Friday, January 23, 2009

...Then the CEO went blogging!

continuing with the theme, companies are opening up more and more to web 2.0. A corporate blog is an amazing way to brand your workplace. There's nothing more magnetic than an open workplace, where employees are allowed to air their views.
It is the equivalent of Mass Media in a free nation.

Approaches a company can take towards the branding space includes;
  1. Corporate journalists airing views and opinions of the employees on critical processes within the company. Yes it is an exercise with loud political overtones, but an amazing process for a young company to gather ideas and imbibe responsibility. Membership to the blog can be part of the induction process. Coupled with a "Best Suggestion" drive, this could serve as quick bouncing boards for ideas. Employee surveys are soon becoming passe.
  2. CEO blogs to communicate strategic growth plans to the hundreds of employees. This removes the weekly email from his communication strategy. Ideally to project the employer brand to the outside world, this should be open to all. Why wait for the quarterly announcments to the press? Continuity!
  3. Department blogs announcing plans to all employees.
In India, companies have been slower to adopt to Web 2.0. It's high time someone took the lead. The Learned Man lists some of the leading corporates who have risen to the challenge.