TRUST “MeDIA” How Real People Are Finally Being Heard

The 1.0 Guide to the for Marketers & Company Stakeholders First in a Series on New Communications & Word-of-Mouth Marketing

By and Intelliseek • Spring 2005 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY n a very short time, the blogging phenomenon has drastically altered Ithe landscape and challenged traditional tenets about the control of messaging by corporations, the media, the government, marketers and company stakeholders.

According to Edelman’s 2005 Trust Survey, This new and growing critical mass is peoples’ trust has shifted from authority forcing marketing professionals and fi gures to “average people, like you.” In fact, company stakeholders to think differently 56% of Americans trust only the opinions of about how they go to market. Bloggers are physicians and academicians more than they speaking and being heard in real time, and trust the opinions of people like themselves. only recently has the marketing community What does this mean? The average person begun to grasp bloggers’ impact on does not want canned, neatly packaged brands, business and issues. Because messages; the average person wants to of their speed, bloggers can and do alter engage and be engaged in conversations. the volume and tone of any conversation. And —short for Web logs—have rapidly Gone are the days of waiting months to emerged as one of the newest technologies get reliable feedback on an initiative. The driving this shift. new reality is this: any author with a passion for what you’re selling knows what Blogs are easily published, personal Web you’re doing the minute you do it—and sites that serve as sources of commentary, maybe even before. Bloggers comment opinion, and uncensored, unfi ltered sources immediately, and marketing and business of information on a variety of topics. The professionals can quickly lose control of the best-written and most widely read blogs conversation. are characterized by their authors’ genuine passion for a specifi c topic or issue—what This white paper is an initial look at the some call “passionate ,” or dynamics of the Blogosphere. It’s intended reporting with an informed bias. Blogs also to inform marketing and communications serve as communities where information, professionals about the who, what, where links, opinions, videos, audio fi les, photos and how-to of blogging. If this paper has and other forms of media are easily and done justice to the subject of blogging, it frequently shared, where elaboration can also should sound a huge wake-up call. be offered, disagreements can be aired, Blogging is not a passing fad…but any and comments can be posted. Together, brand, business or organization that fails to this collective conversation is called the grasp the fact may very well be. Blogosphere, and it’s one of the fastest growing areas of new content on the Internet.

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 2 Table of Contents

THE BLOGGING BOOM: WHAT BLOGS ARE…AND HOW THEY’VE GROWN 4

THE IMPACT OF BLOGS: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHANGES 6

WHAT OTHERS SAID ABOUT BLOGS: PRAISE...AND DRAWBACKS 10

BLOGS THAT WORK...AND BLOGS GONE WRONG 12

BLOG SEGMENTATION: THE EDELMAN & INTELLISEEK TRUST MEDIA BLOG DIRECTORY 14

HOW TO CONTACT BLOGGERS: NEW RULES OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THE BLOGOSPHERE 15

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG: KEY QUESTIONS FOR MARKETERS AND COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS 17

THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF BLOGGING IN GENERAL 19

BLOGGING TERMS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KNOW 20

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 3 TRUST MEDIA: HE BLOGGING BOOM: WHAT BLOGS corporations, advertisements, marketers WHY THE AVERAGE PERSON TARE…AND HOW THEY’VE GROWN and other “offi cials.”3 IS FINALLY GETTING HEARD It was obvious that blogs would go down Indeed, bloggers played a role in creating THE 1.0 GUIDE TO THE in 2004 history when dictionary publisher and disseminating information during the BLOGOSPHERE FOR Merriam-Webster designated “blog” as the MARKETERS & COMPANY 2004 Presidential campaign, fueled initially most sought-after word of the year at its STAKEHOLDERS by Howard Dean’s Blog For America Web sites. (www.blogforamerica.com), which helped recruit new volunteers and raised record Is it any wonder? Blogs are booming, not amounts of money via the Internet for only in number but also in authority and his campaign. When the world’s largest reach. According to some estimates, about natural disaster took place in late 2004 in 20,000 new blogs are created daily, meaning remote Southern Asia, bloggers in Thailand, that millions of people have their own sites Indonesia, India and other affected countries on the —sites that in turn quickly jumped into action (e.g., http: attract millions of readers. These bloggers //tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/) to provide foster conversations, connections and new some of the fi rst on-the-scene “reporting,” relationships, and their growth shows no including casualty reports, videos of the sign of slowing in the immediate future.1 damage, heart-breaking photographs, government updates, links to relief agencies, Since the late 1990s and into 2005, blogs lists of missing persons and victims, have evolved from “under-the-radar” hospital reports and more. This shift from status to mainstream prominence, one appointment-driven news consumption to of the fastest rises to awareness of any on-demand news consumption is altering source of Internet content. The reasons are the news media landscape. many. Blogs are as easy to create as they are diverse in content. The estimated 10 Instapundit, (www.instapundit.com) a million U.S. blogs that will be in existence leading political blog written by University by the end of 2005 (and possibly 34 million of Tennessee law professor Glenn worldwide) cover a range of topics— Reynolds, attracts more than 100,000 politics, entertainment, music, art, life, love, unique visitors a day—more than the popular culture, sports, work, advertising, readership of most newspaper . marketing. Asking what bloggers “cover” is like asking what people write about While bloggers rely on mainstream media on paper: whatever they want to. Blogs for their commentary fodder, they also have are a natural extension of so-called “broken” stories independently. Bloggers, “consumer-generated media”2 or “citizens’ for example, kept attention focused on journalism,” and as studies have shown, former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott’s the public is often far more trusting of other impolitic comments leading to his eventual consumers or members of the public than resignation, and a blogger knowledgeable it is of traditional institutions, including about typefonts outed the fake memos

