Update: turns out this week’s Le Web 3 was indeed the reason our Dec. 5th corporate blogging event didn’t get any coverage. But… stay tuned. ZDNet.fr columnist Capucine Cousin wrote an article on consumer created content for Les Echos (en français) and quoted me from our interview in Paris:
“Tout le jeu consiste à métamorphoser des clients passionnés en « évangélistes », les marques plus malignes choisissant de « capitaliser sur eux pour faire du marketing gratuit », note Debbie Weil, consultante, auteur de « The Corporate Blogging Book » (édition Portfolio, en anglais), qui vient de sortir en Europe.”
– Capucine Cousin
Original entry, cont.
You got it. Nothing. Nada.
Unfortunately, that’s been the response to the presentation I gave last week on corporate blogging at the lovely offices of Fleishman-Hillard Paris. They’re in what I assume is a 19th century building. It’s on the stately boulevard Haussmann in central Paris. Ornate, rococo ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and other wonderful details. Wish I had taken a photo. (If I’m wrong about the architectural history, someone please set me straight.)
A crowd of about 50 was expected: Fleishman corporate clients (I don’t have the all the names; it was a good mix of multinationals and French companies), prospects and a handful of journalists. But it rained (a downpour), there was snarled traffic and about half that number showed up. They were an attentive audience, however, and asked lots of questions. The event had two purposes: to launch The Corporate Blogging Book in Paris and to release the results of a blogger – media study conducted by Fleishman.
I was interviewed by Capucine Cousin for ZDNet.fr but haven’t seen a story or blog post yet. (I did see The Corporate Blogging Book on a ZDNet.fr shopping page.) Guillaume Devauz, a reporter for Journal du Net, asked if he could reprint part of Chapter 1 along with other blogging tips. Haven’t seen that either. (Update: he emailed to say he expects his article to be published.)
Now it’s true that Fleishman’s soireé was vying for attention with Le Web 3 which took place in Paris this week. But that was an entirely different kind of event – a mega networking confab for established bloggers and Web 2.0 players. Photos here. (The “3” in Le Web 3 refers to the fact that this is the third year for Les Blogs.)
Fleishman’s event was specifically geared to the non-cognoscenti, the not-yet-playing in the social media space types. (I’m pretty sure there were no bloggers in the audience other than the two journalists I mention above.) In addition, Fleishman Paris has a sadly antiquated Web page which doesn’t allow for easy updates and offers no reason for anyone to visit or to link back to it. I’m wondering if that’s a fatal combination when it comes to generating a bit of buzz in the blogosphere. I.e. no sneezers or influencers and no place to sneeze.
(I did upload Fleishman’s blogging survey and it sparked a few comments.)