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Coca-Cola's New Blog

I just word got from Adam Brown, director of digital services over at Coca-Cola, that the soft drink giant with the world’s most famous brand has joined the corporate blogging ranks.

Coke’s inaugural corporate blog Coca-ColaConversations will cover a variety of topics from brand history to the value of collectibles. Phil Mooney, Coke’s director of archives and a thirty year Company veteran, will be its first blogger.

With over 30,000 Coca-Cola items for sale on eBay, there is a lot of interest in the brand. Adam tells me that collectors and enthusiasts literally mob Phil at Coca-Cola memorabilia conventions, antique shows or flea markets across the country with stories about their Coke experience.

Accordingly, the goal for Coca-Cola’s blog is “to share these same stories and engage in relevant discussions with a much larger audience.”

Getting management approval was a lot easier than Adam had thought. Previously, Coke had participated in special blog projects, including the hosting of an Olympic blog during the Athens games in 2004, the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy as well as a blog during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. They also hosted a successful internal blog in 2006 for their associates/employees.

In this case, they wanted to “develop a blog with a unique voice, topic and conversation spectrum that wasn't being delivered elsewhere.” It is intended to complement the thousands of daily conversations about Coca-Cola on other blogs, message boards, forums and in social networking communities.

A top priority for management is to connect their heritage with present time activities.

Adam explained that this is just one example of ways that Coke is involved online. In recent years they also created programs with Second Life, YouTube, Facebook and their own branded destination sites like MyCokeRewards. Each program has different goals, but ultimately it is about reaching their audiences in a way that is relevant to them.

Given the strong interest in its brand and tradition, Coke’s new blog is an appropriate first step. It will be interesting to see how Coke’s future plans integrate all these online properties, including its presence on Facebook.

Even more interesting will be how Coke’s blogging efforts evolve as an anticipated ensemble of other employees possibly take on more challenging topics -- whether it be recycling, new products, marketing, packaging and philanthropy. I am hoping to see that Coke is as transparent about these issues as it is about memorabilia and nostalgia. That will be a true test of Coke's new media mettle and add some fizz to the blogosphere.

Let me get back to you.

Technorati Tags: Phil Mooney; Coke Corporate Blog; Adam+Brown; Coca-ColaConversations; Coke; Coke Blog; Coke Memorabilia; Coca-Cola;

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1. The blog must cover one or more content marketing topics.
2. The blog should include significant/substantial posts.
3. As a measure of quality, we should weight the importance of others linking to the blog (Google PageRank).
4. The blog should consistently communicate with the audience.
5. How well do we (Junta42) believe the blog adds something substantial to the content marketing industry (subjective)

Please check out these blogs. What other blogs should be included?

Let me get back to you.


Technorati Tags: Junta42;

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Reviewing more than a dozen websites, I wanted to follow up on last week's posting about social media’s value in helping challenger brands take on market leaders. But whether it was Avis and Hertz, Reebok and Nike, Miller and Budweiser, Pepsi and Coke, Lowes and Home Depot, Stonyfield Farms and Dannon, Target and Wal-Mart, Burger King and McDonald’s, I discovered that there was no correlation between market position and the use of social media.

Granted my choices were somewhat arbitrary and my methodology unscientific. I limited my analysis to blogs. I deliberately focused on well-known consumer brands and avoided technology companies who have been the earliest adopters and most vocal supporters of social media.

Disappointedly, few of these companies even had a blog and an even smaller percentage had a notable one. For example, Hertz lacked a blog, but Avis had one. But while Avis may try harder, their corporate blog is decidedly British. Kudos for being “the first car rental company to start a blog,” but its writers are based in the U.K. I know Avis is a global company, but I am not sure how referencing a soccer match in Liverpool has much relevance for a customer trying to get an upgrade in Tucson.

Overall, my research yielded no consistent use or placement of blogs. More vexing, even if a company had a blog, it was not easy to find. I am not sure if that was by neglect or design.

And so I am left asking the following question: If companies are going to take the time to invest in social media tools, how can they avoid making them so difficult for customers to access? Or put another way; if social media is meant to improve the customer experience, why do barriers exist that prevent customers from taking advantage of them?

In general, there is no agreement about blog placement. Some companies (particularly Web 2.0 companies) take advantage of their homepage. Others place their blog on the media relations page. Others put them somewhere in the corporate “about us” page. And still others use the website search function. Another group puts the onus on users to find it through an outside search engine like Yahoo or Google.

One of Stonyfield Farms blogs

Among the group of companies I looked at for this posting, only Stonyfield Farms and Wal-Mart had links to their blog on their homepage, and only Stonyfield had done so prominently. I found McDonald’s blog (they also had podcasts) on their corporate values page. With Nike’s “blog” (doesn’t allow comments and doesn’t identify its authors), and Miller’s, I had to type the company name + blog on Google Search. If I could find the search function on a website, it often yielded no results.

Perhaps the different “placement strategies,” reflect the different function that each blog serves. Some promote a lifestyle associated with the brand. Others reflect the values of the corporate culture or the overall industry, and others are intended primarily to sell products.