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 4 used by Dan Rather of CBS’s “60 Minutes,” manifestation—more messages to smaller leading to Rather’s apology and the fi ring numbers of people.” of four CBS staffers. Bloggers turned up the heat on other key issues in early For the advertising and 2005: commentator Armstrong Williams’ community, blogs’ quick rise to prominence payments by the Department of Education poses serious questions. If bloggers were to soft sell the No Child Left Behind able to establish an infl uential presence program; the resignation of CNN news in a national presidential election in a executive Eason Jordan for off-the-record few short months, where will they turn comments he made (but were blogged their attention and scrutiny next? The about) at a forum in Switzerland; and the media? The advertising community? The true identify of Republican operative James PR community? Marketers? Corporate Guckert (aka Jeff Gannon), who managed America? Education? Government? to receive daily reporter credentials to the Analysts? Regulators? White House briefi ng room. As a study by the journalism-focused Internet-savvy users have always had the Poynter Institute4 points out: “Bloggers— ability to create and update daily journals, and others inspired by their success— but blogs came into their own when software are forcing accountability on news made it incredibly easy to build, maintain organizations. They’re also demanding— and update a “Web log.” Those same and sometimes getting—a much bigger say technologies further allowed creators of in what’s news.” personal Web pages to link to each other’s Web pages—a practice that continues And beyond the popular, well-read, high- among bloggers today. The term “Web log” traffi c bloggers are millions of bloggers was coined by Internet writer Jorn Barger who write for a handful of readers about in 1997; the shorter term “blog” evolved issues close to them. This so-called “long in 1999, when only a few hundred blogs tail” of bloggers (a term coined in an article existed. Today, the Blogosphere contains by Wired eeditorditor ChrisChris AndersonAnderson inin OctoberOctober an estimated 5-10 million blogs, and blog- 2004) represents a new phenomenon that based words were added to the Oxford should be of great interest to marketers: English Dictionary inin 22003.003. millions of micro-communities around shared interests. What is a blog? What is blogging? For a simple defi nition, a blog is an easily Writes journalism professor Philip Meyer in created Web page, made possible by his book, The Vanishing Newspaper: Saving free or inexpensive software (Blogger, Journalism in the Information Age (University BlogSpot, Diaryland, LiveJournal/Six Apart, of Missouri Press): “There has been a drift Movable Type, Pitas, Typepad, Xanga, away from mass media to more specialized etc.) that allows a user to create a diary- media...The bloggers are the latest like Web page in a matter of minutes.

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 5 Each new entry is called a “post,” and Supportive technologies also make posts appear on a blog page in reverse blogging ubiquitous. Most blogging chronological order. Blog posts typically software automatically generates a are characterized by numerous links to summary of each post as it is created, other pieces of information, including and this summary is contained in a other blogs, news stories, images/photos, fi le format called RSS, short for Really commentaries, videos, audio clips, etc. Simple Syndication. This fi le is visible to Blogs also have other distinguishing software called aggregators. A user who characteristics, including a calendar or wants to keep up with dozens or even archives, a permanent Web address for hundreds of other blogs will feed the each post (), and the ability for Web addresses/URLs of those blogs to users to post comments. the aggregator. The aggregator will fetch new RSS fi les and display the headlines to the user. RSS feeds are an effi cient, low-cost way to make content globally Bloggers Defi ned: Youngish Internet veterans with a need for news and quickly available, and are being used not only by bloggers but also by media Youth, high-speed Internet connections and online experience outlets, including the BBC, CNN, Yahoo! are fueling the blogging phenomenon. A demographic update of News and others. Other technologies— bloggers from the Pew Internet & American Life Project3 in early including podcasting (audio capabilities), 2005 provides these demographic insights into bloggers: moblogging (mobile-device-enabled blogging) and audio streaming—will make ð 57% of bloggers are male, 43% are female them more and more robust over time. ð 48% of bloggers are age 30 or under, but 52% are over 30

ð 70% of bloggers have broadband/high-speed Internet access at home THE IMPACT OF BLOGS: CHALLENGES, ð 82% of bloggers have been Internet users for six or more years OPPORTUNITIES AND CHANGES

ð 42% of bloggers live in households earning more than $50,000 Because content is refreshed frequently, a year blog entries quickly rise to the top of the listings in search engine results, a feature ð 39% of bloggers have college or graduate degrees that no doubt has spurred their quick rise ð 12% of Internet users have posted comments or other material in popularity. According to the Pew Internet on blogs—representing 14 million people and a three-fold & American Life Project, blog readership increase since April 2004 jumped 58% in 2004, from 17% to 27% ð 5% of Internet users use RSS aggregators or XML readers to of Internet users who said they read blogs get news and other information from blogs and content-rich daily. 7% of U.S. Internet users—8 million— Web sites as soon as it’s posted online have created a blog. But because blogs often look like Web sites, or because the ð Blog readership is growing among all demographics distinction between the two content sources isn’t always apparent, the same Pew study

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 6 found that only 38% of users know what a their points of view in the blogosphere is blog is and the rest aren’t sure. important to every company, organiza- tion and brand. Regardless, people are creating blogs, and • Advertising & Advertising people are reading blogs. And bloggers Effectiveness Testing: Some brands have sent a collective message that the have launched blogs as ads (Nike’s Art of business, public relations, marketing Speed “adverblog,” for example), while and advertising communities must heed: blogs rich in commentary can provide “Bloggers are here, and bloggers are here new contexts for measuring message to stay. Deal with us.” and public relations effectiveness in near real time.

