Well, anytime I have the chance to talk about corporate blogging I emphasize the element of staying in touch with your end consumer – the valuable possibility to share views directly between two persons. That the conversation is “recorded” in text just ads to the value.

Now even McDonalds has seen that warming ray of light! You can visit their new Corporate Responsibility blog at: Open for Discussion

In this corporate blog McDonalds takes up the challenge of fighting for corporate responsibility through Bob Langert, Senior Director for Corporate Social Responsibility. It’s a great initiative – don’t misunderstand me. I can’t say that I dine every night under “The Golden Wings” – but I haven’t got anything against the company. We, The People, have our own free will even when it comes to the stuff we put in our mouth – if we eat too much, too fat or too sweet, we can’t blame Ronald McDonald.

But now to my real issue: The “Terms and Conditions” of using the blog. In the terms and conditions it says that any comment posted on the blog can be used either in its original form OR edited (modified/adapted) by McDonalds anywhere, anytime and in any which way they choose!

I’m not supposed to be “The Blogging Police” – knowing that the web, blogs etc. has it’s own free spirit. But still, blogging is to me a conversation between a number of individuals. The comments and postings are public, but they have their context and reserving the right to transfer them in edited or even modified form to another media (commercial?) is – I think – slightly out of line. They even reserve the right to use your name in connection with your modified comment!

I bring you this story to warn you that we will probably see more of these “Terms and Conditions” that not only reserves the right to remove comments that are unwanted due to corporate policies, but also reserve the commercial rights to comments made. SO, read the terms before you write a comment – or else you may see it in the newspaper tomorrow!

If the deeper mysteries of corporate bloggins still aren't crystal clear to you, I just want to share a very interesting link with you.

I haven't been too much around this blog, but enough to identify it as more than interesting to any blogger with just a hint of corporate blogging interest. Debbie Weil is an American consultant on web, blogging, rss, podCasting, email and much more tech-related communication. Her blog is a treasury of links and information on blogging.

Her blog is now an integrated part of my menu-bar. Read her views on just about anything blog-related, or go directly to the links along the right hand side of her blog: if there is someone CEO blogging, he or she will be in this links-list!

BlogWrite for CEOs

For eksample you can read her views on the danger of bloggers attacking your business or brand: Permalink

One of my best friends, Iben, lives in Italy. She is the worlds most radiant and sophisticated mother of two. She has her own little interior decorating business in Scandinavian style, a nice house in the mountains just outside Milan and a husband who’s never at home. And I tell you she looks stunning speeding up and down the steep mountain roads on her scooter. She has had it for years – it moved with her from Copenhagen when she left, and she looked just as trendy on Værnedamsvej as she does on Via Monte Napoleone.

So how come she is one of the few Danish girls bidden by the scooter?

This other week I did an event at major Copenhagen universities like KUA, CBS, KU etc. And I saw ONE single scooter, and it might have been one belonging to a teacher! How come? Scooters are super economic, they are low on pollution, they are reliable – and it’s easy to find parking space even in Copenhagen down-town.

So please tell me, girls, what does it take to make you ride a scooter tomorrow. I can tell you that if you have a Danish drivers license (any type) it’s just to step on it – it’s all you need! It’s cheap to buy and it comes in a multitude of designs – futuristic, retro or just convenient.

So, what will it take?

Should your favourite chef ride a scooter, should Gromitt the bartender?

Should your scooter be unique with a saddle in Vuitton-logo-canvas or with unique décor by Hornsleth?

Would you like to buy it at a high street store. At Illum?

Where would you like to try a ride – Monday at your university campus or Saturday at your favourite footwear store?

Let me know – and guys are welcome to respond too!

Click the links for a little inspiration:

Nice selection of scooters
Peugeot scooters
And can you imagine Vespa blogs!

Now that things are out of the way, I just want to tell you about a little mail-out we did last week.

One of the big events in the Danish advertising and communication world is the Direct Marketing Prize and this year STAGIS wanted to do things a little different – after all it is a direct marketing event ;-)

So, in good time in advance we had prepared a little set of presentation-cards, presenting some mighty fine examples on “doing things the STAGIS way”. On the day of the DM Prize the guest list goes public. And now the circus starts: Selecting 100 names from the list, looking up addresses, tapping it all into lists and merge into labels. As a little special treat the names were also merged into the presentation cards to make them personal and everything was packed into nice and neat little boxes, stamped and labelled for postage.

All 100 boxes were shipped the same night as the nominees for the DM Prize were partying the night away. And next morning they received “a little something” from STAGIS – including 2 little Panodil tablets for the hangovers!

We offer our help in so many ways …

News from the frontline!

This Monday I attended a meeting about blogging - corporate blogging in particular. I attended the meeting to get more input on the different facets of blogging, ethics etc. and to se if my own ideas and expectations were in line with what other people see in the concept.

