John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, Is Back to Blogging

Got a heads-up from a reporter with the Austin American-Statesman who called to interview me. John Mackey, if you recall, is CEO of Whole Foods. His blog was shut down in July 2007 while his Board of Directors and the SEC investigated his pseudonymous postings to a Yahoo finance message board. 

The SEC recently concluded its probe (no action is to be taken). Mackey started up his blog again today with a post titled: Back to Blogging. It's, er, 2,047 words long. About the length of half of a book chapter.

Here are my thoughts:

1. First, kudos to Mackey for starting up again.

2. John, are you planning to write a book?? The post is in the form of a long-form essay, rather than a blog entry. Clearly carefully written and edited. But hey, it's his blog.

3. It's almost an apology, but not quite. This guy's got a fesity personality and it comes through loud and clear. (Again, kudos. An opinionated, passionate voice is key to an effective blog.)

4. He makes some interesting points:

- He calls the use of the pseudonym “rahodeb" on the Yahoo message boards "an error of judgment, not of ethics." I can relate to that. Although in his case it was not a one-time error but one that he executed 1,400 times over an eight-year period.

- He says the use of screen names or aliases is "a great equalizer" in online forums. Yes... and no. You could also call it a subterfuge if you're not who you appear to be. (Cf the Burger King executive who was fired recently after using his daughter's screen name to post negative comments about a farmworkers advocacy group.)

5. He didn't realize he had become a "public figure;" nor did he "take myself seriously." Hmmm...  he was CEO of a public company - ?

TAKEAWAY: The Web and the Internet - and Google, specifically - have changed the equation between public and private. Or between professional and personal. Bottom line: there is no privacy online.

Ignore that fact at your peril. But keep blogging, corporates. I think it's fair to say that most everyone loves the revolution in corporate communications. Down with corporate-speak!

Are "Shared" Blogs and Social Media "Sites" the Wave of the Future?

Just noticed that soon-to-be-authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff have a snazzy new look on their shared blog: Groundswell. I'm wondering if "shared" blogs might not be what's coming in 2009 as more of the bloggerati blog less and Twitter more.

The trend is also to aggregate your social media efforts (Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc.) so they're easier to find in one place -- or on one page. Charlene and Josh are now calling their blog "a broader site.'

My advance review copy of Charlene and Josh's book, Groundswell, arrived today in the mail. It looks terrific and I'll write more about it later.

Q. & A. on social media in China

Thanks to Geoff Livingston for prompting a bit of reflection on what it all meant in Debbie Weil Discusses Social Media in China.

China Blogging Tour chronicles my two weeks in China in October 2007 during which I spoke to a number of audiences (primarily English speaking ex-pats) about corporate blogging and social media in the U.S.

I tried to learn as much as possible about the attitudes in China towards the tools and technologies of social media and how they're being used by businesses, both multinational and Chinese. But in two weeks, you can only scratch the surface.

Here is the complete text of my Q & A on social media in China for the BuzzBin (BB) blog:

BB: What’s the state of social media in China?

DW: It's exploding. First, there are the sheer numbers: 162 million Chinese Internet users. That puts China right behind – or almost even with – the U.S., which has an estimated Internet user population of 165 million to 210 million, depending on whom you believe. And yes, blogs are big.

There are 30 million Chinese blogs [links to PDF report], according to CNNIC. But discussion or bulletin boards, known as BBS, along with email and IMing, are even bigger. Everyone in the middle class uses BBS – to express themselves, to network, to learn. [Read about the 2007 Chinese Blogger Conference in Beijing.]

Sharon [links to YouTube interview with her], the guide I hired to take me to the Great Wall, told me she met her husband online, in a discussion forum for those who've studied abroad. Jason Ge, general manager of channel & marketing sales for Sina.com, China's major portal and BSP (blog services provider), told me the site gets 300 million page views a day. Jason and I were on an Ad-tech Beijing panel together, along with Des Walsh.

"... with that many middle class consumers online, Chinese customers are like low-hanging fruit, just waiting for companies to engage with them through blogs, contest Web sites, discussion forums, SMS and other channels. And yes there are Chinese CEO blogs."

As for corporate use of social media - both multinationals and Chinese companies - yes, it's starting to happen. Think about it: with that many middle class consumers online, Chinese customers are like low-hanging fruit, just waiting for companies to engage with them through blogs, contest Web sites, discussion forums and SMS. And yes there are Chinese CEO blogs. Here's my short list of Chinese CEO and corporate blogs.

BB: What was your biggest take away from the China book tour?

DW: The red-hot sense of possibility. I loved it. The energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurialism amongst the professionals I met – both ex-pats and native Chinese – was astounding. China reminds me of America and the exhilaration of the dot com era. And yes of course it might be a bubble. But it's not going to burst anytime soon.

We know that China’s economy is exploding: the growth is palpable. Factories are cranking; office towers are shooting up; everybody is working 24X7.

