I was a bit surprised today when the brand/PR director for Microsoft, Janice Kapner, who presented at the IABC conference in Los Angeles, checked off the value of several forms of online communication tools (portals, email, Instant Messaging, virtual tours, whiteboarding..) but didn’t mention blogs.
In her defense, she was talking of the growing importance of Live Meeting, and Microsoft’s work on enterprise-level collaborative tools –IM and an amazing device, tentatively called ‘RingCam.’
But Kapner did deal extensively with how PR collaborates with the media, and gives journalists access to product information in a virtual environment. These virtual, real-time exchanges between PR folk and reporters seems to diminish the potential of the press conference. It’s not the only way to get the story out, she said, but its value increases when it is complemented with the online PR tools.
So I asked her if the several bloggers at Microsoft –with or without corporate approval– frustrate the PR role, or add more slings to her bow. She replied that for the moment, they are watching what bloggers can do, but have no immediate plans to incorporate blogging into their strategy. I am not so surprised, considering how Microsoft ignored the Web phenomenon for quite some time.
Hoipolloireport 
Hoi Poloi Says Microsoft PR Slow to Grok Blogs
Angelo Fernando reports on an encounter he had with a Microsoft PR rep. In a post titled “Is Microsoft ignoring bloggers?” he writes: “So I asked (Janice Kapner) if the several bloggers at Microsoft –with or without corporate approval– frustrate
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Microsoft PR and blogs
NATTERJACK PR — There are a lot of examples where big companies wait for textbook solutions before trying out new technologies. This could be the case in the story Tom Murphy tells about Angelo Fernando, author of the Hoi Polloi
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Mmm.. that differs from what I have heard about Microsoft in recent months Bill Gates has been talking about blogs a lot lately. See this article. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3734981.stm
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I suspect that it may be their policy to not comment on their position –while a product is being worked on. Then there is the possibility that PR & Communicatons folk inside the company may be bristling at the fact that techies have got in on the technology before them. Definitely worth looking into.
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Angelo,
I missed your reply. No, my impression is that lots of marketing and PR people are blogging as well. Its right across the company. Robert Scoble’s interview on the Global pr blog gives some good insight.
I don’t know, my sense is that microsoft is trying blogging and seeing what will happen. managing over 700 bloggers maybe like herding cats.
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Blog Relations and cannabilism…
Good business practice teaches us that if you don’t cannibalize your own products, someone else will do it for you.
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