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October 28, 2005
Blogs Attack
Want some spit and fire? Anger the blogerati. That’s what Forbes did today (requires free registration) by proclaiming that “Web logs are the prized platform of an online lynch mob spouting liberty but spewing lies, libel and invective.”
Well, sure, there are those who spew invectives and flat-out baloney. And author Daniel Lyons is right to report that blogs can be a big threat to brands. That’s true. But what really has the greater blog community roiling is the bald-faced dismissal of the entire channel as intellectual arsonists.
Disclaimer: I’m writing in a blog, therefore I’m pro-blog. End of disclaimer.
Lighten up, Daniel. Bashing companies isn’t the exclusive property of bloggers. Before the blog, it was email. Before email, it was Usenet newsgroups. And outside the techno-sphere, you can bash a company in a bunch of ways that will garner attention.
The impact on our industry is that as we work on behalf of our clients, we have to be more diligent in our efforts to stay current on trends and issues impacting them, their competitors, their industry and their key influencers. It shouldn’t matter if the hate mail comes in the mailbox or the inbox.
So let’s not get hung up on channel. Let’s worry about what’s behind the diatribe, and let’s work with our clients to protect their reputations.
What’s Daniel going to think about word-of-mouth?
Posted by Rich Sharp at October 28, 2005 2:14 PM