Decent summary of how the blogging scene is making some corporations more than a little uneasy from the FT (registration required).
Scott Morrison's report focuses on the class action lawsuit against Verizon Wireless for being opaque about the functionality of Bluetooth on one of their phones. Bloggers have been sharing and disseminating information, demonstrating how a low cost distributed network can be communications nightmare for even the largest companies.
Microserf and überblogger Robert Scoble makes the killer point:
If companies don't understand... and don't learn how to track what people are saying, they are going to be hit violently with PR problems that they don't understand or know where they are coming from
Mike Masnick of Techdirt reiterates:
Companies that don't recognise this are going to get bitten
Though tech firms like Microsoft, Apple and Verizon may be more likely targets for angry geeks, the rest of the business world will soon find that the same rules apply. Blogging is opening up the world and opening up business. Morrison writes of Masnick:
He believes the best strategy is to engage bloggers openly and honestly in their realm. Any whiff of insincerity will be picked up and turned against a company.
The messages to business are simple:
A) Embrace and understand the new media, and
B) Make sure your corporate responsibility is more than skin deep - hiding is not an option.
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