Blogs can be fertile locations for • Early Warning Radar: When corporate companies hoping to fi nd passionate reputation and news issues emerge, advocates for all that bloggers write about: blogs can serve both as the vehicle by products or services, ideas, technology, which information spreads and as a health care, beauty, arts, crafts, movies, source for “early warning.” entertainment, political campaigns, and • Extension of Relationship Marketing: more. As speaker-blogger Halley Suitt Blogs also serve as venues where (Halley’s Comment) pointed out at the passionate consumers and individuals January 2005 Blog Business Summit in express feelings and encourage Seattle: “The blogs you want to read have a discussion. voice...you need to sound alive. The writing • Stakeholder & Corporate must have passion, or no one will care.” Communications: Blogs can provide venues for employees to speak out Blogs represent a paradigm shift that and defend the company or brand, or presents new challenges and opportunities they can establish identities, feedback for the advertising, public relations and devices, dialogue and authority for marketing communities—challenges and corporations or individuals who engage opportunities that require quick responses, in blogging. protocols and policies. Blog applications • Targeted Marketing: Blogs can open can include: new, targeted advertising space through outright buys or sponsorship, keyword • Research & Insight: Blogs serve as buys or contextual ad buys. new sources of “market research” and can be rich leading indicators because • Multi-Media Information sources: of their quick syndication and search- Most of today’s fi rst-generation blogs are engine reach. text-heavy, authored by people who like to write. But bloggers increasingly are • Word-of-Mouth Identifi cation, embedding videos, audio, still images, Tracking, Analysis: Blogs are a new and interactive media in their blogs as forum in which people with shared well. Blogs can become rich-media infor- interests spread information. Tracking mation sources…and tools for so-called

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 7 “citizen surveillance,” whereby every timing, content and release of information person becomes a de facto reporter. and announcements. “News” was strictly defi ned as emanating from newspapers, • Thought Leadership: A , or employee participation in others’ magazines, trade journals, radio and TV blogs, can raise a company’s reputation broadcasts or other well-defi ned specialty as the idea leader in a specifi c market or sources, and created by well-defi ned lists industry. of identifi ed journalists and beat writers and producers. Blogs: New Sources of Buzz In the pre-blog world, “buzz” was created Today, however, “news” and new ideas by news, stunts and events—both online surface immediately from any variety of and offl ine—that captured consumers’ online sources, including blogs, some imagination and got talked about, written of them totally unexpected and off the about and spread around. Buzz was radar. Often, news emerges in rich-media measured and gauged by news clipping formats that include audio links, still images services, online click-throughs and hits, and video links. Bloggers can appear noticeable increases in brand sales. In overnight, gaining traction and a reputation much of the pre-blog world, advertisers in a matter of days or weeks rather than and public relations professionals had building it over years. vast amounts of control over the tone,

Types of Bloggers

Bloggers come in different varieties; Edelman and Intelliseek have categorized them based on function, content and signifi cance to marketers.

Blog Area Description Volume Reach Credentialed News Formal members of the media who employ blog publishing format (including Low High Blog Writers RSS)—e.g.,, a newspaper blog or magazine blog, San Jose Mercury News technology columnists http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/ business/columnists/gmsv/

A-List, High-Traffi c Bloggers Blog writers who are not “credentialed” by traditional media but nonetheless Low Med-High have meaningful audience, even among traditional media—e.g., Daily Kos, Instapundit, etc.

Corporate or B2B Blogs by business professionals—formal or informal—targeted to specifi c Med Med Professional Blogs industry verticals—e.g., Robert Scoble’s Scobleizer Blog for Microsoft; General Motor’s Fast Lane Blog.

Marketer-Sponsored Blogs Blogs created, managed, and promoted by companies or Low TBD suppliers, agencies, brands, etc.—e.g., Manolo Shoe Blog http:// manoloshoes.blogspot.com

General Consumer Blogs Blogs created by typical consumers that include references to all aspects High Med-High of life and the consumer experience, both positive and negative—e.g., LiveJournal, Blogspot.

Focused Consumer Blogs Blogs created by average consumers on specifi c topic areas including wine, High Med autos, gamers, healthcare options—e.g., Professor Bainbridge on Wine http: //www.professorbainbridgeonwine.com/

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 8 Essentially, bloggers have established a politically satirical cartoons created by new micro-universe of information creation, the JibJab.com brothers spread in mid- dissemination and infl uence, a universe to late-2004 and into 2005 almost entirely that warrants attention, response and by word-of-mouth links and e-mails consideration, and one where rules don’t among bloggers and Internet users. The follow the accepted norms and practices Blogosphere doesn’t have “politically of the communications and media correct” censors. communities. It’s time for marketers and stakeholders to engage and participate Which begs the question: when bloggers with their customers instead of just are in the equation, just who is “the transmitting to them. press” and what is a good defi nition of “the media”? Many savvy public relations Edelman and Intelliseek describe this professionals and media relations new information paradigm as “organic professionals now have targeted lists of awareness” or “organic infl uence.” bloggers they contact or to whom they link Whatever is most interesting rises to the stories, because not to do so would be to top of consciousness in the Blogosphere, ignore a growing and important segment of regardless (or even in the absence) of any 2005-style “media.” marketing or “push” by the person posting it or creating it. Sometimes, an idea or Blogger Behavior: Trust Them When They Say posting is just so creative, outrageous, They’re a Different Breed insightful or funny that other bloggers Bloggers like to paint themselves as share it almost instantaneously, urging somewhat different from traditional each other on with “you gotta check this journalists or writers, so trust them at their out!” links and comments that spread the word. Given their penchant for outside- fever and excitement. the-box attitudes, however, some aspects of the Blogosphere are fairly predictable. In late 2004, for example, one of the Among them: most linked-to Web sites on Intelliseek’s • Bloggers write about what’s interesting to BlogPulse.com, a blog portal that tracks them, not what’s interesting to you or your and analyzes millions of blogs a day, clients. Generally, bloggers don’t care if was http://fallujahinpictures.com/, a raw you have a new product or you just won a but realistic blog site featuring unedited, big-ticket account. Get used to it. uncensored photos of on-the-ground fi ghting in Fallujah and elsewhere in • Blogs are more than posts into an Internet void. They’re conversations that Iraq. They were not the kind of photos build relationships. Readers respond to the Pentagon would have approved, but blog posts either in a comment section because they existed in the Blogosphere, or in their own blogs, and readers they were photos over which the Pentagon develop loyalty to certain blogs and their had no control. The Blogosphere doesn’t authors. Over time, the writer-reader need Pentagon approval. Likewise, the