• Stonyfield, whose web strategy I have long admired, has a blog, “where parents can meet up, rant, offer and seek advice, or just tell us their trials and triumphs." They have another one called “Moos” from Jonathan Gates and his organic dairy farm, Howmars Farm in Franklin, Vermont. It plays perfectly to the lifestyle of its customers and reflects the values of the company.

• McDonald’s blog focuses on their corporate social responsibility.

• Wal-Mart’s is “dedicated to bringing you the latest in gadgets, green, gaming, and more, and written by a group of expert Wal-Mart Associates.”

• Miller’s “site aims to give beer people daily analysis, commentary and some original reporting on the current state of the alcohol-beverage industry.”

• Nike’s is about selling the Nike image and products and is focused on basketball.

While companies may lack corporate blogs, there is certainly no shortage of bloggers out there posting entries that often put these very companies in an unflattering light. It was sometimes difficult to determine which were official corporate blogs and which ones were user-generated. That confusion is an added incentive for companies to be clear about what their blog stands for and where it should be placed. Being accessible allows companies to play a positive, proactive role in facilitating user interaction.

Of course, I understand the value of real estate on the homepage and the need to move customers through the sales stream. Giving a blog prominent placement doesn’t quicken the purchase decision, but there is something to be said for simple engagement without the hard sell.

Granted blogs may not suit every corporate culture. And even more challenging is striking the right balance between a corporate voice and customer lifestyle – especially if you have a brand that appeals to numerous demographics. If social media has taught us anything, one size does not fit all. And for some companies, it may be advantageous to disassociate the blog from the corporate website to appear anti-corporate or counter cultural.

In the end, I believe that companies should have blogs regardless of the diversity of the customer base and the particular set of products and services. Where that blog resides on a company's website is determined by its purpose. But that blog should be easily found through the site map on the website. That's the best way to maximize your investment and shape the online conversation.

Let me get back you.

Technorati Tags: Challenger Brands; Corporate Blogging; Social Media;

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There are signs that some Americans are growing weary of the coverage. For the first time since the campaign began, about as many say the press has devoted too much coverage to the campaign as say the amount of coverage has been appropriate (40% vs. 43%). In previous surveys, sizable pluralities said news organizations were devoting the right amount of coverage to the campaign.

The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential campaign. Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage from a comparable point in the 2004 campaign (13%).

All these studies point in one direction. It isn't a question of the amount of information. The issue is both its source and means of distribution. When voters can shape its flow, they are not only more receptive, they feel more empowered in the political process. That may be little comfort for network executives and media consultants, but it may redefine how elections are waged and won.

Let me get back to you.

Technorati Tags: Pew Reasearch Center for the People and the Press; Pew Internet & American Life Project; Mark Mellman; Michael Bloomfield; Word of Mouth; 2008 Presidential Campaign;

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Circuit City's recent financial performance underscores its challenges in catching Best Buy. And while Best Buy gets its share of customer complaints, it appears to be winning the public perception battle on customer service.

But given Best Buy’s market position, I was surprised to discover that Circuit City’s social media presence was so much more robust than Best Buy’s. I had thought that Best Buy’s online commitment to customer service would match its in-store reputation. It doesn’t appear to be that way and herein lies an opportunity for Circuit City to gain a competitive edge.

When I visited Best Buy’s blog, it said “coming soon.” With Blue Shirt Nation, Best Buy rightfully established a forum for its 140,000 front-line employees to share tips, gripes and personal interests. But it requires an employee password – a lost opportunity to engage customers and gain valuable insights (the way Dell has done with Ideastorm).

That is not the case at Circuit City. Its City Center has won bloggers’ praise. Each of its product categories on its web site from TV & Home Entertainment to Movies & Music has discussion forums, blogs and photo galleries. In 2006, it even joined up with IBM to create a virtual presence on Second Life.

Circuit City’s Rich Lesperance, director of web sales and operations, says word-of-mouth drives much of their social media. Believing that the best way to build a community is organically, Circuit City focuses on making the site a pull rather than a push. “Marketing efforts can help once the community is self sustaining from content provided by enthusiasts who just love talking about consumer electronics.”

According to Circuit City, many years ago before it became widely adopted they were one of the first major retailers to have customer reviews. Forums are a logical continuation of that legacy.

As with most companies, Circuit City’s greatest challenge for implementing a social media strategy was simply starting. Building a critical mass of members began with the most dedicated passionate contributors who voluntarily posted to help answer questions. After more than a year, Circuit City is adding hundreds of new members each week. An even larger number comes to browse topics and learn about technology.

Having just added some brand new features, like blogs and podcasts, Circuit City plans to keep trying different things in 2008 and let the customers decide what is most helpful.

I have to give Circuit City a great deal of credit for embracing social media. It will be interesting to see over time if these efforts can help them challenge Best Buy’s leadership position.

Lessons Learned

What lessons can we draw from this comparison?

Having an online presence is no substitute for a superior in store experience. But combined the two can elevate customer satisfaction and lessen the distance between you and the competition when you are a challenger brand.

