I was recently a part of a meeting to discuss the launch of a new product line, mainly to support our stance on how social media could be relevant to the launch.  Upon diving into the social media strategy, tactics and implications, an interesting topic surfaced.  With regard to their new blog – would it be fronted by a created personality affiliated with the brand, or the brand itself?

 

I had a hard time digging up a blog written by a brand (aka several people contributing, always including or typing back to branding) which makes me consider that this isn’t the way many brands go.  I did find PlayStationLifestyle.net and a blogger named Kyle P.’s post about an upcoming game (I think).  He reports news about the new game and speaks with the CEO of the gaming company, offering an insiders look at a new PS game.  Interesting (to a certain subset of people) for sure.  I need to dig into this topic a bit more. 

 

On the other hand (brands run by invented personalities), Dixie Longate (a favorite that I’ve mentioned before) – a bright red-headed tranny who sells plastic to the masses – is the outspoken spokespersonality for Tupperware brand with a notable opposite persona from the well-known home brand.  She’s not a blogger (that I can tell) but she is the lead personality for an otherwise unaffiliated brand.  She promotes the anti-Tupperware party cliché with the slogan “not your grandmother’s Tupperware party” and other crude Dixie-isms as a part of a larger campaign.  In this case, Tupperware has decided to let a creative personality communicate their brand messaging (or, smartly, anti-messaging).

 

As I write, I’ve considered another type of blog to consider.  The CEO blog.  Usually ghost-written, major corporations like Ford, Microsoft and Boeing’s CEO’s front blogs that are written by seasoned communications professionals trained to write and react with CEO-like precision, while many CEO’s haven’t learned the term “blog” quite yet.  This isn’t an option in this particular case, but if you couldn’t tell, I wouldn’t be an advocate if it were. 

 

What do you think?  As a consumer, would you rather hear from PlayStation, Dixie (for Tupperware) or Steve (for Apple)?  And what are some other good brand blogs?  I can’t say I read any J