. But equally, couldn't the corporate's response also be "Too bad"? "Too bad. I'm sorry if your calcified little life doesn't like capitalism." Does it matter if they get it or not? No. Because the vast majority of consumers are not like you or some of the others leading this debate. Whatever commodity these companies make, some other faceless punter will happily step in to buy their tat. They really won't care whether the company "gets" blogging or not. Fair point, Hugh. But equally, couldn’t the corporate’s response also be “Too bad”?
“Too bad. I’m sorry if your calcified little life doesn’t like capitalism.”
Does it matter if they get it or not? No. Because the vast majority of consumers are not like you or some of the others leading this debate.
Whatever commodity these companies make, some other faceless punter will happily step in to buy their tat. They really won’t care whether the company “gets” blogging or not.

]]> By: Andreas http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3662 Andreas Fri, 14 Jan 2005 13:18:10 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3662 I think that a corporate blog is a great thing, if the company "empowers" its blogger so much that he or she doesnt need to run to corp communications department to get approval for the posting. Imagine the company screws up. The blogger sphere is full of negative comments and rantings. And the blogger has to wait for approval, and wait, and wait and wait. Good nite company, you are gone - credibility down, reputation argh. As long as this basic rule - post as long as you want, and whatever you want, but try not to slam us too badly - is not provided to the blogger, corporate blogs wont work. I think that a corporate blog is a great thing, if the company “empowers” its blogger so much that he or she doesnt need to run to corp communications department to get approval for the posting.
Imagine the company screws up. The blogger sphere is full of negative comments and rantings. And the blogger has to wait for approval, and wait, and wait and wait. Good nite company, you are gone — credibility down, reputation argh.
As long as this basic rule — post as long as you want, and whatever you want, but try not to slam us too badly — is not provided to the blogger, corporate blogs wont work.

]]> By: david http://gapingvoid.com/2005/01/14/corporate-blogs-and-whatnot/comment-page-1/#comment-3661 david Fri, 14 Jan 2005 08:41:49 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1177#comment-3661 Yep... that's right folks. Solve a labor problem by taking out an ad! Genius! Why didn't I think of that!! Yep… that’s right folks. Solve a labor problem by taking out an ad! Genius! Why didn’t I think of that!!

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