[Aside: Remarkably, there was no (apparent) pollution in Beijing the week I was there, Oct. 15 - 19, 2007. Locals said the 17th National Party Congress, meeting that week next to Tiananmen Square, had purposely shut down factories surrounding the the city two weeks earlier. Like much of what goes in China, nobody really seemed to have the answer.]

If I could live a different life I’d move to Beijing or Shanghai, learn to speak Mandarin fluently and work there as an ex-pat. Oh yeah, my take away? I want to go back and dig deeper. You can’t possibly understand China after a two-week trip. Here’s a list I compiled of best resources to learn about social media in China.

BB: How is commenting different?

DW: Again, the sheer numbers. The Chinese are comment crazy. But you need to put commenting in a bucket that includes all kinds of posting online. The population of the US is just over 300 million. The population of China is over 1.3 billion, or 20% of the world’s population. As Sharon Ruwart, CEO of Elsevier Science & Technology China told me after I spoke at AmCham China in Beijing: “Just put two zeroes next to anything you’re accustomed to.”

So instead of 10 comments, think 1000 comments. When she started blogging for Elsevier she posted a first entry that said simply: “I’m starting a blog.” She didn’t publicize it in any way. She immediately got seven comments. Sharon and her husband moved to Beijing three years ago and are among the new group of older ex-pats.

When the Forbidden Starbucks drama unfolded (a Starbucks was formerly located inside Beijing’s Forbidden City palace; it has since moved), it was mentioned on a TV newcaster’s blog, then picked up and discussed thousands of times in discussion groups. The ripple effect? Close to 3,000 comments on one blog post about it.

BB: How do the Chinese fight off authoritarian control of their sites?

DW: They don’t “fight it off” per se. The Chinese government censors the Internet and everyone knows it. The cyber-police are always hovering. Self-censorship comes naturally. But so do entrepreneurialism and a certain amount of risk-taking. Everyone knows about proxy servers like Anonymouse.org. They’re also accustomed to sudden and unexplained shutdowns of sites like YouTube.

That happened while I was there. Everyone felt it was connected to Google’s ill-advised decision to launch YouTube China during the Party Congress meeting in Beijing.* The explosion in the use of the Internet – despite censorship – is a fascinating part of the contradictions that define China.

BB: What should the U.S. learn from China?

DW: Not to be complacent. That our utterly unfettered self-expression is precious. But to look to China for energy and possibility. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the China Century. If you have a chance to visit, go.

BB: After blogging, what’s your favorite social media form?

DW: My new iPhone. I’m captivated by it: the expanding and shrinking photos; the text messages in bubbles; the voicemail that automatically plays back for you. Oops… wait, an iPhone isn’t social media. My husband says I haven't spoken to him since I got mine a few weeks ago.

I guess I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I’m fascinated by the concentric linkages it creates between and amongst communities. And the blurring of personal with professional. I’m wary, however, about the lack of privacy and of course appalled by Facebook’s recent misstep in how it launched Beacon for advertisers.

I have a Twitter account but don't use it much.

BB: What’s next for Debbie Weil?

DW: I’ve got some big ideas. I plan to go back to China and work with multinationals on implementing social media strategies. But as long as you’re asking… at some point I’d like to move outside the corporate realm. I would like to create the programmatic piece of Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child.

What should these kids do with their laptops? I want to teach kids all over the world how to write clearly by using a blog. How to network and empower themselves and their families by tapping into the global online economy.

I believe in the power of words. Blogs and other online channels are just a new place to deploy them. If anyone’s got great contacts at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, or another appropriate resource for executing a big idea, let me know.

* Has YouTube China been launched - ? I can’t find it. Tudou is the Chinese equivalent of YouTube.

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.

Best links to learn about blogging, social media, Web 2.0 and technology in China

DATELINE: Beijing (Oct. 18, 2007): There is a small group of expats who speak fluent Mandarin and are extremely knowledgeable about social media, Web 2.0, etc. in China. Three of the best are Sam Flemming, Jeremy Goldkorn and William Moss. Here are their blog/sites, along with some other great resources.

Danwei
http://www.danwei.org/

Imagethief
http://news.imagethief.com/blogs/china/

CIC
http://www.seeisee.com/index.php/sam/

China Web 2.0 Review
http://www.cwrblog.net/

Ogilvy China Digital Watch
http://digitalwatch.ogilvy.com.cn/en/

Silicon Hutong
http://siliconhutong.typepad.com/silicon_hutong/

Proxy servers

You have to know about these in order to get to sites like Technorati.com, which is blocked in China.

Anonymouse.org (server in Germany)
anonymouse.org

Don't use a (dry) press release to promote your CEO blog

Here's an example of how NOT to promote a new CEO blog... with a press release issued before the public launch of the blog.

