The validity of blogs alongside the mainstream media is no longer a matter for debate. Valued by a critical mass of the public, and frequently a key source for journalists, they have proven their worth as a way to access naked facts and opinion on all kinds of subjects – especially those that the mainstream media finds uncomfortable or insufficiently commercial. Undoubtedly the majority of blogs are pretty worthless – dreary musings or firebrand tirades – that call for circumspect reading. Yet, within this gloomy miasma that constitutes the so-called ‘blogosphere’, the good ones shine out like beacons. Those of us in marketing communications ignore them at our peril.
There are some startling examples of how bloggers have contributed to creating a better understanding of reality. Fascination with the words of the Baghdad Blogger, who wrote about Iraqi life during and after the war, led to its author, known as Salam Pax, becoming part of the mainstream media himself. A regular column in The Guardian newspaper and a video diary series produced for the BBC’s Newsnight programme were won out of respect for his clear and frank coverage of life in Baghdad under Saddam, under invasion and under occupation. This article from BBC News Online, written by world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds, highlights how blogs have been significant in other major news events, such as the Danish cartoons scandal, Hurricane Katrina and the demise of CBS’s Dan Rather.
Reynolds’ article gives evidence of the power of the blog, and he ends his piece with the crucially important point that the criticisms of bloggers cannot be disregarded. He comments, “If the mainstream media does not respond, it will suffer. The same is even truer of businesses, whose products can be disastrously damaged by web-based attacks.” SwelledHead could not agree more. Appreciating that the reading public is more than capable of sifting facts and considered appraisal out of conjecture and biased opinion, it is vital to recognise that the onus is on those potentially open to attack to keep aware and respond accordingly if necessary.
Blogs and marketing
Marketing, and more specifically public and media relations, is business’s front line in engaging with the blogosphere. It is unquestionably more difficult to handle than the mainstream media, but that’s the nature of the beast. A particularly worrying example of the failure of PR to cope with its new nemesis came to me while reading one of my favourite blogs, The Truth About Cars.
This is a blog that does what it says on the tin. Founded by an outspoken freelance motoring journalist in the US, the site carries bluntly honest vehicle reviews and ingenuous commentary on the automotive industry. A recent post, with an appeal to manufacturers that have barred access to press demo cars, disclosed the difficulties created by an ethos of absolute sincerity. The mainstream yet invigoratingly outspoken British motoring journalist, Jeremy Clarkson, irreverently summarised the problem in The Sunday Times:
“Most young car journalists are paid less than £15,000 a year, which means they have barely enough money left at the end of the week to buy food. And yet, each week, a brand new car is delivered to their house, full of fuel and insured. What’s more, twice a week they will be flown, first class or on a private jet, to Florence or Tokyo or wherever. Here they will stay in a 38-star hotel where they will be showered with tasty morsels and refreshing wines. The next day, after driving the new car through some lovely scenery, they will have a £150-a-head lunch and then board the jet for home clutching a nice freebie. A laptop computer, perhaps, or some expensive luggage.
“So, are they going to give up being Elton John by saying something awkward about the car they’ve been driving? Would you? Or would you bend over backwards, or forwards even, to ensure you were on the guest list for the next big global freebie? The car industry PR people know this. They know they have the power. They also know they have the budget to make sure that every single new car, no matter how dull, is guaranteed to get full-page coverage in all the magazines and all the newspapers.”
Bloggers are a challenge to this status quo, taking the power away from the industry and putting it in hands that aren’t in someone else’s pocket. That may be uncomfortable for those in the press or PR, but a truly candid review is of much greater value to a potential car buyer than one tainted by corporate sweeteners. That goes for all manner of products and services, especially where there’s a significant financial or time commitment, or where safety is of importance. Consider the benefit of getting an honest view about the hotel you plan to stay in, the airline that will take you there, or the security of the destination.
Living in the blogosphere
So, what are the lessons that we in marketing need to learn to cope with the bloggers?
One of the first things I was taught as a rookie PR exec was to read the journal that I was pitching. It’s simple, but often receives only scant attention. With blogs, it matters more than ever. It’s vital to truly understand the purpose of the blog and the person or people behind it. In the same way as with mainstream journalists, effort should be made to build a relationship.
Of course, without the support of media databases and intelligence, this can be very time consuming. In an age of fast communications, blogs often move at the speed of an earlier era. That’s not to say they’re slower at reporting – quite the opposite in many cases. The difference is the old-fashioned approach they take to journalism. With a subject close to their heart, they report and opine on what they can see in their world. Being part of that world is essential if you want to increase awareness of your brand, or to contradict criticism you consider unfair. To get around the problem, pick no more than five blogs that matter most – there’s unlikely to be many more than this gaining true public attention. Know them, their writer(s) and understand their audience, and they’ll appreciate your involvement.
One final point, for those who still think that blogs are for the nerdy and their importance pales in comparison to the mainstream media. To be sure, the press and broadcasters are and likely to remain the pre-eminent source of information. Yet, as Paul Reynolds’ article demonstrates, the power of the blog to shape and disrupt traditional news sources is considerable. Whether blogs are affecting public understanding and opinion directly, or through the influence they exert on the mainstream media, the effect is enough that it is inexcusable for those of us in marketing to write them off as trivial. After all, you’re reading one right now.
