Hopefully, regardless of where any one of us fell on this campaign, we all learned something that we can apply in our own work. For my part, I just hope that one of the learnings wasn’t to not reach out to marketing bloggers because we analyze everything to the nth degree

Do people buy things they do not like? When there are so many other options?

I understand that Nikon did the BPR in order to engage more marketing people –in the community–to buy and be aware of Nikon offerings (cameras). I know that marketers read marketing blogs…so shouldn’t it matter that the very people who read those blogs like a program? To me that speaks to the objectives being that Nikon wanted to increase sales (I’m sure you agree that’s their core objective). See, while 50 bloggers (in the marketing community, as I understand) got cameras, Nikon’s focus isn’t the 50–it’s who is influenced by the 50 (influenced to buy and refer the cameras.) I always look at customer/prospect reaction as a core objective, btw.

So if the community is the customer, then it does matter if the community likes it–and ends up buying.

another note: what’s wild is that Nikon got a lot of ink…but back to positioning 101, the way that this community is remembering it? Not as camera co. but as the camera BRP program.

Your point about making the GSK blog interesting is all about relevancy to me. Stonyfield Farms did not write about Yogurt but about organic farming and healthy kids. More about the interests and lifestyles of the readers. I think you are right about the content strategy.

In the same line I think the Debbie’s comment outreach strategy was off base as it was not relevant to many of the people approached, who were marketing people rather than interested in weight loss.

But you do have to find some way to talk with your readers, and let them talk with you. If email, or Twitter or Pounce or whatever works for you, that’s fine, as long as you bring it back to the blog somehow.

Jonathan – I read your post, and will definitely leave a comment. We agree more than we disagree

In comment/answer to some of your comments. I have no problem with analyzing programs of others and having full and frank discussion of issues. I just believe we collectively are holding the Nikon program to a different standard than we might another program simply because it was targeted at marketing people. The ultimate test of a program is, does it achieve ITS goals, not whether the community does or doesn’t like it.

As to whether I was in marketing in the Web 1.0 days, the answer is yes. Google me and you’ll see that I worked for an Internet and Spam filtering company for ten years, and was very involved in many of the issues CK referred to in her comments.

The alli controversy’s interesting. Not so much the controversy (anything in email is subject to blogging), but the fact that there are blogs that are well read, yet do not get comments.

We see this a lot in DC with federal and public sector related blogs. For example, Chris Dorobbek says FCW Insider rarely gets comments, but he gets tons of off-line chats based on entries. Are they really not successful if there are no comments?

This discussions (what you label “navel-gazing”) is not new, it’s part of progress. I sure don’t want to be 20-years back when no one felt comfortable discussing practices “out in the open” and kept practices close to the vest. What’s more? I’m glad more are coming on board and voicing their opinions.

In the end, a company like Nikon is going to look to see if the program created value for them. Did this effort enhance the brand? Did it sell more product? And the audience, the readers of the bloggers that were chosen will need info from these bloggers to help them become better informed potential camera buyers…with a hopeful nudge in the direction of Nikon.

Did that happen? I don’t know. It seemed everyone (most of the bloggers and their audiences are in the marketing/internet arena) ended talking about whether or not the program was the way to go about it. Not about the camera itself.

I wrote and posted a new blog entry last night, writing some stuff that you’ll likely disagree with Susan. Interested in your take. You can see it here:

http://marketingconversation.com/2007/07/26/if-i-was-to-setup-a-blogger-relations-program/

Jonathan

Being the program was introduced in, what, April?, and it’s now late July–I think we’ve come a long way in all learning what we find does and does not work. We can use that in our work and to advise other colleagues. Since BRPs will be around for years to come I think that a few months of discussion are warranted. And I feel blessed to have been able to navel gaze with so many fine marketers.