Question: Many PR professionals see the value in corporate blogging. But what's the view of the subject from the C-suite?
ANSWER: A new report suggests the C-suite has yet to appreciate the view. The Makovsky 2006 State of Corporate Blogging Survey polled 150 senior executives from
the Fortune 1000, but found relatively few were ready to embrace corporate blogs for communications purposes.
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive for the New York agency Makovsky + Company determined that only 5% of those polled were convinced to "a great extent"
that corporate blogging is growing in credibility either as a communications medium, whereas 3% saw it as a tool for brand-building technique and less than 1% were convinced of
its ability to generate sales or leads. These same executives saw minimal or no credibility for corporate blogs in these three areas (62%, 74%, and 70% respectively).
Furthermore, only 15% of the respondents stated someone on staff is currently writing a blog related to the company and/or its activities.
For Robbin Goodman, executive vice president at Makovsky + Company, this C-suite attitude clearly presents challenges for the corporate communications officers. "We feel you
can't be in the public relations business today and not have a handle on what is going on with blogging."
Goodman notes that some corners of the corporate world (most notably General Motors and high-tech companies including IBM and Microsoft and European
companies including Accenture Netherlands, Thomson UK, Benetton and Guinness) have already got the blogging message. However, she stresses that corporations must
have a set blogging policy in place before anyone starts to hit the keyboard.
"As with any other public relations function, there needs to be strategic planning," says Goodman. "Employees must have a corporate blogging policy that defines what they
should and should not be talking about."
Quarterly Freshness
Question: Bloggers have the ability to stay up-to-the-minute on breaking news. But what about PR professionals who have to create quarterly newsletters? What advice can
you give to those responsible for these PR vehicles?
ANSWER: The writing challenge for a quarterly newsletter is maintaining a sense of freshness, which is no mean feat given the extended shelf life of this type of
publication. By staying away from time-sensitive news and trends and focusing on subjects that provide an evergreen staying power, a quarterly newsletter won't wear out its
welcome.
For Brad Pokorny, editor of One Country, the quarterly publication created by the Office of Public Information of the Baha'i International Community, the mission
is providing a greater sense of depth and wonder within his coverage.
"I think about how to keep people interested," says Pokorny, who was formerly a reporter for the Boston Globe.
Keeping in mind one distinctive sector of the One Country readership (non-governmental organizations around the world), Pokorny offers in-depth coverage of NGO-related
activities, particularly within the United Nations. "I'm currently writing about the new Human Rights Council at the UN and what the NGOs think of it," he says. "In the
development area, we try to find new ideas that the NGO community might find useful for their own operations."
Pokorny also seeks out profiles of intriguing personalities within the Baha'i community - an upcoming One Country edition will feature artist Duffy Sheridan, who has
incorporated his Baha'i spiritual beliefs into his paintings, while a previous edition highlighted veteran British character actor Earl Cameron. Furthermore, issues of ongoing
concern to this demographic (most notably the continued persecution of Iran's Baha'i population) merits coverage.
Whether covering lighter personality profiles or serious issues, Pokorny aims to ensure his newsletter coverage resonates with enough force that his audience is eager for the
next issue to come out. "I try to present features or news analysis of interest and added value to our readership," he adds.
Gay Unfriendly Workplaces
Question: We all know that HR issues can damage a company's PR reputation - so what happens if a corporate culture has the reputation for being hostile to gays? How would
that affect its viability among employees (both existing and potential) who happen to be gay?
ANSWER: It can't help. In fact, this negative publicity can easily scare away potential employees.
Lambda Legal, a nonprofit litigation and advocacy group for the gay community, released a survey last month (conducted with Deloitte Financial Advisory Services
LLP) about gay-friendly policies in the workplace. Polling 1,205 gay Americans, the survey discovered 54% respondents believed gay friendly nondiscrimination and anti-
harassment policies were "critical'" to their decision about where they decide to work, while an additional 38% stated gay friendly policies contributed to their current job
happiness.
And where does the reputation of a hostile work environment come from? It would appear that in many cases, the reputation has its roots in day-to-day turmoil. The survey
found 39% of its respondents experienced some form of anti-gay discrimination or harassment in the workplace, while 19% felt they ran into barriers for job promotion because of
their sexual orientation.
Lambda Legal notes there is no federal law that bars discrimination against employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, while only 18 states have anti-
discrimination laws of this nature.
Contact: Robbin Goodman, [email protected]; Brad Pokorny, [email protected].