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PR Case Study: Krugle

If you are a PR person, and you are still not convinced that social media can make a big difference, you must read Don Thorsen's well- written case study on the Krugle launch.  Don is an old friend of the agency, and we shared ideas with him when he was still Don Thorsen 1.0 -- oh, about a few months ago.  His rapid transformation into a "new PR" powerhouse is thrilling. 

Two big takeaways, from my side of the table.  First,  Don was mature enough to seek counsel from really knowledgeable people, including Doc Searls and Shel Israel. His beginner's-mind approach -- rare in someone as experienced as Don -- is refreshing.  Second, he understood the relationship between big media and new media, and he didn't sacrifice one for the other.  My favorite quote is about his experience at DEMO, a big show that continues to be relevant in the post-blogging world:   "Much of the value of DEMO comes from the press. In Krugle's case it was the press that ignited the blog community, who in turn, spread the messages around the world."

Mindjet Blog is a Success

Another corporate blog has been christened a success story as reported by Adrienne Sanders via MSNBC. Software maker Mindjet is the latest case study to prove that blogging has increased its corporate visibility, brought visitors to its site, and has been one of the best ways to build a community of interest. Bravo!

LIKE 2001’s HAL, ONLY FRIENDLY…

Astronauts on NASA's International Space Station are using a speech recognition-powered virtual crew assistant named Clarissa to talk them through water quality testing, medical exams, and equipment checks.

Just one of the more intriguing applications of voice automation/speech recognition technology as detailed by Nuance in its new speech blog. There are also details about a speech application that helps you identify songs played on your favorite radio station.

Nuance is one Eastwick client taking advantage of the blogosphere to relay industry-related news, discuss recent research reports and preview products. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this newly-created blog and the response it generates.

Litblog Buzz

From the Village Voice....  The blogosphere opens up for literary work and play.  Not to mention marketing.  The litblog world is fast becoming a case study in "word-of-mouth buzz."

Literati are increasingly turning to the blogs for discussion, gossip, analysis, and a sense of community. Inevitably, publishers have noticed the power of these informal networks to generate word-of-mouth buzz—the holy grail of marketing—and are looking for ways to harness it. In turn, many bloggerati are on the verge of becoming that contradiction in terms, the professional enthusiast. So what happens now, when these amateurs are faced with the chance to wield influence and become insiders?

Blog Heaven?

MIT's Technology Review ran a great article about the blogging culture inside Sun Microsystems.  A lot can be learned from this most visible of corporate experiments.  But are most companies ready to follow Sun's lead?

Companies with top-down management cultures and controls on the flow of information probably aren’t ready for the era of employee blogging. Nor is their reluctance likely to hurt them, if they have a locked-in base of customers; don’t expect to see employees at Lockheed-Martin blogging about their progress on the latest stealth technology, for example. But consumer-oriented companies that abjure the blogosphere are missing out on opportunities to generate buzz, monitor customer concerns, and—perhaps most importantly—show their human side. As [COO Jonathan] Schwartz puts it, "Any company that feels threatened by blogs probably feels threatened by the Internet."

GM Blog is Working

... says Business 2.0.  Why?  Because the motor company has started a genuine conversation with its customers.

The site, which focuses on topics such as GM design, new product launches, and business strategy, averages 4,000 to 5,000 hits per day from people around the world. Those consumers are talking back, and then some: Each posting receives between 60 and 100 comments, a mix of positive and negative reactions to Lutz's thoughts. Some are comically precise about what he should do next. Here's a recent posting by "Bruce," clearly a motivated GM consumer: "Mr. Lutz, how about a small, open air Hummer to compete with the Jeep Wrangler? Also, why not produce a stripped down (cloth seats, no a/c, eliminate many power features), no options, hard core (Z51) version of the Corvette (similar concept to the Porsche 911 RS America)? Call it the Stingray. It would appeal to the hardcore enthusiast, rather than the luxury, Grand Tourer market and could be sold for less. It would eliminate the need for a new Camaro."

Fortune 500 Companies that Blog

From Jeremy Wright.