Intelliseek CMO Pete Blackshaw says marketers can no longer ignore weblogs as powerful influencers and commenters on their brands. Every claim made by a marketer will be shredded to pieces by what is now becoming “citizens media.” If a marketer makes a claim, they had better well be able to back it up one hundred percent. Blackshaw puts this succinctly asking, “Can a wireless provider spending millions to tout customer service escape scrutiny when bloggers can readily provide links to thousands of disgruntled consumers providing evidence to the contrary? Can a pharma company afford to gloss over the fine print in advertisement when bloggers elect to super-size the untold message? Can an auto manufacturer pushing a “safety” message on TV risk having consumers type their brand into Google and have it punch back a loaded shelf space of contradictory messages by consumers?” No, no and no are the answers to those questions. Marketing has forever become a conversation – a dialog between marketer and consumer. With weblogs, it’s been proven consumers are ready to have that dialog. It’s not so clear whether marketers are ready to join that conversation.
