Anthony Bradley

Let’s face it, some people just like to create controversy even where it doesn’t exist. Forrester put out a piece on adding sponsored blogging to a corporate media strategy (see Jeremiah Owyang’s post on the report). This has been picked up by others who are trying to generate controversy (see Read/Write/Web).

Don’t get caught up in this false controversy. The undisputable fact is that many organizations have blogs that clearly are meant to engage with the community and drive a favorable image of the company (every corporate executive blog has this goal). Many have been very successful (see GM FastLane blog as an example). Sponsoring bloggers is an extension of this model. The issue is not whether it is inherently bad or good but whether the company does it right or wrong.

The key is in one word, transparency. It must be clear to all who read that the blogger is sponsored, period. If a company thinks they can do it any other way then they are setting themselves up for trouble. If you have a die hard customer who is an articulate blogger and you wish to sponsor the effort, go for it. However, make it clear that it is now sponsored and recognize that the mantle of impartial participation is lost. If it is an interesting and informative blog then that mantle may not matter.

Who disagrees?