Comments on: Competitor-Sponsored Blogs: Elisa\’s Idea http://www.contentious.com/2005/11/05/competitor-sponsored-blogs/ Amy Gahran's news and musings on how we communicate in the online age. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:36:42 +0000 hourly 1 By: Elisa Camahort http://www.contentious.com/2005/11/05/competitor-sponsored-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-42724 Elisa Camahort Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:28:34 +0000 #comment-42724 I think the key to any such attempt is to find the right blogger. And the right blogger will have to be someone who can blog passionately and authoritatively about the subject. Let's take politics as an example...as unbelievable as it may be to me, there are people who believe the exact opposite of me on every individual political issue...and in the aggregate. Clearly a consortium of right-leaning groups would seek a blogger of like-mind. And given the diversity of thought amongst bloggers, they'd find one. And in your example above, the energy companies would go out and find someone who generally believes in the same model they do. And in the case of the potential customer of mine, the idea sprang from me saying, "You know, I totally think the xxx industry is going to lose if they don't pay attention to x and y and z, and I've been saying that for a while." I was singing their tune, suffice to say. Could the xxx industry players find someone else to blog about how their status quo is just the perfect way to continue their business? Probably so. Although, they'd be wrong of course ;) If the competitive players find someone who is generally of like mind, and are willing to let go of enough control to accept that I, or any other sponsored blogger, is not going to agree with every single thing, and is sometimes going to ask uncomfortable questions, then I really think it could be a fantastic effort! I think the key to any such attempt is to find the right blogger. And the right blogger will have to be someone who can blog passionately and authoritatively about the subject. Let’s take politics as an example…as unbelievable as it may be to me, there are people who believe the exact opposite of me on every individual political issue…and in the aggregate. Clearly a consortium of right-leaning groups would seek a blogger of like-mind. And given the diversity of thought amongst bloggers, they’d find one.

And in your example above, the energy companies would go out and find someone who generally believes in the same model they do.

And in the case of the potential customer of mine, the idea sprang from me saying, “You know, I totally think the xxx industry is going to lose if they don’t pay attention to x and y and z, and I’ve been saying that for a while.” I was singing their tune, suffice to say.

Could the xxx industry players find someone else to blog about how their status quo is just the perfect way to continue their business? Probably so. Although, they’d be wrong of course ;)

If the competitive players find someone who is generally of like mind, and are willing to let go of enough control to accept that I, or any other sponsored blogger, is not going to agree with every single thing, and is sometimes going to ask uncomfortable questions, then I really think it could be a fantastic effort!

]]> By: Jim Turner http://www.contentious.com/2005/11/05/competitor-sponsored-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-42567 Jim Turner Sat, 05 Nov 2005 20:56:35 +0000 #comment-42567 I have the boggers! I double dog dare you! I have the boggers! I double dog dare you!

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