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A year ago, with sales dwindling and its stock in the toilet, (where it remains), Dell started a customer-focused blog.
The blog got off to a rocky start since it shared a URL with a porn site, and it initially refused to talk about the elephant in the room - Dell Hell.
Has Dell's reputation for abysmal customer service permanently soiled the brand? It remains to be seen.
It is certain, however, that since last year Dell has improved its blog and done some very progressive things with Studio Dell and the innovative Dell IdeaStorm community, which claims that it's received 5072 ideas from visitors. They definitely are trying.
So how come there is no link to any of these sites from Dell's home page? You have to click three times from the Dell homepage to get to a page that explains the various community efforts the company is making. The blog is hiding in plain site.
Dell is not alone in hiding its blog.
There's still no link from HP's homepage to Eric Kintz' popular blog. You still can't get to Bob Lutz's blog from the GM home page. And, incredibly, despite the fact that scores of IBM employees blog, you would never know that from the company's home page.
Some companies link to their blogs through their "About Us" page, but who'd look there for a link to a blog?
I think a lot of companies are still not sure they trust this "new" medium not to inflict a stock-crashing blog storm on them. So their toes are in the water, but they're still behaving like those old folks at the beach who don't want to get their suits wet.
Hey c'mon dive in. The water's fine. Mostly.
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Comments
B.L.,
I have been critical of Dell in the past, but recently reported that Michael Dell's return as CEO may mean a turnaround for this computer giant. I later wrote about Dell's blogging efforts (Ushttp://lgbusinesssolutions.typepad.com/solutions_to_grow_your_bu/2007/02/dell_says_talk_.html) and generally agree with you that since their initial efforts to get the word out to other bloggers (that's how I found out), Dell is not doing a good job promoting their blogs.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 05.15.07
B.L.,
I agree with some of your comments about Dell in my blog post "Dell's Web 2.0 Effort Can Do Better".
At the same time, I give them tremendous credit for experimenting with this new approach. Most large companies are (as you point out) very tentative about exploring this space.
We work with very large companies (and web agencies) to help drive the strategies around this area. Like you, we encourage them to dive in -- and to avoid the rocks that might exist under the surface. What we have found is that focusing on your strategy up front is the most valuable step in the whole process. Companies may not get it right the first few times they attempt things, but if they have their strategic objectives clear, then it's safe to experiment and change as they go along.
Posted by: Glenn Gow | 05.15.07
There are many factors involved, not the least of which is that mainstream media still likes to portray bloggers as an unruly lynch mob.
Lewis: I think Michael Dell needs to get actively involved in the blog and the Dell community. His name is on the product, and on the door. But like many other CEOs, he doesn't appear to think the blogosphere or social media re worth his time. Big mistake because I think he'd be welcomed warmly if he was sincere.
Glenn: My experience with S&P 500 companies shows that there's still a lot of fear of being one of the pioneers who gets shot.
Nonetheless, they feel like they are between a rock and a hard place because their other great fear is of getting left behind.
Social media has moved beyond blogging, and I think corporations should be looking at community at this point.
There are so few corporate leaders who are interesting as bloggers.
Posted by: B.L. Ochman | 05.15.07
I think a lot of Web 2.0 companies place the company blog quite prominently but most traditional companies do not.
IBM ran an advertising campaign for a couple weeks where the new employee blog directory was advertised on the IBM landing page as a major banner - but it's gone now. There is a LOT in the IBM website that cannot be linked from the main page - Developerworks, partner portal, training, certification portal etc. So some things cannot make the cut and IBM Blogs is one of them. Microsoft have made the same decision - no space for a blog link.
Informatica just added a cool blog button. Oracle list a Blog link right alongside Events and News links.
Guess which Fortune 500 company has the most space on the landing page for the corporate blog? Sun Microsystems. No one is going to tell the CEO he can't have his RSS blog feed on the Sun homepage.
Posted by: Vincent McBurney | 05.15.07
Interesting point, Vincent. Web 2.0 companies can relate more easily to digital natives, the 20 and up group that is the next generation of customers.
It's also true that if you've worked in a big corporation since the 90s, there's a good chance you've totally missed the Internet. How else to explain the legions of managers at conferences who are still trying to find out "what is a blog, exactly?"
It doesn't take a fortune teller to know, however, that companies still uncomfortable with the "new" technology are going to be playing catchup for years to come.
Then again, it's ok to be a sheep, as long as you're a cool sheep.
Posted by: B.L. Ochman | 05.16.07