"The Nautique Insider, the marine industry's first CEO blog, will be updated 2-4 times a month and be posted on the Correct Craft website, correctcraft.com. The blog will contain exciting information about Correct Craft including entries related to developments at the company, events, products or other topics."
- full press release

Dullsville

This is PR 1.0, a press release written in corporate-ese and pressed into service to promote a PR 2.0 initiative.  Well, they're touting it as a 2.0 initiative.  I smell a ghostblogger(s) for CEO Bill Yeargin behind this one. Also, as the blog isn't live yet (I don't see a link from the Correct Craft home page), why promote it??

Q. & A. with Fortune 500 CEO blogger Jonathan Schwartz

I always point to Jonathan Schwartz, the pony-tailed 41-year-old CEO of Sun Microsystems, as the best example of a high-profile CEO blogger, or any CEO or senior executive blogger for that matter.

Why? He writes so well. He's cogent, yet conversational. He's gracious. He's a creative thinker (note: there must be something about Wesleyan grads; my son is one too). He digs deep - and long - to tell us about everything from petabytes of data (storage - lots of it - is a major product for Sun) to the SEC's rules on disclosure of financial information (and why blogs should be a recognized channel) to Sun's evolving relationship with competitor IBM.

He's also the only (public) Fortune 500 CEO blogger. Lots to learn from Jonathan on how a blog - any blog - should be written. Oh, and about the pony tail... Noel Hartzell, Jonathan's executive director of communications, kindly supplied these details:

About the pony tail

"He's had it since he and friends founded Lighthouse Design, a software company for the NeXT platform, back in the early 90's. They all vowed to not cut their hair until they turned a profit... he's had it ever since."

- Noel Hartzell

Here's a 10 question Q & A with Jonathan via email. He didn't answer the questions in order so there are a few gaps.

Ten Questions for a CEO Blogger

1. Have you always considered yourself a writer?

Answer: I have always been a writer, but the blog has helped me continue to refine my communications skills and have an unfiltered, multi-directional and transparent dialogue with the community, which is invaluable and immeasurable.

2. How much time do you spend weekly on your blog and when/where/how do you write (i.e. blackberry, laptop, longhand, dictate)?

Answer: People always want to know whether I write blog entries myself, how much time I spend and where I write the entries. Let me assure you that I'm the author and I mostly write the entries in the evening sitting at my kitchen table.

3. What has been your most difficult moment as a CEO blogger?

No answer.

4. Why don't more CEOs blog? Lack of time? Fear? Inability to write well?

Answer: The best advice I have for anyone that's considering blogging: blog only if you feel compelled to communicate in writing [the italics are mine], through the good times and bad, and to always be authentic.

5. What is the measurable ROI for your blog?

Answer: anyone reading, or writing a blog, will find an immediacy and an authenticity of interaction that is hard to create in any other way except during a face-to-face interaction. [Also see answer to #1.]

6. How important are Comments left by readers? Do you measure the success of an entry by number of Comments?

Answer: One of the great things about writing a blog is the participatory aspect of it. Readers in different industries, professions, and geographies have an opportunity to offer their feedback and lend various perspectives that we can learn from. And, yes, I do read all the comments, both the gruff and the gracious. 

7. You've said that blogging will become mandatory for CEOs and senior execs, just as email has. Do you stand by that? Any further thoughts?

Answer: I believe that the primary role of every leader is to communicate. It's true in every sector, public or private, and at every level. Through my blog, I can directly reach and cultivate important communities -- employees, customers, partners, investors and developers.

8. Does a CEO need to use Twitter or Facebook or any of the other social networking platforms? Which ones do you use, if any?

No answer on this.

9. Is an open corporate culture a prerequisite for a CEO to blog?

Culture does matter -- both the culture you're a part of and, as a leader, the culture you're trying to drive. Sun's culture is known for its technological innovation, openness and particiaption -- from the executive team and throughout the entire organization.

There are really smart people everywhere in our company and open communication and community participation are an important part of how Sun does business. Sun employees are our most passionate promoters and supporters.

They have unique insights into the strengths and advantages that our products, services and technologies provide. They are engaged with the communities, passionate about products, and they want to talk about them.

By reading the 3,000 or more Sun blogs, you can peer into the heart and soul of the company and see the passion and talent of our people.

10. What are your top three tips for writing a really successful CEO blog?

If you believe, as I do, that leadership is about communication then I can think of no more valuable tool. The Internet's having a profound impact on communcation and leadership and more interactive tools are emerging every day.

But leadership isn't about fads, so I'd advise folks to be crystal-clear on their goals and objectives, authentically participate in the way that works best to meet them, and steer clear of things simply because they're fashionable.

Useful Links

Businessweek profile of Sun's New Boss

Jonathan Schwartz on the challenge of finding his voice

Q. & A. with CEO blogger Ted Leonsis

If I had to pick a CEO (chairman, Top Dog, whatever) whose personality is a perfect fit with blogging, I'd choose Ted Leonsis. Former vice chairman of AOL (now chairman of Revolution Money), Ted, 51, started blogging in January 2006.

