The second session of NewCommForum I attended featured Shel Holtz of Holtz Communications. Shel brings his insights of employees becoming the brand of a company, particularly through blogs.

What is the definition of a brand?

An audience member says it is how customers perceive you. Shel sees brand as the aggregate of all the experiences you have had with a company, which turns it into what you see, feel, and think. Brand is owned by each individual.

Shel points out that every time an employee says something or does something, and they are NOT happy - it creates a risk. Think of Ryan Kuder being let go from Yahoo!. His experience was chronicled on Twitter.

Positive brand experiences can be created by individual employee bloggers who have the opportunity to represent companies well. Thomas Nelson Publishers provides an aggregate of employee blogs that are highlighted on the website. The most trusted spokesperson of a company comes from a REAL person who just happens to blog about where they work - not the CEO, not the official marketing person.

Examples of Employee Bloggers

Shel shares his experience blogging about a negative experience with Park ‘N Fly, and the following comment from a Sales & Marketing Administrator who promptly responded and offered to make it up to him with free parking (and the all important apology).

Customer service should then be seen as the frontline of the brand and company experience. People who deal with issues themselves are EMPOWRED by their companies, and it’s better for consumers too when they are not constantly approached from a PR or media perspective. Real people and authenticity win every time.

Shel points to the Coca-Cola Second Life Campaign which shared a video update to let consumers know where the campaign was headed and to thank people for participating.

The TSA blog Evolution of Security is aimed at the traveling public to improve relations and have a genuine conversation. The bloggers for this blog are TSA employees who range from screeners to former air marshals, the voices are true and provide an insider’s look to the organization.

Strategies

A few questions on strategy:

• What is the role of internal communications?
• What is the role of content "owners"?
• How do we get them to have the right knowledge but know the facts, without astroturfing?
• What is the role of management and leadership?
• What about policies? On employee behavior and employee access

Overall, Shel says the same thing as Microsoft, "Be smart" (or "don’t be stupid") when you are having employees blog, and when you are blogging about the company you work for.