New York Times Praises Blogging in their Year in Ideas Piece
A great article that covers the A-Z's of the best Ideas in 2004. Under the letter B, Business Blogging dominates where they mention the launch of both the Nike and General Motors Blogs in both of these company's marketing attempts at taking advantage of this new medium to connect with their clients.
From a marketing perspective, blogs make perfect sense. They are cheap to produce, immersive and interactive. It's easy to measure their readership and response rates. For small companies, blogs are a quick and dirty promotional tool that cuts out the middleman; for big companies, blogs are a tool of humanization — an informal, chatty, down-to-earth voice amid the din of bland corporate-speak.
''It's a dream come true,'' says Bob Cargill, senior creative director for Yellowfin Direct Marketing. ''You can embed yourself smack-dab in the middle of your customers, form an ongoing relationship with them and hear exactly what they think of your brand.''