Trine-Maria Kristensen & Thomas Madsen Mygdahl had a splendid presentation on blogging and a lot of cases - and thanks for that - but actually the best part was the audience. People from all kinds of organisations (commercial big & small, the state and individuals) gathered around the table, and much of the talk was about worries about openness!

The thing is that most companies want their communication to be under control – the professional communicators fear that more members of the organisation that speak in public, will work against their effort to secure a coherent flow of information (to control policies, image etc.)

But the point is that hundreds or thousands of emails travel in and out of any organisation every day, and they are accompanied by many more telephone calls and face to face meetings between the organisation and the surrounding world. But these ways of contact are seen as natural and 100% acceptable – a part of doing a good job!

And why then not trust corporate bloggers – what they publish is well documented, as it is written clearly on the blog!

And why should an employee try to throw dirt on a company that he or she has chosen to work for – spending many hours every day in that environment? I find it very unlikely.

No, blogging lends a human face (or many) to an organisation and it enables direct interaction from any level of the organisation DIRECT to the surrounding world.

Think of the impact:

The CEO can listen direct to complaining customers – no filters!

The experts at museums or other institutions can share their knowledge and enthusiasm with potential visitors – and get to know what interests their audience.

Choreographers and stage directors could blog on an upcoming play to enhance audience participation and interest!

Wow – the list is long…please continue!

Just a little thing: tapped in the word "blogging" at Google and had 84.000.000 links..

The word "weblog" returns 126.000.000 links.

And the word "Jesus" returns 72.200.000 links....just a thought...

Is happiness measurable?

I always learned that happiness is individual - closely connected to preferences, and as we all know: "Interpersonal preference comparison" does not make sense.

Well, apparently it does!

Looking much forward to starting the course in happiness every second wednesday at STAGIS. Increasing work- and personal happiness. Having just been tested "pretty happy" @ www.authentichappiness.com

I'll keep you posted as I collect "smilies"!

Am I the only one that find stain remover ads, toothpaste tubes, corporate websites (or even weblogs) without interaction or updates annoying?

I think not!

So let's start a little game: Blog about the gadget, design, ad, website, tv-show or anything that is supposed to be a clever construction of the human mind, but turns out to be down right annoying or silly!

I'll be happy to start. Museums are filled with our history, top-of-the-pops art, clues and wisdom. In addition these institutions house a legion of skilled people with so many stories to tell. BUT WHY are museum websites soooooo boring? Are they all made by people that used to do brochures - but tought themselves how to write in HTML-code?

Well, you can always write an email to the museum asking your questions - and you might even get an answer back. But why not make asking questions an integrated part of the website - making both answers and questions public?

The good old "Q&A's" are still a way - but why not let scientists, curators and other kinds of staff "in the know" share their findings with the web-guests through blogs? Think of the PR-value and all the satisfied tax payers!!

It could be blogs analyzing and discussing items in the current collection and on display, it could be a way of promoting and "hyping" coming exhibitions or even better, a way of making the treasures in the archives available to the public! How's that for making a museum website interactive?

Just a thought ...

I have surfed the web to find a few prototypes on how to go - let me suggest:

Science Museum of Minnesota
Would be the perfect example on making science and technique approchable for even very young people. I find it worth noting that things are not simplified beyond reason and all entries are linked to original articles om SMoM's own website or other relevant websites.

Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
A blog by Mark Macleod belonging to Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis - and a great example on how to make a blog that is both "corporate" and personal - letting us in on how a curator at the museum works. It strikes me as a very extrovert museum with a high degree of interaction with both guests and sponsors.

Smithsonian American Art Museum
Well - another great example on museal blogging - and I have to say: American again! In the "About"-article the blog presents itself this way: "The name Eye Level imparts a sense of clarity to which the blog aspires. The name refers to the physical experience of viewing art, but it also plays on the many roles and perspectives that make a museum a reality—roles that will come into focus"

And yes: There is a Danish example!

Arken Museum of Contemporary Art

A great blog taking a "behind the scenes" look at a very progressive Danish museum. Quite different types of employees post their entries on this weblog. Congratulations - keep up the good work!

Well - just a little appendix: It might be hard to shoote a graphic designer - but how'bout getting into the head of one? (like "Being John Malkowich")

Try visiting this blog by graphic designer Anders Mortensen: wunderblog

Well, as in so many other cases the most obvious and simple way is the most effective. Graphic Designers are good at networking - that's how they keep themself busy when freelancing. What binds them together is not hip cafées, glossy magazines, newspapers, internetsites or job-markets; it's knowing you knowing me!

So: You shoote a good graphic designer by dropping a word of mouth to a number og good graphic designers you know, and let them do the job!