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 9 relationship feels friendly. The blog WHAT OTHERS SAID ABOUT BLOGS: becomes a community. PRAISE...AND DRAWBACKS

• Always tell the truth and be transparent Praise… in the Blogosphere. All that readers know “…about 11% of Internet users today are about bloggers is what the bloggers write inveterate blog readers, and the blogging about and say, and if readers discover scene starts to get mighty compelling for that a blogger is passionate about marketers.” something because he/she is being paid Business Week, “The Business of Blogs,” Dec. to say so, the results can be disastrous. 13, 2004 • Each blogger has a distinctive voice, and readers are attracted both by what “Web logs have had an astonishing season bloggers say and how they say it. Their this year, enough to freckle the faces authority is based in the relationships they of bloggers who do not, as a rule, get develop with readers. The stilted voice of much time outdoors. Although political most marketers sounds as inappropriate blogs have received the most attention, as a bullhorn at a tea party. advertising agencies and communications • As the Poynter Institute study of transpar- professionals are using blogs to create ency points out, credibility among tradi- discussion about ideas within their tional journalists is based on accuracy, industries.” fairness and context. In the Blogosphere, Nat Ives, New York Times, Oct. 27, 2004 credibility also takes into consideration what the blogger stand for, and bloggers “If you’re not thinking about how to use are often much more willing to take a personal stand or express an opinion, blogs in your business, you’re missing while traditional reporters continue to a big opportunity. Blogging can be a embrace their objectivity. In January, remarkably effective marketing tool. It’s 2005, Harvard University sponsored a also an excellent way to stay in touch with two-day program, “Blogging, Journalism customers and hear concerns that can and Credibility: Battleground and be an early warning system of potential Common Ground.” To learn more, visit problems…’’ the audio transcripts of the conference: B.L. Ochman, Marketingprofs.com, June 29, http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/webcred/ 2004 index.php?p=62.

• Blogger authority is defi ned by key “…blogs and Web media, in general, behaviors: how often the blogger posts make it possible to have a continuous new content, how much infl uence or feedback loop between readers, content respect he/she earns among other creators who are often one and the same. bloggers, and how many other bloggers The power of the Web medium to provide link to the blog. instantaneous feedback shapes and infl uences ideas and stories.” Tobi Elkin, MediaPost, June 18, 2004

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 10 “The arrival of e-mail listservs made the And Drawbacks… fi rst Internet communities possible. Now— “Words are too powerful to be left in the with blogs and wikis—we have listservs on hands of those who don’t appreciate their steroids.” power.” Dan Forbush, PRNewswire, on George Simpson, MediaPost, August 2, 2004 GlobalPRBlogWeek.com, July 12, 2004 “The blog…can indeed be….fabulous for “The promise of the homepage was that we relationships. But it can also be much would have a persistent place that would more: a company’s worst PR nightmare, be our Web presence. Well, now we do. its best chance to talk with new and old They’re called Weblogs. Weblogs are our customers, an ideal way to send out Web selves, and they’re in conversation information, and the hardest way to control with others.” it…Suddenly, everyone’s a publisher and David Weinberger, author of JoHo the Blog everyone’s a critic.” (http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger) and co- David Kirkpatrick and Daniel Roth, Fortune, Dec. author, The Cluetrain Manifesto 27, 2004

“…(bloggers) have the energy of youth “I worked on a school paper when I was a (the typical blogger is between 20-26 kid and I owned a CB (citizens’ band) radio years old), have fun with it and above when I lived in Texas. And what I saw in the all…personal blogs are for them a way blogosphere on Nov. 2 (Election Day, 2004) of freedom of speech, creativity and was more reminiscent of that school paper knowledge sharing.” or a ‘Breaker, breaker 19’ gabfest on CB Eva Dominquez, August 6, 2004, Poynteronline than anything approaching journalism… Unlike journalists, some blog operators “Under specifi c circumstances—when who are quick to trash the mainstream key Weblogs focus on a new or neglected media not only don’t care about the issue—blogs can act as a focal point for veracity of the stories they are spreading, the mainstream media and exert formidable they do not understand when there is a agenda-setting power. Blogs have invited live hand grenade on their keyboard. They national debates on such topics as racial appear not to care. Their concern is for profi ling at airports and have kept the controversy and ‘hits.’ “ media focused on scandals as diverse as Eric Engberg, retired CBS newsman, at the exposure of CIA agent Valerie Plame’s CBSNews.com, Nov. 8, 2004 identity to bribery allegations at the United Nations.” Daniel Drezner & Henry Farrell, Foreign Policy, November-December 2004

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 11 BLOGS THAT WORK... Nike used its Art of Speed blog (now AND BLOGS GONE WRONG archived at http://www.gawker.com/ artofspeed/) as a new form of Because they’re a new form of advertisement. While it only was up for communication, blogs have attracted several weeks, the blog attracted amazing interest from companies, brands, and attention for Nike. public relations and advertising agencies.

