How To Manage Media Relations When The ‘Journalist’ Is A Blogger

“Every single day, someone, somewhere is discussing something important to your business: your brand, your executives, your competitors, your industry. Are they hyping up your company, building buzz for your products? Or are they criticizing your service, complaining to others about your new product launch?”
Tara Hall, account supervisor for the Web relations group and the Center for Media Excellence in the Dallas office of Weber Shandwick Worldwide, quoted these words from Andy Beal, a blogging and search engine marketing consultant, during a PR News webinar on How to Manage & Leverage Your Digital Reputation on December 12, 2006. These words have never been more accurate, as the Internet allows instant access to untold quantities of information, while facilitating the growth of bloggers and citizen journalists. In addition, the crossover from traditional to new media is bringing many old school journalists to the Web.
According to blog search engine Technorati, more than 60 million blogs exist, with an additional 175,000 new blogs being created every day. Among bloggers, 34% identify themselves as journalists, and 36% of Americans read blogs regularly.
“Journalists today contribute to so many platforms, so many media,” says Hall. “A lot of journalists have blogs already — it’s just another outlet for getting information out.” How can a company or its PR team manage, or even track, its reputation in a media world that has as many heads as a hydra?

Build Bridges

As with traditional journalists, in the blogosphere, says Hall, “Building relationships is important, as well as monitoring your space, even if your client decides not to blog. You must monitor the bloggers who blog about your client, so you can respond in a timely manner to the chatter that’s out there. A rumor or critical situation can turn to wildfire very rapidly.”
Often, the rumors spread beyond fact or even reason. A few weeks ago, Edelman was lambasted on tech blogs for sending laptops to prominent tech bloggers, pre-loaded with its new operating system, Vista. The rumor mill was quick to accuse Microsoft and its PR firm of bribery, and the company had to be fast on its feet to send a message that the bloggers could (should?) give away their laptops or send them back to Microsoft once they had experienced Vista. But in the meantime, snarky comments had gone out accusing the computer giant of giving “pay for play” a whole new meaning.
Many bloggers gave equal time to more reasonable notions, noting that installing a new operating system on an existing computer can create software havoc, destroying any chance of giving a reviewer an accurate read on a new product. But the bloggers continued to roil, resulting in numerous Web rants and dubious coverage.

Damage Control

It’s not always possible to avoid such unfortunate incidents, but you can influence what is being written, if you spot the warning signs early. As with traditional journalists, it comes down to media relations, says Hall.
“Bloggers are well informed, savvy and opportunistic,” says Hall, who adds that they are “passionate about their topics but also very willing to listen. They have opinions, but they are open to listening to arguments. They won’t always agree, but you can start a conversation.”
As with traditional media, this means extending yourself to provide bloggers with information, especially information that no one else has. “Bloggers want the exclusive as much as The New York Times does. It’s good to offer things like that to bloggers, especially ones with a big audience base. Because they are so viral, you need to build good relations with bloggers.”
While you are building those relationships, it’s worth noting a few variations on the journalist theme. For example, although many bloggers aren’t averse to phone calls once they know you, many prefer the initial contact to come via e-mail, or through their blogs. “I never, ever cold-call a blogger,” says Hall. “Once they open up to you, then phone calls can be very welcome.” In addition, sending an old-school press release can be a turn-off. Instead, Hall advises, try sending them a link to the information, where they can find all the answers for themselves. And including graphics is always helpful.
Even once a story starts to roll, you can turn it around, particularly if the problem is one of simple accuracy. “If they are getting incorrect information, it’s good for someone from the company to reach out with the right information, while being very careful about the messaging,” says Hall. “Bloggers, just like journalists, welcome this, even if they don’t have the image of being approachable.”
But if you see that a blog posting is simply a rant, most of the time it is best to avoid entering the fray. “You have to monitor the space and make a judgment call, and sooner rather than later,” Hall advises. She also notes that if you approach a blogger in what is perceived to be an inappropriate manner, it could hurt you. Transparency is key, and Edelman executives will be the first to tell you this.

Keep It Transparent

Alexandra Levit, senior account supervisor for Edelman Interactive Solutions, which launched the very successful Sisterhood Six blog for client Avent, says, “Transparency is the most critical part. We were concerned about what people would think. The agency warned Avent not to appear as if they were endorsing a certain perspective.” Avent and Edelman took steps to ensure they were totally up front about their identity and took care that the blog (which was about breastfeeding) didn’t appear too promotional for their own product (a new breast pump).
Hall agrees. “Transparency is very important with blogging. If you do something to approach bloggers (for instance, “flogs” or fake blogs) in the wrong way, it will hurt you. If you are offering a product, be very open about who you are and what your expectations are. With the recent laptop situation, there was a lot of back and forth about whether or not bloggers could or should keep the review units they were given. The team in charge of communicating the details of this review program may see it as a lesson learned, in terms of doing a better job with managing the expectations, clearly communicating the process and even asking bloggers if they were interested in advance.”