Red Couch Chapter 2 Draft: Blogging Has Softened Public Opinion of Microsoft

Robert Scoble and Shel Israel ask for public feedback on a beautifully written draft of chapter two of The Red Couch, that maintains blogging has had more impact on a perceptable softening of the public image of Microsoft than marketing, advertising or PR.

While Robert Scoble is definitely a seminal figure in the company's quest to overcome its evil image, the chapter seems a little too reverential. I don't think Scoble did single-handedly improve the larger public view of Microsoft, although he's surely performed wonders among opinion-makers in the blogosphere.

Interestingly, they note that there are now more than 1500 Microsoft employees blogging and to this day there has been no blogging policy issued.

To make peace with Microsoft PR, the company's bloggers don't launch new products or break hard news, although they often post within minutes of such announcements.

"So what does all this mean to Redmond?" they ask. "Does this mean that because of Scoble and its 1500 bloggers, the world now loves Microsoft? Let’s not be silly."

"Our point," they say, "is this: If blogging can do all this for one of the world’s most despised and distrusted companies, think of what it can do for yours."

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Posted by: shel israel at March 14, 2005 3:24 PM

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