Comments on: Big Companies Form Private Blog Council

By: johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)

johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 01:48:10 +0000

Lots of big businesses participate in “private” councils. It’s one way they choose to learn. Is it the best way? That’s debatable. Had Dell participated in a Blog Council before launching their blog, maybe they wouldn’t have stumbled out of the gates.

This is a great sign to me. It tells us big businesses are interested in learning what a lot of us already know.

And as Andy Sernovitz said earlier, this is an issue of focus for Blog Council members. Big businesses have loads of challenges they face which smaller businesses don’t have to deal with. By learning from a select group of like-minded peers, these big business will be able to gain the knowledge, experience, and confidence to one day, be more inclusive than exclusive.

By: geoliv

geoliv — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:17:29 +0000

Susan, Alice, Lauren, Shannon, Lewis, Rich and Des: Thank you for commenting! It’s certainly an interesting conversation throughout the comments and in the larger blogosphere!

By: Des Walsh

Des Walsh — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:53:17 +0000

I’m guessing there is not an intent to insult vendors, small businesses or critics (who are they? is that code for “bloggers”?), but there is a smugness about the release that makes me wonder if this was all thought through, discussed by the participants, perhaps? What is the point of issuing a press release to tell the world you are having a meeting and no one else can come, so there? What’s the word of mouth marketing objective here?

By: Richard Becker

Richard Becker — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:41:19 +0000

Hey Geoff,

I had commented on Shel Holtz’s blog about the tone of exclusivity as well. I don’t really think it’s a big deal compared to the good it might produce. It sets a great example that businesses are moving toward social media. Still, I think we can appreciate the tony irony in meeting privately to discuss how to speak publicly or billing aggressive exclusivity: no vendors, no small businesses, no critics, no judging.

Best,
Rich

By: PR Nightmare: "Comcast Must Die" Blog Unifies Angry Customers » The Buzz Bin

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:35:45 +0000

[...] addition to Now Is Gone coverage of the Blog Council, check out these prominent [...]

By: Lewis Green

Lewis Green — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:51:44 +0000

Geoff,

It is natural, I think, for anyone discussing important issues to at first want to do so in private. We all know that creative meetings where ideas are being bounced around can result in someone reporting an “idea” as fact, when it isn’t. I never concern myself with businesses discussing ideas behind closed doors. I’m more interested in the decisions that come out of these kinds of meetings.

By: Shannon Whitley

Shannon Whitley — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:40:35 +0000

The goals of the group may be laudable, but using the word ‘Council’ connotes decision making and administration. Small semantic issues like this may demonstrate that the group could use some additional input.

By: Marketing Begins At Home

Marketing Begins At Home — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:20:04 +0000

The Style Council…

or my ever changing tactics.
So what to make of The Blog Council?
Lot’s been said on Twitter and by Shel and Geoff.
This morning Phil pointed out to me that by calling it the Blog Council they might be limiting themselves. Why not The Social Medi…

By: Lauren Vargas

Lauren Vargas — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:45:53 +0000

Fabulous! The meeting sounds promising. I have no issues with the Council meeting privately, but I would like to see what comes of these meetings. What happens during these meetings? What content is being reviewed and in what context? Whose fingernails are dirty? I’d love to be a fly on the wall in that room!

Obviously not all bloggers can participate in the council conversation, buy-in from the blogger community is necessary to carry out the messages.

By: Alice Marshall

Alice Marshall — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:30:54 +0000

“What do you do when 2000 employees have personal blogs?”

That one worries me. Why do anything if it is a personal blog? It is important not to confuse economic power with political power.