From the WSJ Opinion Archives
BOOKSHELF

Caught in a Web of Comment
How corporate marketers can reach out to blogs.

by DAVID A. PRICE
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 12:01 A.M. EDT

In late October 2005, Mark Russinovich, an expert on computer operating systems, was surprised to find evidence of hidden software on his computer. After much sleuthing, he discovered that Sony BMG Music Entertainment had put software on its music CDs that silently installed itself without asking the customer's permission. To cloak itself and avoid detection, the software modified the Windows operating system; in doing so, it made the computer vulnerable to certain kinds of viruses. Moreover, the software couldn't be un-installed. When he deleted the files, Mr. Russinovich found that he had crippled his CD drive. He was irked.

There the matter might have ended--except that Mr. Russinovich was a blogger. He posted an account of his discovery. Within hours, someone had submitted his entry to the Internet-roundup sites BoingBoing.net and Digg.com, which in turn spread the word. That evening, the story hit the popular information-technology site Slashdot.org. Hundreds of upset readers went to Mr. Russinovich's site and left comments, many pledging never to buy Sony products again.

Matters became worse for Sony BMG: One of those commenters said that she had run tests and found that the software was communicating with the company over the Internet. It seemed that the software was transmitting the identity of the CDs that the users were listening to. Mr. Russinovich corroborated the report with his own tests shortly after and blogged about them. Major media organizations quickly picked up the story. Facing a full-blown scandal, Sony BMG announced a recall of the CDs in mid-November and also was hit with several class-action lawsuits.

Other Goliaths have also taken a hard knock on the head from this new democratic medium--among them Microsoft, which announced last week that it will spend more than $1 billion on free extended warranties following complaints about the unreliability of its Xbox 360 game console. But blogs, of course, aren't only a vehicle for complaints; they recount events, propel debate and lavish praise, too. Some two in five Internet users in the U.S. read blogs, according to a 2006 Pew survey, giving citizen-commentators the potential for more influence than ever. How, then, should companies deal with the world of blogs, as well as podcasts, social-network sites such as Facebook and other "social media"? That question is at the center of "The New Influencers," written by former Computerworld editor Paul Gillin.

Mr. Gillin's primary focus is blogs. For him, this community is as much a Lockean as a Hobbesian one. True, blogs have no standards organizations or governing bodies, but there are norms nonetheless, enforced socially rather than bureaucratically. Bloggers, for instance, are expected to credit their sources (with a link, if possible) and to highlight revisions to their posts instead of making them furtively.

From a corporate PR point of view, Mr. Gillin says, amateur bloggers differ greatly from journalists in both substance and style. For one thing, they are free of the newsroom rule to seek both sides of a story (though often the old media seem to follow it more in form than in substance). Looking at a study comparing coverage of Wal-Mart by bloggers and by traditional media, Mr. Gillin observes that bloggers were far more likely to write on the basis of personal experiences with the stores. When they did weigh in on broader matters--e.g., Wal-Mart's economic or environmental effects--they were vastly more negative than their old-media counterparts.

Even so, Mr. Gillin makes a persuasive case for companies' reaching out to bloggers--a strategy that political campaigns and film studios have pioneered. Consumers are increasingly turning away from print media, skipping TV commercials and ignoring 1990s-style cost-per-thousand banner ads. But they are still seeking information, and many are embracing social media. As in the Sony BMG case, moreover, blogs can help a message make the inter-species jump from ordinary citizens to journalists.

Mr. Gillin notes a few key rules for a marketer trying to win coverage from bloggers: assume they are knowledgeable (as avid enthusiasts tend to be); be frank about negative information (they will react badly if they feel they've been deceived by half-truths); and be available to respond to questions nearly around the clock.

When should firms wade into the blogosphere themselves? Not every company or CEO needs a blog. Apple, synonymous with hipness, doesn't have one. But often enough a company blog makes sense as a way of telling a company's side of a debate. Google and Verizon, for example, both maintain blogs to present their views on public policy matters, such as broadband regulation. Blogs also allow firms to keep up a connection with a fervent customer base, as Southwest Airlines does with "Nuts About Southwest," an outlet to which many employees contribute.

And then, of course, company blogs can serve a more fundamental purpose: selling. My own favorite is that of Thomas Mahon, a Savile Row tailor whose blog, Englishcut.com, gives a broad view of the custom-suit trade even as it drums up business for one small corner of it. The salesmanship is deft and understated; one of Mr. Mahon's highlighted entries even gives a supportive rundown of other Savile Row houses. For me, buying new suits is a chore, and normally I would never even consider a custom-made one. But a few minutes on Mr. Mahon's blog makes me feel as if I really should get myself fitted for one of his $4,000-and-up products right away; no, make that two. I feel lucky that this blog-induced impulse has passed quickly--so far.

Mr. Price is a writer in Washington. You can buy "The New Influencers" from the OpinionJournal bookstore.

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