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Blogging and Corporate Reputation
July 2006 | Volume 4 Issue 7
Are blogs a boon or a threat to your organization's reputation? If you're wondering about the relative merits of using a blog to relate with customers, or how to go about monitoring what's being said about your company in the blogosphere, this issue will give you some ideas. Blogging can be a powerful means to both monitor your reputation and to improve it. |
Features
DOS AND DON'TS
by Angelo Fernando
Has your communication department considered starting a blog about your company, or even getting the CEO to start his or her own blog? There's another department that usually frowns on such endeavors: the legal department.
TYPES OF BLOGS
by Helen Taylor
Whether you're grappling with how to reach out to bloggers discussing your industry or contemplating creating a corporate blog, it's vital for you as a communicator to understand what's being said about your company in cyberspace—and how to play an active role in the dialog.
MEASUREMENT
by Donna Papacosta
The influence of bloggers and their readers has erupted into campaigns that have affected large, well-known companies and brands—Wal-Mart, Kryptonite Locks, Land Rover, Sony. Smaller firms could suffer even more, like the New York camera retailer that went out of business. Don't let this happen to your organization.
CASE STUDY
by Shel Holtz
For all the talk about corporate blogs, there still seems to be considerable debate about their value. As of early June, though, those questions should have been put to rest. General Motors illustrated just one of the benefits of blogs—bypassing the media and taking your message directly to the public—in its response to a column that appeared in The New York Times.
Columns
by Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz
Writing for a Global Audience? Be careful how you say it
Basic miscommunication can litter the path to understanding—and worse. You may recall that a few years ago the Mars Climate Orbiter failed to achieve the correct altitude for its orbit of Mars, and was destroyed by atmospheric pressure—all due to a little misunderstanding. It seems that some crucial data had been calculated in English units, while the navigation team had expected to receive metric units and used the data that way.
by Daria Steigman
The Making of a Successful Entrepreneur: Tapping into drive, direction, and common sense
When Christopher Gergen talks about what it takes to be an entrepreneur, he speaks as someone who's been there, done that, and is still doing it today. In 1994, he left the security of a burgeoning career as a writer for CNN Headline News to move to Santiago, Chile, where he opened a restaurant and bar. That proved to be the first of many business ventures.
by Roy G. Miller
Angry Bloggers Attack: How do you respond?
When bloggers attack, we, as trained communication experts, must be ready to respond, and must recognize bloggers as a new wave of reporters. Many are key influencers who can rally a community against you. Working with bloggers and responding quickly builds rapport and relationship. And gets you the bigger story—maybe even a more balanced story.
Case Studies
COMMUNICATION IN THE News
Related resources
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month's topic of media relations and technology. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- "Attack of the Career-Killing Blogs" by Robert S. Boyton.
- "Does Your Company Belong in the Blogosphere?" by Katherine Heires.
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