He's been consistently prolific ever since, usually blogging several times a day in a conversational style and in short Twitter-like bursts. I've heard him speak in public (he's Washington D.C.-based) and he's warm, engaging and unpretentious. He has the same voice on his blog, Ted's Take.

Ted's in the category of celebrity businessman (he's an almost-billionaire, a philanthropist, a professional sports team owner, a film producer) whose blog brings him down to an approachable, genuinely-nice-guy level.

It also gives him a platform to promote - in a low-key fashion - whatever he's currently most involved in. He does it with a nice, easy touch. No controversy here.

What's high on his agenda right now? The release of Nanking, the first movie he produced, on Dec. 12, 2007. The Washington Caps, his ice hockey team, doing well so far this season. Voting for Mark Cuban on Mark's quest to win Dancing With the Stars.

He has cleverly aggregated online info about himself in the left-hand column, including Why am I doing a blog, Google me, Wikipedia bio and Technorati search. I love his 101 Things (to accomplish) list - it's about 80 percent complete.

Take it away Ted...

Ten Questions for a CEO Blogger

1. Why are you blogging? I've read that you wanted to control your Google search results and that's why you started.

Answer: I state very clearly on my blog why I wanted to self express and join the blogosphere. The page rank and Google rankings was just an outgrowth of being a good netizen - and caring so much about my blog.

2. How much time do you spend weekly on your blog and when/where/how do you write (i.e. blackberry, laptop, longhand, dictate)?

Answer: I blog two to three times per day - from my PC - and my laptop; from home, from office and from the road. I blog directly without any company or PR department intervention; what you see is what you get. If a blog isn't authentic and real; if it is corporate speak - it will be not be respected and read.

3. What has been your most difficult moment as a CEO blogger?

Answer: I have had no difficulties with my blog. For every 99 positive or smart comments, there is one cuss word or angry person. But that is a small price to pay; keyboard courage by consumers  is something you should not fear.

4. Why don't more CEOs blog? Lack of time? Fear? Inability to write well?

Answer: Lack of appreciation of the power of listening to consumers; fear of being put out there in the blogosphere and (third) a lack of prioritization of activities. Blogging takes time and commitment and something has to be eliminated out of your schedule to do it.

I have insisted on conducting fewer meetings with formal Powerpoint decks; it has been very liberating. Powerpoint decks steal time and are mostly inwardly directed. Blogging is outward expression.

[Ed note: Go Ted! 10 extra points for stripping PPT out of your communications strategy.]

5. What is the measurable ROI for your blog?

Answer: You should not blog for ROI reasons. Blogging is a personal journey - a way to communicate to your constituents. It is an honor to be able to reach out to folks in a real time manner; this platform is for personal expression - not for sales.

6. How important are Comments left by readers? Do you measure the success of an entry by number of Comments?

Answer: Comments are part of the interaction but I don't blog to generate comments. If I get comments - good. I do look at uniques - and pageviews consumed. And is it growing in levels of interest; that is a fairer barometer of your success.

[Ed Note: Ted wrote in a separate email that the most traffic he's gotten to his blog on a single day was 40,000 unique visitors. It was a post he wrote about AOL's AIM.]

7. Jonathan Schwartz has said that blogging will become mandatory for CEOs and senior execs, just as email has. Do you agree with that?

Answer: Yes - digitize or die - find consumers and employees to touch them in a way that they control; and where they are. Blogging is like oxygen - get used to it :-).

Ted Leonsis on why blogging will become mandatory

"Digitize or die... blogging is like oxygen - get used to it."

8. Does a CEO need to use Twitter or Facebook or any of the other social networking platforms?

Answer: I am on Facebook. I now have 564 friends. I find it a nice way to keep in touch with people; but email and IM and phone and face-to-face are still more utilitarian ways  for me to keep in touch with close friends and family.

[Ed note: Ted and I exchanged several messages through Facebook to wrap up this email interview. He seems like a very active user.]

9. Is an open corporate culture a prerequisite for a CEO to blog?

I don't know - I am not fearful. Ted's Take is NOT a corporate blog; it is all mine. I write it. I do whatever I want on it. It isn't approved by anyone. It is what it is. Why would anyone be afraid of the truth? Why wouldn't you want to hear from people?

You just need to make sure that the people that comment aren't on a  fringe. In some posts perhaps  5K (five thousand) to 10K people will  read it - and I will get ten comments. Is that a representation of the audience at large? That is for you to decide as a reader of the comments.

Former AOL vice chair Ted Leonsis on ghostblogging:

"Do it yourself; don't be handled. Don't have someone write it for you; you can't fake it."

10. What are your top three tips for writing a really successful CEO blog?

Answer:

1. Do it yourself; don't be handled. Don't have someone write it for you; you can't fake it.

2. Write from the heart and share what you know. Is the blog a representation of your true self? If not, don't do it. It needs to be "warts and all". Who cares if a post is not well received? I usually say, "OK, then go and blog daily. Put yourself out there - dazzle me."