Edelman CEO Richard Edelman was one But bloggers are a population unto of the fi rst corporate offi cers to launch a themselves, and new bloggers must learn blog (http://www.edelman.com/speak_ and behave by the rules of the blogging up_blog/), and he sees his Speak Up blog code. Unfortunately, the code isn’t written as a communication and feedback tool anywhere and varies from site to site, that complements the agency’s existing author to author. Perhaps no one summed outreach to clients, potential customers, it up better than Ogilvy & Mather’s Steven employees and the public. As Steve Rubel, Hayden, quoted in Fortune magazine in a public relations expert in New York January 2005: “If you fudge or lie on a City and author of the MicroPersuasion blog, you are biting the karmic weenie. blog (http://steverubel.typepad.com/ The negative reaction will be so great micropersuasion/) has noted: “For the fi rst that, whatever your intention was, it will be time in the information age, there’s a human overwhelmed and you will be crushed like face on business. Blogging allows you to a bug.” have a two-way dialogue in a public forum,

Some corporations, in fact, have deployed led by real people. For the fi rst time, public blogs benefi cially, including Microsoft, relations means relating with the public.” IBM, Sun MicroSystems and GM, which use blogs as communications tools among Blogs gone wrong their programmers and the public. Jonathan But not all company ideas for blogs are Schwartz, COO and President of Sun great and wonderful things, and several Microsystems explains: “Well over 1,000 agencies and brands have learned the (Sun employees) have been given space hard way. for blogging. There’s no restraint on what they can blog about. We provide tools Mazda, for example, didn’t fare well and expect them to use them responsibly. in late 2004 with its foray into the Restricting what you can write on a blog is Blogosphere. In fact, type the phrase the same as restricting what you can say “Mazda blog” into Google or Yahoo!, in an e-mail or a phone call. And if they are and the fi rst several results link to speaking as an employee, well, we live in a marketing Web sites whose headlines country that values free speech.” proclaim “Mazda’s Blog + Viral Campaign Falls Flat” (www.marketingvox.com) and “Mazda Blog Becomes Unstuck” (www.splatt.com). Mazda apparently

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 12 fi gured one online format was as good as and identifi ed as such, because if bloggers another, so it launched a blog featuring are anything at all, they’re savvy, inherently three 30-second spots for its Mazda 3, skeptical, defensive of their medium and apparently assuming that no one would able to sniff out imposters quickly. And fi gure out that the blogs—purported to once they do, they let everyone else know. be authored by anonymous bloggers In the Kryptonite case, the company who “found” incredible videos to share— simply failed to grasp the immediacy and were sponsored by Mazda’s ad agency impact that a single online posting—from and that the videos were hosted by an a blog or other source—could have on expensive Web-hosting service. That an entire corporation. Had it responded the videos featured Mazda logos only more quickly, or had the company had added skepticism to the bloggers’ already processes in place to pick up that single skeptical views, causing Rick E. Bruner of posting within 24 hours, Krytponite’s Business Blog Consulting to comment on response might have been quicker and his own blog: “Marketers, please, please more educated; instead, the company get the point: blogs are about building seemed rather blindsided and sluggish in trust, not spinning it.” its response.”

Likewise, bike lock maker Kryptonite Those two scenarios illustrate the need found itself unprepared when a bike- for online crisis management in every forum author in September 2004 posted company because on any given day, a information—and a step-by-step video— marketer, company spokesperson, CEO describing how the end of a Bic pen could or public relations professional may be quickly disable and hack a $50 Kryptonite asked to provide an on-the-spot response Evolution 2000 U-Lock. Word of the to a similar but totally unpredictable pen’s ability to override the lock spread situation created and distributed by a on the Internet and blogs quicker than blog: a product gone wrong, a campaign Kryptonite’s response, and the company uncovered, a fl aw exposed, a personality eventually had to offer rebates for arrested, a video or still photo posted for replacement locks and promised to speed all the world to see. Who will respond and production of hack-proof bikes…losing how? How quickly? In what format? And valuable elements of a reputation built over how well? decades and costing an estimated $10 million in replacement locks.

Transparency, Transparency…and Speed What went wrong? Pete Blackshaw, CMO of Intelliseek, shares his opinion: “In the fi rst case, Mazda totally ignored the importance of ‘transparency.’ Corporate blogs are OK, but they must be labeled

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 13 BLOG SEGMENTATION: that facilitate access to the most infl uential THE EDELMAN & INTELLISEEK blogs within each category. TRUST MEDIA BLOG DIRECTORY

