Useful Tip: Two top execs review entries on Southwest's popular blog before they go live

A useful tidbit that came out of our well-attended session on Corporate & CEO blogging at BlogWorld Expo last week was this: one of two top execs at Southwest Airlines (in PR and communications) reviews each entry before it goes live on the popular Nuts About Southwest blog.

Inside the underbelly of corporate blogging

Southwest's Brian Lusk (Blog Boy) says they can get turnaround in a matter of hours if it's urgent. Otherwise, explained Paula Berg (Southwest's Blog Girl), they maintain an editorial calendar and try and have a bunch of posts lined up in advance - to give the execs more time for review. 

From my experience, this isn't an unusual system. Just goes to show there is plenty of protocol and process in the underbelly of corporate blogging.

Thanks to my fab panel for a really informative session. Thanks to Simon Chen, Nancy Arter, The Scratching Post and Fiat Lux for blogging it.

Who's in the photo?

First row left to right: Jenny Cisney of Kodak; Paula Berg of Southwest; Debbie Weil; John Earnhardt of Cisco. Back row: Pete Johnson of HP and Brian Lusk of Southwest.

Comments

[Nancy Arter]

Hi Debbie, I, too, attended this session at the BlogWorld Expo-- and it was definitely one of my favorites. You did a great job moderating -- and what a great and diverse group of panelists. Excellent job! I also hit the highlights of this session -- from my perspective -- in a post on our blog today. Great job!

[Debbie Weil]

Thanks Nancy. Your blog write-up is great. Hard to take notes when one is doing the talking. Much appreciated.

[A Ghost Blogger]

And yet how interesting it was to observe the majority of your panelists shake their heads in disapproval upon hearing the notion of 'ghost bloggers' writing for CEOs, yet they quickly admit that they themselves either copyedit their C-level's posts, or better yet, work with Corporate Communications in coordination advanced of posting.

[Michaele]

Excellent job! I also hit the highlights of this session -- from my perspective -- in a post on our blog today. Great job!

[jtormey3]

The smallest bit of research about Southwest Airlines flack Paula Berg tells us this:

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2007/06/15/behind-the-scenes-blog-queen/

Now, never mind "wacky", and "off-the-wall" - "behind-the-scenes Blog Queen" and "Nuts about Southwest" says it all for me.

So, to Paula Berg of Southwest Airlines, the airline company’s "behind-the-scenes Blog Queen", who says, regarding the events of March 6-7, 2008, and the now-record US$10,200,000 in fines racked up by Southwest:

"...this situation was never and is not now a safety of flight issue".
Nonsense, Paula. Cracks in airplanes? Nonsense, Paula.

I've been around publicists and other entertainment folk for over 20 years, and I have heard better publicity emanating from self-plugging screenwriters on acid.

And, Paula, as for:

"[t]he FAA approved our actions and considered the matter closed as of April 2007".

Nonsense, Paula.

It's not "closed", until WE the PUBLIC say it is closed! Take that back to your superiors for me - and tell them that we are just getting started.

Oh – and, congratulations on staying behind the scenes.

John J. Tormey III, Esq.
Quiet Rockland