3.Blog for the right reasons: self expression - sharing knowledge - having fun; creating a forum of exchange of ideas with friends, customers and the public. Don't do it as a business requirement  or if you have thin skin.The positives far outweigh the negatives; go for it.

Make dust or eat dust.

[Ed note: Thanks for a great interview, Ted. Boy, you were fast. I sent you these questions at 7:30 AM this past Saturday. You replied in a stream of 10 emails before 12 noon.]

Useful Links

Five Questions for Ted Leonsis on Facebook

Washington Examiner Power Profile of Ted Leonsis (Oct. 8, 2007)

Q & A with CEO blogger Richard Edelman

Full disclosure: Edelman PR is sponsoring the China Blogging Tour, my upcoming trip to Beijing and Shanghai to mark the publication in Mandarin Chinese of my book, The Corporate Blogging Book.

Taking a page from Guy Kawasaki's Top 10 approach, here's a ten question Q & A with Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, on the topic of CEO blogging.

Richard has been blogging continuously for three years, since September 2004. He posts a new entry - typically 750 words - once every week to 10 days. He writes about issues both public and private, usually blending the two. For example, observations from his business travels to the Middle East, the global village, what he's talking about in public speeches (his father and Mike Deaver) and his mother's struggle with manic depression.

Ten Questions for a CEO Blogger

1. Why did you start blogging?

Answer: I started blogging because I wanted to set an example for clients on how social media can be an important communications channel to discuss insights and to connect with all types of people. If you do not do as you say, you lose all credibility.

2. How much time do you spend weekly on your blog and do you write at 6 A.M.?

Answer:  I spend about 45 minutes each week on my posts. I do wake up early. Some days the muse is with me at that hour, other days I do better later. One thing I never do is write late at night because I pass out around 10:30 PM or latest 11 PM.

3. What has been your most difficult moment as a CEO blogger?

Answer: When I discussed the New York Times article about the Pentagon delivering “storyboards” to a PR firm in Washington, D.C. in order to prompt placement of articles in Iraqi media. I called the practice "utterly unacceptable behavior," and I was suddenly on every conservative’s radar.

4. Why don't more CEOs blog? Lack of time? Fear? Inability to write well?

Answer: CEOs are scared off by legal counsel, by concerns about misstatements alienating stakeholders and by lack of time. Mike Critelli, now chairman of Pitney Bowes, has joined the blogging ranks so don’t despair.

5. Is there a measurable ROI for your blog?

Answer: My ROI is number of people reading each week (around 9,000), the chat value around the Edelman firm and the speaking engagements that have come as a result of my blog, including Forrester in mid-October.

6. How important are Comments left by readers?

Answer: Comments matter to me because it is my reader feedback. I also get to be part of a bigger conversation. On my recent post on prostate cancer, I found a guy who has just been saved by a PSA test, so in fact this comment becomes a public service.

[Ed note: scroll down to the comment left by Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications. Mark writes that after a similar "routine" test, his biopsy results were positive and that he has just undergone a radical prostectomy. He urges other readers of Richard's blog to get a PSA test at 50 or earlier.]

7. As we enter the age of Engagement and Transparency, will blogging become mandatory for CEOs?

Answer: No. Blogging isn't for everyone. But some form of consistent communication to employees and customers will be, because CEOs will benefit from the feedback as well as the uncontrolled dialogue that occurs when they engage audiences directly.

8. Does a CEO need to use Twitter or Facebook or any of the other social networking platforms?

Answer: However a CEO feels most comfortable. Just as long as he or she jumps into the pool; choice of stroke matters less. I do not use Twitter.

9. Is an open corporate culture a prerequisite for a CEO to blog?  Conversely, does an engaging blog written by a frank, thoughtful CEO create an open culture?

Answer: I don't think an engaging blog by a smart CEO is sufficient to create an open corporate culture. You have to do so many other things, including regular town halls, creating programs that allow one to give back to society, push diversity and insist on qualitative not just quantitative performance measures.

10. What are your top three tips for writing a really successful CEO blog?

Answer: Tell personal stories, convey serious expertise and be frank about what you see.

Useful Links

Richard Edelman's 6 A.M. blog

Loic Le Meur's video interview with Richard

Shel Israel's interview with Richard

Social Media Index by Edelman's David Brain

Link from Edelman Asia Pacific chief Alan VanderMolen's blog

CEO blogger Jonathan Schwartz on the challenge of finding his voice

Eileen Yu of ZDNet Asia interviewed Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz at the company's Menlo Park, CA campus recently. Here's a snippet of the Q & A. Schwartz puts his finger on what may be the hardest thing about a corporate blog - finding a voice:

Q: Now that you're blogging as a Fortune 500 CEO, has that changed the thought process you go through as you write?

A: I probably think a lot more carefully now about what I would write. The hardest blog (entry) to write is... the first. You haven't found your voice, you don't really know what the market cares about, you don't really know your own comfort zone.