Who are the most infl uential bloggers? The complete Trust MEdia Blog Directory Which blogs have the highest readership is available by special arrangement to and levels of trust? Which bloggers speak Edelman or Intelliseek clients, but profi les with the most authority? (see chart: Blog of some of the top bloggers include: Segmentation) Business to Business/Public Relations How were the lists compiled? Potential Blogger: Steve Rubel, vice president at blog links were identifi ed within 27 blog Cooper Katz in New York City search engines, including Intelliseek’s own Blog: Micropersuasion BlogPulse.com portal (which analyzes URL: http://www.micropersuasion.com millions of blogs daily), as well as Google, About: A source of commentary and a Blogdigger. Blo.gs, Postami, Blogz, how-to resource for marketers, advertisers DayPop, Popdex, Wapath, Feedster, and public relations professionals. Rubel Bloglines and Blogstreet. Those with high offers specialty posts on event blogging, traffi c and infl uence were examined to fi nd marketing, general blogging, podcasting, additional blog links within each category, shameless promotion, journalism and and those links further reviewed. more, much of it based on others’ advice, input or his own 10 years of experience To be included in the directory a blog had in public relations. An innovative blogger, to appear in Intelliseek’s BlogPulse.com Rubel spent one week in 2004 getting all top 12,000 blog lists, have high traffi c, high his news from blogs and wrote about the infl uence (based on readership and/or experience. He also coordinated 2004’s blogroll links), high numbers of Bloglines Global PR Marketing Week among like- subscribers, receive some media coverage minded PR bloggers. Has strong metrics and/or meet other subjective standards across all blogs including high ranking in for blog content. The overall focus of the the Intelliseek 12,000. A true infl uencer. directory is to provide high-quality links

Blog Segmentation

The Edelman/Intelliseek 100 Trust MEdia Blog Directory lists top blogs in key verticals based on traffi c, infl uence and other factors that drive them to the top of consciousness in the Blogosphere. A sample of blogs and categories includes:

Overall Top 100 Consumer Technology Health Care Marketing/Advertising Public Relations Poynter Institute (media) Engadget MedPundit AdLand Micro Persuasion

Instapundit (politics) Slashdot Kevin M.D. AdRants Corporate PR

Eschaton Gizmodo Waking Up Costs Wonder Branding POP! (politics/news/issues)

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 14 Business to Business General: responses, some of them quite biting, and Blogger: Neville Hobson regular contributors can rank responses so Blog: Nev On that readers can fi lter them into a readable URL: http://nevon.typepad.com/nevon/ number. Slashdot is used by hardcore investor_relations/ technophiles and virgin newbies alike and is routinely cited by bloggers of all About: Hobson is an independent British persuasions. The metrics on this site make communicator based in the Netherlands it a clear technology leader and a place who offers insights, links and commentary to go for information about technology, about a variety of business issues and who electronics, gadgets, etc. Clearly among possesses a special interest in business the top three technology-focused blogs. communications and technology and ways that the latter can facilitate the former. He’s been blogging since 2002 and says in his blog biography that he feels he really found HOW TO CONTACT BLOGGERS: NEW RULES his niche in the Blogosphere in 2004. OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THE BLOGOSPHERE

How does blogging change what Consumer Packaged Goods communications professionals do? For one Blogger: Stephen Bainbridge thing, blogging forces new ways of thinking Blog: Professor Bainbridge on Wine about communicating with bloggers, not URL: http://www.professorbainbridgeon wine.com/ only because they represent a new medium but also because their rules of the road About: A law professor at the University differ slightly from those of traditional, of California at Los Angeles, Bainbridge mainstream media. is also a wine expert who blogs about wine, wineries, wine movies, wine prices— Old-world “pitching” anything wine-related. Until bloggers arrived, pitching the “media” was fairly standard. Journalists received Consumer Technology phone calls, e-mails or press kits from Blogger: Collective blog by the folks public relations fi rms and spokespeople, at Slashdot, owned by Open Source usually information that involved a new Technology Group product, an idea, a campaign, a new angle Blog: Slashdot to an old issue. Information about members URL: http://slashdot.org/ of the media was obtained from any

About: Slashdot is a group blog authored number of readily available media atlases, by several techno-experts, and it contains directories and databases: reporters’/ useful information spanning all areas of producers’ names, contact information, consumer technology. The blog, in fact, beats, outlet, phone number and other serves as a discussion forum. A post about pertinent information. Over time, good technology news often draws hundreds of public relations pros built up relationships

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 15 and trust with members of the media. Hence, these tips for engaging with bloggers: Sometimes, reporters wrote/covered something in response to the pitch, other • Read the blog. Try to understand what times they didn’t, but the relationship had and why the readers like the blog site. an air of trust and open communication. • Bloggers write about only what’s interesting to them, so connect with the New-world “Contacting” blog author by sharing information that his or her readers might appreciate. Today, communications professionals must rely on more upfront homework • Engage with the blogger on topics he before they contact both the news media or she has raised, thus establishing the and the blogger. They still rely on lists of relationship fi rst. credentialed reporters (some of whom are • Don’t wear out your welcome. Make also offi cial bloggers) who cover specifi c choices about who to contact, when to beats, but they also have created lists of contact, and how frequently. bloggers who cover their industry, specialty • As with mainstream media writers, markets, issues and topics that are what’s important are the relationship and relevant to a client’s business. Some of the trust developed over time. bloggers, they’ve met in person, and some they’ve contacted only by e-mail. But when • Provide information, kernels, links, any communications professional is ready and other resources; don’t just shower to issue a press release or announce a new bloggers with canned press releases. Instead of sending a press release as product, the approach may be scattershot a Word document, for example, send to cover all bases: personal phone calls to only the link to the press release on the mainstream reporters, a few more phone company Web site. Send links to existing calls or personalized e-mails to targeted news stories, blog entries, videos, audio and infl uential bloggers, a few more e- recordings or other resources that mails to bloggers whose relevance is less bloggers so love to share. immediate, and whatever follow-up is • Beware of spam. Contact bloggers needed. Spam is always at the back of any judiciously, always conscious that communication professionals’ mind, and everyone likes as little spam as possible. care must be taken about who to contact, (Comment sections on blogs already are how to contact them and how frequently. being targeted by traditional spam, so don’t add to the fray). But what hasn’t changed is the “relations” • Be honest and transparent about your part of the public/media relations role. That motives and intentions. Make sure the still remains the most important element of blogger knows you are a marketing or PR the task at hand. professional.

