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Lesson #1 -- if you're going to blog, it needs to be original content with expressive opinion backed with facts (as good as the "facts" can be) and with a hint and twist of personality ribboned throughout the content like a holiday present's bow. What a blog can't be, is a corporate mouthpiece with an oh-so-obvious agenda (or maybe not that obvious) that serves as a marketing platform for a service, product or company. That's misrepresentation and most consumers can see through that kind of presentation. But, PR craftiness is sometimes equally acute as an informed readership and can play hide and seek just as well as anyone.Ah-ha -- but there's the crunch! There is now a world of support personnel ready to dissect things to expose goofiness and semi un-truths to, well, the world at large. This is precisely what happened recently with global retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE: Wmt) as it apparently had one of its PR firms, Edelman, create a "blog" with an imaginary couple traveling across the U.S. by RV, telling tales of life on the road and inside the RV -- with an intertwined support for Wal-Mart in their travels.
The blog, however, was fake, and it's now being called a "flog" (fake blog). As blogs have become an important communication tool for consumers and businesses alike, less and less bias is injected into them compared to heavily-influenced mainstream media, as, gasp, ordinary people can have extraordinary voices in the daily life of Earth instead of a few media elite. That's a paradigm shift if I've ever seen one.
The Wal-Mart episode and embarrassment, detailed here, should serve as a reminder for companies that being exposed to something like this -- and it will happen in most cases -- only serves to devalue the nature of what you're doing. The audience that will pick at every detail is now global and available 24/7. That's the type of scrutiny waiting down there for these "flogs", but perhaps some PR firms just didn't get the memo.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-16-2006 @ 1:37PM
Gary E. Sattler said...
Brian touches on a VERY important subject here. It's a Pandora's box which is just being opened. At the risk of taking a socio/political bent here, I feel the need to discuss it.
Blogging is being realized as an extremely powerful tool. The rise of "focus" blogging has long surpassed the level of the original on line personal journals. This site is just such an example. We gather here to discuss the investment world. The power and volume of what we have to say can (and does) affect the trading floor in real time. If anyone did a census of the active notebook PC's on Wall Street's trading floor right now, I suggest that a few people might rethink some of the messages they put on line.(hint, there's a story here!)
What is bothering me about this whole scenario at this point in time is that some unsavory characters have already taken hold of this situation and seek to pervert it into something which will serve their own agendas. I won't dissect the political insurgencies I see but let me assure you that there is great danger to American capitalism within the many blogs.
If we remain vigilant and protective of our darling free enterprise then everything should be okay. If however, we become complacent within the world of online journalism, we shall soon find that the First Amendment has been curtailed in the guise of "site rules and guidelines".
We witnessed such a horror as the uprising began at eBay. Selected dissenting voices were ejected from the forums for using words like "stupid", "dumb", or "moron". These tags were not directed at individuals who were present. They were used as descriptive terms regarding actions by the administration. I myself was ejected from those eBay discussion boards for posting the words "LET'S ROLL" in four seperate places on that site. When actions like these are directed against people who care, then one can only guess the reasons why. The whole thing reminded me of Russia under Stalin. Yes, it stunk that bad... and still does.
Be very careful out there. Back away from any venue which squelches independant thought. Take care that you are not led down the garden path. There are those who seek to do just that.
One final warning, and I hope you take it to heart.
If the proposition of a two tier internet with metered band width comes to reality and we're expected to "pay per click", then you may as well just throw your brain in the disposal because it will be of little use to you anyway. You'll be piped to exactly where you're wanted to be. You'll have no choice. Look at the danger in the search engines. Tell me I'm wrong.
Think about our Constitution. Think about our First Amendment. Consider what your voice is worth to you. Decide if you want someone to control that.
This is serious stuff folks and it's knocking at your door.
Blessings to ALL
Gary E. Sattler
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10-16-2006 @ 1:47PM
Brian said...
As Always, Gary -- great insight here and many things to think heavily and deeply on. The Internet makes freedom of thought ring -- but there are higher types who don't want this at all (as expected). Knowledge is power, but, gasp -- don't dare educate the public! Keep them at bay at all costs to preserve whatever enterprise that may exist. Let's roll.
10-16-2006 @ 3:41PM
Mike said...
Once again the anti-Wal-Mart crowd makes a mountain out of a molehill.
The "Wal-Marting Across America" blog had a BIG ad on the right hand side of the screen which said, "Sponsered by Working Families for Wal-Mart" and included a link to their website.
You would have to have the attention-span of an eggroll to not look at that site and see who was behind it. As for the writers, sounds like they took on a little extra work during their vacation. Whether that is on the up-and-up is between them and their employer.
I honestly feel that the Unions crossed a line by going public with the writer's home-life. What did their marital status matter? Who cares where they lived? That information was provided with only one purpose -- to discredit them among the more conservative readers.
I read the blog (flog?) and enjoyed it. My enjoyment of it wasn't hampered by the fact that its writers were professionals. On the contrary I found myself wishing that I had enough vacation time to take a similar trip. Crossing the country and camping out at Wal-Marts, meeting other campers, talking to people and finding out about their lives. Sounds like a pretty amazing vacation to me.