To me, I feel like I have found a voice that works for me and for the market to which I'm communicating. So I think it has changed quite a bit. And I also understand... how important what I say is to how the company is perceived...

Read the full Q & A here.

Eileen links to Schwartz's first blog post, June 28, 2004, which I also reference in The Corporate Blogging Book.

"What should you expect in my blog? Relatively frequent updates. Less frequently when I'm on airplanes (which is sadly quite a lot - can't wait for truly pervasive connections). You'll see thoughts on the future (but absolutely no forward looking statements - for all insight into our business performance, please refer to our regularly scheduled filings at the SEC).

Thoughts on my favorite Web services. Even good reading. Maybe good eating. This is an evolving medium, time will tell. I promise to listen - from all the constituencies we serve (customers, stockholders, developers, consumers, suppliers... all).

Hello, world."

- Jonathan Schwartz's first blog post

Why Apple CEO Steve Jobs' open letter about the iPhone isn't (perhaps) as effective as a blog post

UPDATE: I failed to make the distinction below as to *who* would benefit more from Jobs'  non-interactive, non-apology apology letter. Apple, of course. Not users or consumers.

Total control of the user experience (links to David Carr's Media Equation column in the New York Times, Sept. 10, 2007) is part of Apple's overall strategy.

The below was, frankly, an off-the-cuff riff. Not as well thought out as it should be. But ahhh... such is the reality of blogging. So if you'll forgive my somewhat muddled thinking, here's the original post:

The big news this week is that 1. Apple lowered the price on its new iPhone by US $200 and 2. Steve Jobs is acknowledging the furor from disgruntled early iPhone customers by offering a $100 credit at Apple stores.

Jobs published an open letter on the Apple Web site yesterday. And undoubtedly did a press blitz to let MSM know he was doing so (cf section front story in today's Wall Street Journal: Steve Jobs Offers Rare Apology, Credit for iPhone and a Forbes article: iSorry).

So what's the difference between Jobs' "open letter" and a blog post? Note: the "real" Steve Jobs doesn't have a "real" blog.

The letter posted to a static page on Apple's site isn't interactive.

All we see is what Steve wrote. Jobs mentions "hundreds of emails from iPhone customers who are upset about Apple dropping the price."

Wouldn't his apology be that much more credible to consumers if we could see those emails in the form of Comments on his announcement of the price cut?

As it is, Jobs lets "the discussion" loose in the blogosphere where he can't or, in this case, perhaps chooses not to participate in it -- too messy, too free form for his taste. For example, the PC World blog reprints customer Shayna B.'s Open Letter to Steve Jobs (requires free registration) which was posted this morning to an Apple discussion forum. Kudos to Apple for posting Shayna's letter.

But again, if the discussion were taking place on an official Apple corporate blog, we would be able to read all the viewpoints... and make up our own mind.

And Jobs' apology would seem more sincere and less scripted.

It's hard sometimes to nail why "social media" is so effective as PR 2.0. This is one example that [update] on second thought should work raises as many questions as answers as to whether social media is indeed more effective in a crisis. See John Whiteside's comment below.

Through the Looking-glass: the "real" fake Steve Jobs is unmasked

This is a great story. The blogger behind The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, the hugely popular fake CEO blog by Apple's chief, has been outed. And he's none other than a well-established MSM journalist, Dan Lyons, a senior editor for Forbes.com. Dan authored Forbes' much discussed cover story in November 2005: Attack of the Blogs. (He's also the author of Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs, A Parody to be published in October.)

I haven't been a regular reader of Fake Steve so it's been a kick to plunge in and read the very clever skewering of Jobs' persona. It's a parody of CEO blogs in general (which are not candid enough, says Lyons - one of the reasons he started the blog) and of the kind of Silicon Valley insider blog that Apple CEO Steve Jobs might write - but of course never would because he tends to be a secretive kind of guy.

On the Profile page: "I love beautiful objects. I love creating them. Negative people upset me... I don't call people. People call me." And Jobs' "interests": Mock turtlenecks, trees, the color black, the color white, meditation, etc.

So is fake blogging the same thing as ghostblogging?

Well, no. Fake blogging is much funnier and, if well done, can be more effective at engaging readers. You can fake candidness much better than really truly being candid. And of course fake blogging is upfront about being "fake" which follows blogging's best practice benchmark of being authentic.

Ghostblogging is just... fake. OK, you get the drift.

Oh, and the Through the Looking-Glass part? That a respected mainstream journalist is writing the blog in flawless blog-ese and that a reporter for The New York Times (and not a snarky blog like Valleywag) uncovered the fact. Lyons chortles over that on Fake Steve.

Rather than firing Lyons, BTW, Forbes is lionizing him (sorry, couldn't resist) and will soon migrate the blog over to Forbes.com.

Just goes to show that writing chops are an essential prerequisite for a good blog, whether it's authored by the CEO or the janitor. Too bad there aren't more Jonathan Schwartz's.