If you are a PR professional looking to convince your clients or management of the value of social media, it is helpful to point to the competition. If a competitor has a social media presence, then having one as well eliminates a point of differentiation. If a competitor lacks one, then you can make a strong case that a social media presence will give you a competitive advantage.

I suppose if you’re in the unusual position of having a captive customer base, then social media is less relevant. But very few companies have that luxury.

And if you are a market leader with an unassailable brand, there may be less incentive to cede some control to your customers. But most companies can ‘t afford to be so detached, especially in the age when customers are looking to engage in conversation with you and other customers. If history is any indication, maintaining such a lofty brand position over time is next to impossible.

But the most important lesson from all this -- Companies should not rely on their competition to decide whether to implement a social media strategy. It should be a natural extension of a company’s culture and part of its commitment to drive customer satisfaction.

Let me get back to you.

Technorati Tags: Circuit City; Best Buy; City Center; Ideastorm; Challenger Brands; Blue Shirt Nation;

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Over the holidays, I was going through piles of magazine clips from technology and business publications. The stack on my floor had become unmanageable. Most of the pre-2007 clips had outlived their usefulness. What was news just a year ago was at best a historical document today.

The PR professional lives by the motto “now is gone” where everything is for immediate release. The sheer volume of news and the speed of its dissemination make it so difficult to put a price tag on information.

Which only makes the $21 million paid for a copy of the Magna Carta at public auction so interesting. As James Gleick wrote in last week’s New York Times, “Twenty-one million is, by far, the most ever paid for a page of text, and therein lies a paradox: Information is now cheaper than ever and also more expensive.”

To be sure the Magna Carta has historical significance. But living in the age of digital gluttony, we value a physical copy of the Magna Carta for its permanence, its rarity and its connection to the past.

Our profession is not about permanence or rarity. The news we generate is meant to be digested as quickly as possible by as many people as possible.

If the Magna Carta is worth $21 million, how should we measure our output? We all struggle with “return on investment.” As billions and billions of bits of information whirl around the blogosphere, it's not about documents - physical, digital or otherwise -- that we produce. It is not even about impressions, page views, clicks, or rankings.

At the end of the day there is a measurement far more intangible. Our value is determined by the connections we make over time with reporters, bloggers, colleagues and customers.

The quality of these connections separate one professional from another. They tell whom we know and who knows us and reveal how we treat others and how others treat us. But ultimately, the strength of these relationships translates into tangible results for our clients and companies. Unlike the Magna Carta, our mission is less about the authority of kings; rather it's more about the stuff that drives power in the marketplace.

Let me get back to you.

Technorati Tags: Magna Carta; James Gleick;

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Our job was to stage telegenic events replete with large crowds. In the pre-Internet days the goal was to stage a great visual and help deliver the sound bite – that brief excerpt from a press event with the message of the day – to the local and national news outlets.

A point of focus for the campaign, the sound bite represented to many media critics and pundits everything that was wrong with politics. Sound bites disrespected the voters’ intelligence. They denied voters a chance to really understand a candidate’s position. They cheapened politic discourse by reducing complex issues to a few choice words.

Throughout the 1988 campaign, a source of considerable discussion was the shrinking length of the sound bite over the years. Consider the following written last year:

In the 1968 presidential race between Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey, the candidates' sound bites on network news averaged 43 seconds; by the 1988 race between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis, the average was down to nine. An October 2004 study by the University of Southern California and the University of Wisconsin of 2,166 hours of network affiliate newscasts concluded that sound bites for presidential candidates were up a bit, averaging 10.3 seconds, but more than two-thirds of all campaign stories contained no candidate sound bites at all!

Fast forward to 2008. Sound bites are still an important part of a communications strategy along with stump speeches and political commercials; but consumers now have so many more sources for news and information about the candidates and the campaign. Concerns about the length of the soundbite seem anachronistic.

From the candidates' homepages to YouTube, the full text of a speech or the latest commercial is often a click away. Voters can not only get news more easily, they can make it themselves with access to a blog, video camera and an Internet connection. Look no further than George Allen’s 2006 Senatorial bid if you have any doubts about the changing nature of information dissemination.

Technology has the power to transform. But in eliminating some concerns, it creates others. The Internet enables us to access information sources we support and ignore those we oppose. It makes it easier for rumors to spread and survive.

Fractured and divided, the new media landscape promotes a multiplicity of viewpoints at the expense of a national consensus. CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and the New York Times no longer carry the same power to persuade. Swimming in a sea of information, we must work harder at separating opinion from fact and truth from rumor. The "user," not the viewer, listener, or reader, is the unit of measurement, and he or she plays a bigger role in shifting through all the "content."

Ironically, 20 years ago, we were lamenting the state of political discourse and the amount of candidate airtime; today we are overwhelmed with so much content as to potentially numb the electorate rather than deprive it.

Let me get back to you.

Technorati Tags: New Hampshire Primary; 2008 Presidential Campaign; Sound Bite; Hillary Clinton; Barack Obama; John McCain; Mitt Romney; Dick Gephardt;

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