soulati.com

Digital Marketing Strategy, PR and Messaging

Soulati-'TUDE!

Archives for April 2010

New Bloggers’ Q & A

By

Now that I have three full weeks of straight blogging under my belt, it means nothing. Seriously! There is so much to learn and do, it’s daunting. Along the path, I’d like to bring you with to share in my experience with questions I’m posing and that are being posed to me.

Here we go:

1. Why don’t I have a link to Soulati–‘TUDE! from my home page at ?

Exactly; long story. Simply, I have branding issues. The recent importation of a blog into an antiquatedly built site has created challenges (which are opportunities) to modernize. It’s an evolution and one that requires some IT dinking. There will soon be a link to the blog from the home page of Soulati.com; promise. (I needed to state that in a public forum to be my own leading edge…it carries some weight!)

2. Can I design an entire Web site in WordPress?

Yes, one can. offers the best of DIY for anyone interested in a simple, easy-to-edit content management approach. As I switched from Headway to Thesis, someone made a remark saying my blog resembled the look of others designed in Thesis. I suggested kindly in reply, it wasn’t the look that mattered, it was the content. (I still concur with myself.)

3. Is there a bloggers’ association at which I can review guide rules, etiquette?

What a surprise; nope. I found the , an association in Singapore, and niche bloggers’ associations for outdoor, theater, Iranian Muslim, and Afrosphere. Didn’t find a plain old weblog association on which I want to see copyright rules, etiquette, trademarks, how to link, sources for content, tutorials on SEM, blogging platforms and a social networking site.

4. Do you think question 3 and its answer just gave someone really innovative an idea to launch a business?

Resoundingly, yes, and please put me on the inaugural board of directors as a charter pioneer of a new bloggers’ association.

5. Do you think three-week-old bloggers should be so arrogant?

No, but since there are no guide rules on tonality, etiquette, or braggadocio to be found at a bloggers’ peer group, ignorance is bliss, as they say.

6. What is a blog roll?

A blog roll is just like a roll call in school (why was it called that anyway?). You can add links to blogs you wish to feature in a list as a side widget on your blog. Nice way to gift your peers. (Widgets, incidentally, are pretty important to a blog; they’ve come a long way from “company X that makes widgets” in academic examples found in college text books.”

7. How does one find topics of interest to write about?

There are endless opportunities for topics, and I find them this way:

  • Listening differently. Most conversations provide some topic for consideration. I jot down a buzz word in a rolling topical list in a manual spiral notebook on my desk. I’ve also taken to carrying paper with me to ensure I can capture a thought while driving, or standing in a line somewhere. (I’m sure there’s some fancy mobile app for my i-Pod 3G instead of paper.)
  • Reading newsprint and tearing stories. I pull from periodicals and do the same, keeping these in a manual folder. (Can’t tell you I’m reviewing the folder daily; I need to locate it on my desk.)
  • Watching current events and common themes on Twitter.
  • Asking Twitter friends about a topic they’d like to see or their opinion on what’s resonated thus far on the blog. Inviting experts for interviews, and asking pals to make comments on a blog post which can lead to a new post topic.
  • Reading others’ blogs, and reviewing shared links pertaining to my field of expertise.  When posting comments on others’ blogs, I consider that topic for later.

8. What part of a new blog is a bigger bite than chewable?

IT!! I’ve stated before, having some IT knowledge is hugely beneficial. As things unfold and there’s more to incorporate on the blog, IT expertise is a must. Of course, there are levels of expertise. I’m in the “I’ll-try-anything-eight-times-cry- then-try-again-and-get-it-done” category. If you’re in the “I’m-never-touching-IT-ever-and-I’ll-pay-someone” category, then you’re going to have problems. Try to find a happy medium.