Useful Links

The Trial of Fake Steve Jobs - the "outing" of Lyons as the author of the blog by Brad Stone on The New York Times' Bits Blog - Aug. 5, 2007

Note: there are currently 158 comments on this entry, almost all of them critical of Stone for spoiling the fun of the parody.

Fake Steve Jobs Outed (Reuters - Aug. 6, 2007)

Is it OK to ghostwrite a CEO blog? (on BlogWriteForCEOs - Sept. 19, 2006)

TechCrunch's list of fake CEO blogs - Aug. 24, 2007

Steve Rubel on CEO blogging on Canadian TV's Squeezeplay

A producer from Canadian TV network BNN contacted me yesterday asking if I could do a live interview about CEO bloggers for the 5 PM EST edition of Squeezeplay. Unfortunately I couldn't, as I'm up in Maine.

I suggested Richard Edelman as a CEO blogger. Richard was busy so Edelman senior VP Steve Rubel went to BNN's studio in New York to do the interview. Asked if all CEOs should blog, he replied (as I would have), "probably not."

Apple's Steve Jobs is too "secretive" and likes to "control the message,"  Rubel said. But Chrysler's Lee Iocacca would have been "a great blogger." You have to be able to speak with "both passion and authority." Great job, Steve.

Useful link (today only)

Watch the interview with Squeezeplay's Amanda Lang and Kevin O'Leary (scroll down to 5:00 PM)

Quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the L.A. Times on CEO blogging

I'm quoted in today's Wall Street Journal and L.A. Times in two stories about CEO blogging. Both are follow-ons to the story about Whole Foods CEO John Mackey and his anonymous postings on Yahoo Finance discussion boards.

Executives Get the Blogging Bug (Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2007)

CEO postings can be hits or headaches (L.A.Times, July 13, 2007)

Dilbert cartoons skewer CEO blogs

Thanks to Steve Clayton for alerting me to these two cartoons. Hmmm.... so ghostblogging (ghostwriting a blog) is on the rise according to Scott Adams. I've publicly said I think ghostblogging is wrong.

But "wrong" is kind of a feeble word when it comes to the realities of corporate life. Let's just hope the ghostbloggers are witty, smart, in tune with the blogosphere and willing to dig out the nuances of an executive's thinking.

Visiting with Edelman's David Brain in London

It's always nice to have a "brain" when your name is Brain and I can truthfully report that David Brain, president and CEO of Edelman Europe, is scary smart. Had the pleasure of having tea with him yesterday afternoon in London.

After we chatted for an hour, he pulled out his cool new mini video camera (from Pure Digital, if you're interested) for a 60-second video interview. I'm more comfortable on a blog then in front of a camera so it was a bit painful, but here it is.

Useful Link

European bloggers find their voice (David quoted in Financial Times, Oct. 10, 2006)

Why senior exec Russell Stalters blogs (and no, it's not to make money per se)

Had a great lunch yesterday with Russell Stalters, CTO of a system and software engineering firm and author of BetterECM (stands for enterprise content management).

He works nearby and a mutual friend suggested we get together. When I asked Russ what his blogging ROI is, he responded with a slight wince that "no" he couldn't pull a dollar figure out of the air and yes the blog does take time.

But he thinks the benefits are tangible. Namely:

1. Lead generation for his company, Applied Information Sciences.

2. Name recognition for him (he gets invited to speak at events like Gilbane's content conferences).

3. He meets interesting people (they leave comments on his blog or he discovers them on other blogs).

4. Writing the blog helps him gather and articulate his thoughts (he's been working on one blog entry for several months - it will be a definitive statement on where ECM is headed).

The lead gen piece is significant and a perfect example of what I try and explain to would-be corporate bloggers. A blog (with good content) is a heck of a lot more interesting / compelling / persuasive than a static site.

Send your prospects to your blog. They'll find their way naturally to your site. And they're much more apt to be in a positive state of mind about doing business with you when they get there.

Russ said his contacts at Microsoft (AIS is a Microsoft partner) send prospects to his blog first, as do his colleagues.

Take Melcrum's Social Media Survey

My friends over at Melcrum Publishing are running a Social Media Usage survey. Click here to take it (it's quick).

You get a nifty free download at the end: Melcrum's Quick Start Guide to Social Media for Internal Communicators (a 23-page PDF).

The survey is aimed at large corporations and asks about your use (or intended use) of blogs, wikis, podcasts, social bookmarking tools, RSS, Second Life, online video, etc.

Social Media for Internal Communicators in London - March 22, 2007

I'm speaking at Melcrum's social media conference in London in a couple of weeks. Topic: What's Your Story? Getting the Tone and Content of Blogs Right. Attendees will get a copy of my Content Strategy Workbook -- one of the things that will be included in... (drum roll)... The Corporate Blogging Toolkit.

I'm developing it now. It's an extension of The Corporate Blogging Book, designed to be a practical blueprint and manual to launch a corporate or CEO blog.

