Ignoring blogs - A recipe for reputation disaster

Might seem a bit unusual to write about ignoring blogs on a blog, but a recent conversation with a senior media executive (who intensely asserted that blogs are but a fading fad and should know better) motivated me to write a "Perspectives" column for Inside Indiana Business. As visitors here obviously know, blogs DO in fact contribute considerably to public opinion, shape perceptions and influence information gatekeepers. Anyone with a stake in preserving brand equity or reputation management MUST possess more than a passing acquaintance with the blogsphere. If Word of Mouth (whether electronically transmitted or not) issues aren't being considered in your marketing or PR strategy, well...

Ironically, the column was one of the IIB's most popular of the month in terms of page views, and has subsequently been excerpted in a number of forums (of course including other blogs).
If you'd like to see what advice proved to be so popular, follow this link:

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/contributors.asp?id=1019

Fortuna favet fortibus.