9. Who is the founding father of the blogosphere?

From Dave Winer pioneered the development of weblogs, syndication (RSS), podcasting, outlining, and web content management software; former contributing editor at Wired Magazine, research fellow at Harvard Law School, entrepreneur, and investor in web media companies. A native New Yorker, he received a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, a Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Tulane University and currently lives in Berkeley, California.

10. Does it take time to blog?

Eh? What’d you say? You think thinking, researching, interviewing, writing, editing, writing, posting, tagging, previewing, fact-checking, linking, editing, marketing, responding, engaging and strategizing take time? Why, goodness, no.

Social Media Groundswell Tipping Point and Nestle’

By

Nestle’ SA is suffering a groundswell of negative social media commentary that began March 17 when Greenpeace International released a report about Nestle’s purchase and use of palm oil. Greenpeace alleges the palm oil comes from an Indonesian company that cleared rain forests to build palm plantations.

The Twitterosphere has been abuzz about this story, and the Nestle’ Facebook fan page (with more than 96,000 fans) has thousands of negative hits from activists, environmentalists, Greenpeace, animal rights supporters, and the like.

In the March 29, 2010 Wall Street Journal, the backlash against the company is reported as global and devastating (if you’re Nestle). This situation, more than the Domino’s Pizza incident I watched unfold on Twitter last year, is global viral. It’s buoyed by the digitally savvy who’ve used social media effectively to push a viral message that Nestle is killing orangutans.

If you sat in the corporate communications department of Nestle, what would you recommend as public relations strategy? And, to those of you who do do crisis communications, is this considered a crisis, in your opinion?

  • Nestle is an iconic global brand targeting audiences across the spectrum of age groups who consume infant formula, cereal, pet food, bottled water, energy foods, cocoa, chocolates, and more. Millions of brand-loyal people touch Nestle products. Similar to Toyota, apology and/or clarifications about the company’s products and stance on the environment should be immediately shared. On the Nestle Web site, there is a statement about the palm oil situation (see above link).
  • Executives should avail themselves to the consumer public in a Web forum to field questions. Digg features such forums for high-level executives (the Toyota U.S. CEO was interviewed on Digg).
  • Groundswell is a fabulous read. Ms. Li and co-author Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research suggest “groundswell thinking is like any other complex skill — it takes knowledge, experience, and eventually, enlightenment to get there.” In an early chapter of the book on strategies for tapping the groundswell, the authors offer “five strategies companies can pursue in the groundswell, and these include listening, talking, energizing, supporting, embracing.” (These are exactly what Nestle’ needs to be doing.)
  • I asked my Chicago colleague Christine Esposito of Terracom Public Relations, a 20-year-old environmental public relations firm, to weigh in on this discussion. I wanted Christine’s take on Greenpeace and what it might do (besides rejoice at the success of its global viral campaign).
  • Christine suggested Greenpeace could benefit its edgy activist image by recruiting more mainstream NGOs that are similarly concerned about palm oil production. They should sit together at the boardroom table with Nestle to spell out the allegations, listen to how the corporation responds, and hammer out a resolution. (Hmm, this sounds like mediation, and perhaps it’s very similar.)
  • Another thought is immediate elevation by Nestle of its cause-related marketing efforts. Whatever programs Nestle’ corporate communications has had in place, boost them up to engage with environmentalists and show the company does care about Indonesia’s rain forests, among other protected habitats and animals.
  • To round out its team of experts, Nestle’ should hire Paul Rand and his team at Chicago’s hot word-of-mouth marketing agency Zocalo Group. Paul is president of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, and he is a high-level influencer in brand evangelism. (I worked with and for Paul in my Chicago agency days and respect his intelligence and ability to deliver in such situations.)

Nestle did not dally in its response to this situation. Regardless, it’s difficult to control the Tipping Point. As a teachable moment, this case study is one for the books, and it’s still unfolding. Once the first domino was tickled, the rest just fell into place.

What strategies would you offer Nestle and/or Greenpeace International to push this situation to resolution and repair a damaged brand?