• Read the blog author’s “rules of contact.” Honor “do not call” requests. If a blogger makes it clear that he/she no longer

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 16 wants to hear from you (whether by company have a policy about employees phone or e-mail), remove the name from authoring their own blogs? Do your list. employees know about such a policy?

• Choose the best person to engage with 5. Does your company’s communications bloggers. Bloggers might prefer to also agency have a blog strategy? Does the talk to someone in the company directly agency take blogs seriously? If it has a involved in the product, news, issue or policy, do you know what it is? Has one event rather than with a spokesperson. been crafted for or presented to your company? • Like all writers and reporters, bloggers like being fi rst…with an insight, an angle, 6. If your company has a blog, does the actual news, etc. Spread around your anyone pay attention to how many hits it “tips” and “exclusives” so that no one receives, who links to it and what kind of feels slighted. comments it receives?

7. Do you know how many times your company or brand was mentioned in TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG: blogs and in communication forums in KEY QUESTIONS FOR MARKETERS AND the last year? Quarter? Month? COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS 8. Does your company monitor blogs Many companies have very simple and online conversations to determine questions: Should we have a blog? If what’s being said? Who handles the so, what kind should it be? Who should task, and how often? What kind of data maintain it? What should its purpose be? is collected, and who receives it? What will we use it for? 9. If your company monitors blogs and other online conversations, does it Frankly, the questions go far deeper than also have a protocol for responding the basic ones, and we provide this list to negative information it fi nds? Who to help business and communications responds? What event(s) triggers such a professionals think intelligently about blogs response? and blog strategies. 10. Does your company know whether existing consumers or critics—some of 1. Are you willing to engage in a dialogue whom already might be in your customer with your public? database—are active bloggers or infl u-

2. What is your strategy for becoming an ential bloggers? (e.g., do you ask them questions about their blogging behavior advocate with your consumers? when you interact with them in order to 3. Does your company have a blog policy? fi nd out their level of blog activity?) If so, do your employees know about it? 11. Do you understand the differences 4. Do your company’s employees contrib- between the types of bloggers, e.g., cre- ute to blogs on your company’s Web dentialed media bloggers vs. consumer site? On their own Web sites? Does your bloggers?

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 17 12. If fi nancial analysts, media representa- tives and other outsiders are research- ing your company, do you know which blogs they consult?

13. When you launch a new product, event or campaign, does your company have a strategy for presenting the information to bloggers?

14. Because blogs are so easy to publish, has anyone determined whether certain elements of the blog-publishing format should or could be easily adapted for your company Web site?

15. Are you willing to enter the world of blogging with honesty, frankness and humor? If you cannot get past “marketing speak” and defensiveness, then do not blog.

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 18 The Do’s and Don’ts of Blogging in General

Do’s: Don’ts:

Advertise on key blogs if doing so is relevant Get drawn into a fi ght, especially if a blog contains information that makes you Be subtle, relevant and targeted when you unhappy, nervous or angry. Do your best to engage with blogs and bloggers. Familiarize respond with the truth, both on the blog and yourself with the writer’s subject, tone and on your company’s Web site. style. Alienate the blogging universe with Keep a two-way relationship with the unfounded criticism or slams blogger…provide input, provide content, provide feedback Lie about who you are or post a “fake” blog that’s intended to serve as an advertising or Keep your blog postings and comments short marketing vehicle. You’ll be shot down almost and relevant. as soon as you click on the “publish” or “post comment” link. Realize that whatever you post, or whatever comment you add to another’s blog, has the Be anonymous or pretend to be someone potential to be indexed by a search engine, you’re not. They’ll fi nd you out. such that it could become the fi rst piece of content Internet users fi nd when they search Use “seeding,” which is the practice where for your company, brand or the particular issue people who really don’t have a passion for under discussion. your company, brand or issue are hired to promote it nonetheless. These seeding Tell the truth. It is best to get the truth out individuals and fi rms are paid to post into the Blogosphere and keep attention comments or conversations on blogs and focused on it if you think bloggers are unfairly aren’t transparent about it. spreading misinformation. Respond quickly, with the facts and with respect. Provide Get wordy. Most blog posts are short on contact information for yourself or other words and heavy with lots of links to other people they can speak to or interview. content.

Understand that as “comment spam” Post a comment that sounds like an increases, more blogs will place restrictions advertisement. If you’re engaging as a on commenting, either through required representative of your company or agency, registration or fi ltering mechanisms that scan identify yourself as such, offer to help or for spam before publishing comments. answer questions, and include links to Web sites, FAQ’s or other simple resources. Realize that timely purchases of keywords on Google AdWords Select or other paid search ad vehicles can be very effective very quickly (and sometimes are very inexpensive) if you get them at the moment of hatching.

