Thursday, July 21, 2005
Blogs can be a powerful medium..even when they're a business tool
I've generally praised GM's blog efforts. I'm one of those who believe that the execs writing it are actually writing it. I'm one of those who believe they've executed smartly, allowing comments, even very critical comments to stand. And every few posts they use a post to respond to something form the comments...so despite the fact that they don't respond to probably hundreds of comments, they make the readers feel like they're being listened to.
But today the GM blog demonstrated how powerful blogs can be fore humanizing and reaching out to customers.
Today a GM Director of Vehicle Architecture told us about his son...who was in an auto accident in April, this April, and has been paralyzed from the shoulders down. And how suddenly something he never thought much about, mobility and disability issues, became something he had to personally deal with.
it doesn't matter what equally great solutions the other car makers might have for those with disabilities. Any person who reads this post who has a child, a parent, a spouse or themselves have a disability will gravitate toward GM to help them address their problem. Because they know their needs will be understood from the inside.
It doesn't feel like a cheap ploy. It's not like some commercial with heart-tugging, tear-jerking string music. It's a real guy telling his real, personal, and tragic story...showing that there are human beings behind the cars at GM.
And where else would he do this and be able to reach so many people, than in their blog?
But today the GM blog demonstrated how powerful blogs can be fore humanizing and reaching out to customers.
Today a GM Director of Vehicle Architecture told us about his son...who was in an auto accident in April, this April, and has been paralyzed from the shoulders down. And how suddenly something he never thought much about, mobility and disability issues, became something he had to personally deal with.
it doesn't matter what equally great solutions the other car makers might have for those with disabilities. Any person who reads this post who has a child, a parent, a spouse or themselves have a disability will gravitate toward GM to help them address their problem. Because they know their needs will be understood from the inside.
It doesn't feel like a cheap ploy. It's not like some commercial with heart-tugging, tear-jerking string music. It's a real guy telling his real, personal, and tragic story...showing that there are human beings behind the cars at GM.
And where else would he do this and be able to reach so many people, than in their blog?
// posted by ElisaC @ 10:19 PM 
