Have you been following the discussion? I mean if you think blogging is simply the outlet for the frustrated political journalist, unsung critics of art, sport, media, literature and life or sexually frustrated adolescents then pass this post and dig in deep and take an egocentric and self-indulgent stomach turning ride through the blogosphere. Alternatively, if you believe that beyond the ranting, raving and running amok of writers extrodinaire where good writing exhibits solid thinking which in turn yields more effective and enhanced communications – then let's go on a different ride.
We started here, Then went here, here, here, here and here. Then here and here. Even here.
But it was here that I had the most fun while basking in aura of pain relief meds sorely needed after a zealot Doctor had his way with remnants of my prehistoric past — my wisdom teeth.
[…] Actually rather than thinking extraction alone we should think orthodontistry, more art for a smile than techniques to cure infection and disease. Then there's the odd piece of bridgework required, perhaps a few implants and bingo even corporates will blog with pearly whites. Then P&G or Colgate will produce some new fangled brightener while OralB puts some bent bristle brushes into action. That could confuse things unless the correct blogging technique is maintained. […]
Stuart Henshall plays the oral hygiene analogy to a perfect tee.
[…] Still most corporates will be required to lose their “wisdom” teeth. It's affecting their bite and they're leaving no room for growth. The sooner blogging becomes daily the more rapidly plaque and gum disease will come under control — not to mention the dreaded halitosis. There's a stench when corporate communications fail to be transparent. They are not compelling when they lose their smile and character. Yep we need engineering. Full plates are not in vogue. Toothy tattoos may be in. Possibly every org needs new blogging hygienists and dental technicians. Yet it's not only hygiene that blogpaste is working on. […]
While Stuart may have his tongue firmly planted in cheek, his points are well taken at this end. I'm excited about his concept of Collaborative Live Brand Communities. And as we both have noted earlier, these can start from within the organization. And while opportunists or ignorants might attempt to turn a blog into a hollow, shallow and sterile marketing tool, truth is they'll be transparent and will fail. But those who understand, or at least have a will to understand and learn will find how blogging, in whatever form, will lead to healthier communications will ultimately leads to better relationships — relationships with customers, employees, partners, shareholders and the traditional media as well as with others in the blogosphere.
If you haven't read the BlogPaste post from Stuart, jump over there now. You'll find Stuart's top of mind core categories that would enable teams to begin internally blogging. These include Daily Updates, Team Briefs, Key Projects, Measures/Expectations and a Dashboard to integrate all of this together.
I'd like to enable the entire organization, beyond specific teams, to communicate. This could be done under the guise of Human Resources. A community blog that would allow teams, departments or business unit members to post feedback to any number of categories including customer service, facilities, marketing, manufacturing, sales, distribution, shipping/receiving, accounting etc. Ideas would be shared and overall company performance could be increased. Sure there are pros and cons to such a system. Point is, someone needs to start — to lead. And these discussions I hope will instill enough curiosity in the innovator among us to jump in and take a stab at creating the blogging organization.
While Doc is getting tired of blogging about blogging and is having a bit of oral hygiene issue with the bad taste in his mouth from those who feel that blogging is simply about marketing. I'd have to ask Doc not to let those who do bother him. That's giving them too much power. They're doomed for failure. The one's that succeed may be the one's to watch. Yet not everyone can sit on the sidelines. Someone has to make the first move.
As a marketing professional and ex-advertising agency principal, I do see a role for the agency. Whether PR, advertising or interactive. But roles must be clearly defined — for the sake of clarity — and expectations understood and managed.
In as much as Doc may find that blogging is not about marketing, it's not about the tools or the technology either. I mentioned earlier that companies can be personified by human characteristics and traits. All of do this daily — and usually unconsciously. That's because we're most comfortable with human interaction, feelings and touch. (keep in touch, touch base, touch down, etc). Dina Mehta and Tom hit this head on:
Tom: […] It is not about blogs, which are merely a means for the human — as individual, or group, or polls — to explore and discover and perhaps to gain some tenuous additional hold on what and where and who “we” have been, can be, and could arrive at being. What is interesting is not trackbacks or power curves or wiki or RSS or Harvardian Rules of Blog Anality and Stultification . Rather, what is interesting (to me at least) is what these curious mechanisms and their contents might (however unwittingly) reveal about the mind and the soul and the spirit and the body and the memory and the desire and the imagination and the languages of the beings who keep trying to understand blogs […]
Dina: […] Blogs aren't an end in themselves for sure, or the 'magic mantra' that redefines business. But they can, along with other tools like wikis and forums, provide a playground for companies to prototype and innovate.[…]
Dina has likened this ongoing discussion to playing. Even improvising, as in Jazz music. I invite the discussion to continue. I'm not yet bored about blogging about blogging. Because it's just now getting interesting. Drop me a line here, or enter your thoughts in the comments link just below. Check back with me and others mentioned in this post and those that I've linked to. It's also a lot of fun.
Digital Tavern Corporate Weblog Series: #1 – Why Does Barbie Blog? | #2 – Are Corporate Weblogs Taking Off | Corporate Blogging Done Right | #3 – Blogging Business. Is It Anyone's Business?