Consider this a below-the-radar announcement. More TK.

A phone call from JetBlue CEO David Neeleman's office

No, not because I was one of the unlucky passengers to be stranded at JFK last week (or detained on a plane on the tarmac for 10 hours... my idea of hell). But because I FedExed overnight a signed copy of The Corporate Blogging Book to CEO David Neeleman at JetBlue's headquarters in Forest Hills, NY.

I enclosed a note, commending Chapter 5 (with tips on CEO blogging) and suggested a number of ways JetBlue could improve Neeleman's blog.

Quick fixes for JetBlue CEO David Neeleman's blog

#1 is to make it a real blog, powered by blogging software, accepting Comments, offering an RSS feed, etc. #2 was to update the blog. When I sent my book on Feb. 21st, the blog hadn't been updated since Feb. 1, 2007. #3 was to hire me to help them power up the blog with a new strategy, etc. Well, it never hurts to be direct...

Less than 24 hours after I dropped off the book at FedEx, "Carol" from his office called and left me a voicemail. "We got your book," she said, "and we've passed it on to Corporate Communications. If they're interested, they'll get in touch with you."

Well they haven't gotten in touch with me. But JetBlue's corporate comms team did update the blog on Feb. 22nd, the day they received my book. Coincidence? Perhaps. (Whether or not there's a connection, I was impressed that they took the time to acknowledge receipt of the book and make a phone call.)

The Feb. 22nd entry is a re-post of the JetBlue mea culpa email that many folks received, myself included. (Er guys, don't recycle content on your blog. Write something new even if it's just a few sentences; then link to the text of the email if it's posted elsewhere on your site. And if it's not the CEO blogging, say so.)

The post also includes a link to David's YouTube video announcing JetBlue's Customer Bill of Rights. (I suggested in my letter that they embed the video in the blog; this is a start.)

Finally... Neeleman posts to his blog

A second new post appeared on Feb. 23rd. (I just noticed it; I was on jury duty yesterday.) This one sounds like Neeleman might possibly have written it himself. It starts off:

Hi everyone,

I can’t thank you enough for the letters, emails and phone calls to our company expressing your support and graciously accepting my apology. We are making good progress on the necessary changes we have to make to ensure you never go through again what happened last week.

I’m also hearing from a lot of customers who we may have confused with our Bill of Rights. Below are some Q&A that our team put together to answer your most frequently asked questions. I will also post an easier-to-read compensation chart by Friday (Mar. 2) so check back here.

Thank you again for giving us another chance to earn your business and loyalty.

-David

A multi-author blog like SouthWest's might work better for JetBlue

The blog still needs work. Call me, JetBlue, if you read this. I'd be delighted to work with you. One idea (thanks John Cass; I'd already thought of this): make it a multi-author blog like SouthWest's. Neeleman comes off as not very articulate in this Face Time Q &A with BusinessWeek's Maria Bartiromo. No doubt he's under a lot of pressure. But perhaps he's not the right guy to be authoring JetBlue's blog. 

P.S. Thanks to author Andrea Nierenberg for giving me the idea of sending my book to JetBlue.

Useful Links

BusinessWeek knocks JetBlue off its list of Top 25 Customer Service Companies.

JetBlueHostage.com - passenger Genevieve McCaw's blog (twice featured on CNN)

Technorati (blog posts tagged "jetblue")

 

Listen up JetBlue: if you've got a corporate blog, use it... or lose it!

JetBlue CEO David Neeleman launched a blog in September 2006. He calls it a FlightLog.

But... OOPS. He hasn't posted a new entry since Feb. 1st, despite the uproar from angry passengers over the dozens of flights cancelled because of last week's winter storm.

A couple of thoughts: I looked more closely at Neeleman's FlightLog and realized that technically it really isn't a "blog" I.e. you can't link to individual entries, you can't leave a comment, and trackbacks aren't enabled for other bloggers who might want to link to Neeleman's postings.

There's also no RSS feed.

That's a problem and a puzzling one. Why suggest this is a blog - an interactive, easily discoverable (via RSS) Web page - when it isn't?

The bigger problem, of course, is the lapse in posting. One of the biggest faux pas for a CEO blogger is silence during a crisis. Let me say that more charitably, the biggest challenge for a CEO blogger is what to say in a crisis. But ya gotta say something.
 

Meanwhile, mainstream media is eating up JetBlue's predicament with a stream of stories.

Ouch

C'mon guys. This isn't that hard to do. Why ignore a channel that you've got set up (although, as noted above, not set up properly) whereby you can communicate directly with customers?

Update

OK, JetBlue's corporate comms team appears to be struggling to get this right. They've created and posted to the corporate site a YouTube video interview with CEO Neeleman talking about a Customer Bill of Rights. But they still don't quite get how this works. Hey guys, you need to embed the video into his "blog."

[Via Cathy Taylor on AdFreak]