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 19 Blogging Terms you Absolutely Need to Know

The Blogosphere can be a strange place until you get used to how it works and the jargon that feeds it. This short lexiconlexicon ofof blog-relatedblog-related termsterms willwill helphelp youyou understandunderstand it:it:

Adverblog: Short for “advertising blog,” a Hyperlink/Link:Hyperlink/Link: A URL/link that is included blogblogblog uusedsed forfor advertisingadvertis(blôg)ing toto anotheranother sourcesource wwherehere rreaderseaders ccanan fi n ndd more information or perspective. Often, bloggers provide only a summary of Aggregator: A piece of software, often information and offer the link for those who free,free, thatthat automaticallyautomatically gathersgathers RSS-basedRSS-based wantwant ttoo cclicklick oonn iitt ttoo readread moremore summaries of a set of user-selected blogs forfor easyeasy browsingbrowsing n. a shared :on- An audio (or occasionally video) recording posted on a blog (or Web site) Astroturfi ng: “Fake grassroots” that and syndicated via RSS happens when an agenda-driven organization,organization, agency,agency, thinkthink tank,tank, government agency, etc. pays people to Moblog: SShorthort forfor “mobile“mobile blog,”blog,” a blogblog linesay g ood thjournalings about it without revealing thatth at containsconwheretains ppostsosts mademade fromfrom a mobilemob ile that they’re getting paid device, typically a cell phone

Burst/Bursty: The tendency of an issue, Post/Posting: The content a blogger phrasephrase oorr personperson toto “burst”“burst” brieflbriefl yy iintonto entersenters onon a blogblog isis calledcalled a “post,”“post,” andand thethe awareness because of a mention in the actact ofof publishingpublishing itit isis calledcalled “posting”“posting” peopleblogosphere can post Really Simple Syndication (RSS): The Blogosphere: The universe of bloggers technology by which blogs syndicate their and blogs posts throughout the Internet community

diaryCredential ed bloentriesg: A Web log authored Trackba ck: Aaboutn automatic feature of some by a “credentialed” member of the news blog software programs that allows a media or analyst community blogger to determine who has linked to an original post

Comment Spam: A fairly new phenomenon in which spammers post fake : ShortShort forfor “video“video blog,”blog,” a publishingpublishing theircomments on blopersonalgs and embed within their platformplatform forfor theth e distributiondistribution ofof videosvideos comments links to spam sites for porn, prescription drugs, gambling, etc. Wiki: An online page that any viewer can edit.edit. TheThe onlineonline encyclopediaencyclopedia WikipediaWikipedia isis Groupblog: A blog written and maintained a well-known wiki. by a group of authors; also a collective or experiencescollaborativecollaborative blogblog and XML: Extensible Markup Language, a format that computers use to share/ exchange data on the World Wide Web

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 20 If you want to learn more about conversation auditing, and consider how blogs might or might not work for your company, brand and employees, contact:

Rick Murray Pam Talbot Pete Blackshaw EVP & GM PRESIDENT & COO CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER EDELMAN EDELMAN U.S. INTELLISEEK DIVERSIFIED SERVICES 312.240.3000 513.618.6725 WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING NETWORK 312.240.2822

Next in Edelman’s series on New Communications & Word-of-Mouth Marketing, we’ll look at the nature of employee blogs. Blogs are not only a powerful tool for companies and public relations professionals to communicate with their key stakeholders, but also are a mechanism used for employees to communicate with customers, the general public and with each other.

We’ll evaluate examples of employee blogs and employee-focused blogs, and how companies are coping with this new form of internal and external communication. From creating policies about blogs, to providing platforms for employees to create their own blogs, companies are taking various approaches to handle this emerging trend.

In addition, we’ll share our point of view on the pros and cons of employee blogging and how blogging might help your organization be more productive in its communications practices.

Sources: 1. Perseus Blog Survey, Perseus Development 2. Intelliseek Inc., “Consumer-Generated Media 1010: Word-of-Mouth in the Age of the Web-Fortifi ed Consumer.” White paper; Spring 2004. 3. Rainie, Lee. Pew Internet & American Life Project, “Data Memo: The State of Blogging.” January 2005. 4. Nail, Jim. “The Consumer Advertising Backlash,” May 28, 2004. Forrester/Intelliseek research project. 5. Mitchell, Bill, and Steele, Bob. “Earn Your Own Trust, Roll Your Own Ethics: Transparency and Beyond.” Poynter Institute, January 15, 2005.

Trust “MEdia”: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard 21 ABOUT INTELLISEEK ABOUT EDELMAN http://www.intelliseek.com http://www.edelman.com Intelliseek provides business intelligence Edelman is the world’s largest independent solutions that transform unstructured data, public relations fi rm with 1,800 employees in 39 including consumer-generated media that offi ces worldwide. In 2003, The Holmes Group appears in Internet forums, boards, blogs named Edelman “Agency of the Year,” and and other venues, into actionable insights PRWeek voted its work for CIT “Best Campaign for marketers, companies and brands. of the Year,” the industry’s most prestigious Intelliseek’s platform technology adds structure, award for client programming. Edelman’s relevance and meaning to unstructured data network includes four specialty fi rms—Blue in multiple sources and formats, transforming (advertising), First&42nd (management it into easy-to-interpret desktop reports and consulting), StrategyOne (research) and alerts. Available as a marketing intelligence BioScience Communications (medical education application (BrandPulse™) and enterprise and publishing)—making it possible for us to software (Enterprise Discovery Suite™), offer clients a comprehensive spectrum of Intelliseek’s products help speed and deepen communications. Visit www.edelman.com for consumer understanding, product research more information. and competitive analysis. Its newly launched BlogPulse™ (www.blogpulse.com) tracks issues and trends in millions of blogs. Intelliseek maintains headquarters in Cincinnati, with sales and support offi ces in New York, California and Washington D.C., and the Applied Research Center in Pittsburgh.

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