I love Paris in the Winter time
01 December 2005
I took part in an enjoyable panel session at the IABC’s EuroComm conference this morning, along with Elizabeth Albrycht, Loic Le Meur, and Neville Hobson (who reflects on the morning here). I posted my immediate thoughts over on The Plenary Panel Blog that Neville set up, before settling down to enjoy some of the other sessions.
Romeike’s Paul Miller offered a thought-provoking challenge to our enthusiastic advocacy straight afterwards, arguing that a lot of the numbers (from the likes of Technorati – the first time I have heard it pronounced “Technorat-eye” I have to say) were over-stated and that blogging was just a volatile bubble at the moment. His core argument seemed to be that “the context [in which your brand is mentioned online] is decided by the consumer, but you can influence that decision.” Not sure I agree about the use of the word influence – to many communicators this will mean control, and that is a very wrong take-out IMHO.
It’s a shame he couldn’t have been on our panel though. I think it would have made for a very interesting debate.
Overall, he made some interesting points that made me think about our responsibility for being pragmatic. I thought that the only weak point – and as I said in the session it may be the only time you hear someone from Hill & Knowlton defending Edelman – was what I saw as a misinterpretation of their research. At one point, on the same slide he quoted from their Trust Barometer about other people being more credible than companies, and dismissed it using a graph from a separate survey of bloggers looking at preferred sources of product information, confusing “preference” with “trust” in the process.
Maybe Paul is listening to this particular conversation. It would be great if he could stop by and clarify, because I doubt this was the impression he meant to leave. But on the whole an enjoyable session and one which I hope added another layer of interest in learning more amongst our audience.
Now I’m off to enjoy Paris in the Winter time with my kind hosts from the IABC.
Neville Hobson
2 December 2005
10:08 am
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Interesting to read your comments, Niall, on Paul Miller’s approach. It sounds like the similar message he presented at the one-day conference I also participated in at the University of Sunderland a few weeks ago.
I didn’t agree with his ‘blogging is only a volatile bubble’ views then and I certainly wouldn’t now. I think there is compelling evidence all around us to clearly illustrate that, from a business perspective, this is no bubble.
I do agree with you that it would have been terrific if Paul had been on the panel. That would have made for some very interesting discussion.
Paul Miller
12 December 2005
1:05 pm
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Hello. Apologies for the tardy response – I’ve been meaning to reply since reading the post last Monday morning, but time/ resource issues, etc… More of which later.
Can I point out that I wasn’t trying to discredit one piece of Edelman research with another. (I’m not sure that’s logically possible.) Rather, I thought the juxtaposition of the two snapshots was interesting – no less so for Edelman citing the Barometer claim in the Blogosphere report. Yes, there is a world of difference between ‘trusted’ and ‘preferred’, but both are elements of authority, which is key to my thinking on blogs and the media in general.
Not sure I like the words “just” and “only” accompanying the “volatile bubble” description. Actually, I raised the “bubble” thing in connection with a DDB survey, whose conclusions I don’t subscribe to – and if I didn’t say that loudly enough at EuroComm, then take this as me stressing it now.
But no one’s denying the volatility, right? That’s what makes the blogosphere exciting/intimidating. The authority it holds over the general public is similarly unpredictable, but I believe it’s a generational thing. Traditional media channels remain authoritative sources to the majority – though not necessarily a majority of teenaged Americans. I was rather harsh on 17-year-old girls in Paris (your Honour), but while this demographic is interesting to some, it’s not the centre of everybody’s universe (despite what 17-year-old girls might think).
As I definitely stressed at EuroComm, 17-year-olds grow up. But will the blogosphere? I strongly suspect this particular interface will evolve at a faster rate. What we’re seeing now is in this respect a “bubble”, a developmental step and an important one, but not necessarily a cause for so much evangelistic consultancy and client handwringing in this form. Meantime, ITV acquires Friends Reunited – those old authorities are resilient beasts.
What I don’t like is the “the conversation is happening, so you should join it” approach. Everybody’s resources are limited, and must be directed with a sense of perspective. Neville, you yourself said that you’ve actively discouraged potential clients from blogging and podcasting. I’m attempting the same thing – though admittedly in more pessimistic tones.
Niall Cook
13 December 2005
4:41 pm
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Paul,
Thanks for joining THIS conversation, anyway, despite the fact that you’re not a 17-year-old girl (easy to tell, with that taste in music!)
Paul Miller
14 December 2005
1:07 pm
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Pleasure – I certainly wouldn’t argue with Elizabeth’s ‘networking within silos’ theory.
You should see the Kylie-themed presentation.