The Lead

So it’s no surprise that survey after survey casts CEOs as a cautious lot when it comes to using blogs to communicate. But what’s concerning about the C-level view on blogs is the notion that, despite trepidation, blogs might be a good way to quickly communicate new ideas (read: self promotion).

Some C-folk have tried it and are generally accepted as early adopters of blogs for corporate gain. General Motors’ Vice Chairman Bob Lutz is a regular contributor to FastLane, GM’s executive-to-consumer blog. I’m not fond of product blogs, including FastLane (though as a former Opel owner, I went misty when I saw the new Opels).

I’m troubled by the fact that it’s called a blog. It looks like a blog, maybe even smells like a blog. It allows for comments. But let’s not be mistaken. It is not a blog. It is opinion pieces and news releases with one big corporation telling us how great it is. And there’s nothing wrong with that – as long as it is crystal clear.

Surveys like the one just conducted by PR Week/Burson-Marsteller and Milward Brown miss the point. Of course CEOs are going to say it’s great to talk about the company’s new ideas by using a blog. Hey, great, one more way to blow our horn. Unless the blog is clearly identified as a marketing tool and not a traditional blog that encourages two-way conversation, it’s not really a blog.

Marketing guru Seth Godin says blogs work when they are based on:
• Candor
• Urgency
• Timeliness
• Pithiness
• Controversy

Then he says “Does this sound like a CEO to you?” and “Save the fluff for the annual report.” Through this lens, FastLane isn’t a blog.

I wonder if the PRWeek/Burson-Marsteller survey asked this question: As a CEO/executive, are you willing to receive honest and harsh criticism in an open, public forum, and are you ready to answer critics?

Though FastLane isn’t really a blog, it does answer that question. Its redeeming quality is self-proclaimed, and it’s the perfect CEO blog role:

“The FastLane blog is all about the cars and trucks. GM leaders discuss all aspects of our vehicles. We look forward to hearing your ideas.”

No fog there.