Category archive: Blogging

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Brand hatred = brand love

Nishad at oneangrycustomer writes:

[M]any FMCG brands are in a constant battle, even against supermarket brands, because they have gone out to appeal to the widest demographic possible and rarely to a tightly knit core group who could be true evangelists for the brand and the company.

Thanks in large part to my blogging, I have developed a personal brand. There are people who hate that brand (that is to say, they hate me). They disagree with what I say, how I say it, and why I say it. I can say without hesitation that I wear the hatred of such people as a badge of honour. When I look at the ones who love me, I know I’ve cultivated the right crowds.

How about you and your company?

Friday, March 31, 2006

Blog blindfolds should have no place in business

Last night at a dinner for my day job as Head of Marketing for the UK’s largest search engine marketing company, some of the attendees (from the online dating sector) were discussing their companies’ fear surrounding blogging. They know they’ve got to get in on this somehow, but they’re not sure quite how, and they are very afraid of ‘giving up control’.

As I said last night, it is natural that these companies are afraid: By and large, they have little idea of what they are getting into. Plunging in without an understanding of this space is ill-advised at best. The good news is, if they do endeavour to gain that understanding, and figure out how to control what they can and let the rest bring them benefits, there is really nothing to be afraid of. I have yet to encounter a business that understood this space, moved into it, and lived to regret it. 

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

BASDA marketing event

I will write more about this soon, but I just wanted to say a big thank you to Lucy Whittington of Inspired Business Marketing for bringing me in to present to members of BASDA (Business Application Software Developers Association) after their AGM this evening. This will sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not: I had a blast. I also met plenty of clever, personable, unpretentious people (a rare combination in business circles, it sometimes seems). Thanks for having me, guys.

More soon.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Why blogs are relevant

Oliver Kamm doesn’t quite know what he’s talking about in this piece on blogging (which also appears in today’s Times), but he’s quite confident about what he says. (He’s spot-on with regard to Arianna Huffington, though; she did show up to my party in LA last year, but I didn’t invite her, Mickey Kaus did.)

You can read my lengthy response, or just insert the word ‘people’ everywhere that Kamm uses the word ‘blogs,’ and it’ll quickly be apparent where he’s gone wrong.

"Why blogs are relevant" continued...

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Techdirt Greenhouse

I’m just back from a flying visit to San Jose, California, where I attended Techdirt Greenhouse, an event put on by corporate intelligence firm Techdirt. It was a stimulating day populated with intensely clever, driven, and affable individuals talking about all things innovative in the technology business. Attendees included execs from Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, and Apple’s iTunes division. VC Jeff Clavier - who I’d first met at Innovate Europe in Spain last June - and Engagement Alliance advisory board member Hillary Johnson have more on Greenhouse.

The guys at Techdirt - Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, and Dennis - are also prolific and extremely sharp bloggers. Check out what they have to say today about the increasingly crowded classified search market.

Tags: techdirtgreenhouse, techdirt greenhouse