Las compañías americanas contratan bloggers para crear marca
En la primera frase del artículo se sentencia que el blog se ha convertido ya en un profesión en las organizaciones. El perfil de los candidatos que buscan es el de personas que escriban en un estilo conversacional sobre temas que puedan llamar la atención de "customers, clients and potential recruits".
En el artículo se aportan varios ejemplos de personas que trabajan como bloggers. Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield's chief executive, afirma que "he plans to hire one or two additional full-time bloggers within the next two years. "The blogs give us what we call a handshake with consumers, a bond of loyalty and mutual trust that's different than the typical selling relationship, where it's all about price," Hirshberg said. "With the blogs, we are giving a little bit more access to us as a people with a mission.""
En el siguiente párrafo se explica cómo ha surgido el blogging como una profesión en las compañías americanas:
"Blogging as a job has emerged as companies of all stripes increasingly see the Web as an important communications venue. Blogs allow firms to assume a natural tone rather than the public relations-speak typical of some static Web pages, and readers are often invited to post comments. While some companies are hiring full-time bloggers, others are adding duties to marketing or Web positions".
Ejemplos de estas compañías
"When General Motors wanted to stop speculation last spring that it might eliminate its Pontiac and Buick brands, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz took his case directly to dealers and customers who were up in arms about the possibility. He wrote about it on the company's blog.
"The media coverage on the auto industry of late has done much to paint an ugly portrait of General Motors," began Lutz's entry on GM's FastLane Blog, which was started in January.
The March 30 entry went on to say that widely reported remarks he made to analysts the week before had been "taken out of context" and that GM would not shed the brands.
"When we feel that we need to get a direct response out there, we've certainly got this bully pulpit to some extent," said Michael Wiley, GM's director of new media. "It's a place where we can talk directly to people unfiltered.""
Boeing es otro ejemplo de promocionar su marca mediante el uso del blog. Randy Baseler, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, realizó su primera entrada en "Randy's Journal" justo el día anterior en que su rival Airbus descubrió su A380 superjumbo jet.
Pero la contrapartida a estos ejemplos de éxito está en el mal blogging, que puede ocasionar que nos salga el tiro por la culata. Los lectores en seguida captarán la falta de sinceridad.
""Don't go toward fake blogs. Don't launch character blogs. Use a blog for what it's for, transparency,"
aconseja Steve Rubel, vice president of client services at CooperKatz & Co., una firma de Relaciones Públicas de Nueva York. En su blog Micro Persuasion, aconseja a sus clientes sobre blogging y podcasting. He and other PR professionals can rattle off blogs gone wrong -- usually "fake blogs" that stir up the ire of bloggers by hiding the fact that they are really ad campaigns, such as one McDonald's posted in advance of a Super Bowl campaign about a Lincoln-shaped french fry.
Para finalizar quisiera destacar el párrafo siguiente:
""At the end of the day, the job of any good leader at any corporation is to communicate," Schwartz said. "The hallmark of companies that will find blogs useful is the company that cares about its perception … and the integrity of its relationship with its customers.""
* La pasta para los bloggers, por atach, en el blog Tachnovation, el jueves 18 de agosto de 2005
Ver también el artículo original:
- Blogging the brand, en Courier-Journal, el lunes 8 de agosto de 2005