Chevron’s issue-focused blog,

The Amazon Post, educates the

public on its position and counters Chevron’s The Amazon Post
misinformation for journalists to cite
in news articles.

Chevron states the intent of the Chevron commits resources to translate all of the
blog on the homepage. content into Spanish since the lawsuit is being
disputed in Ecuador.

The Amazon Post

Objective:
Chevron creates a blog to
share its side of the story in a
multi-billion dollar lawsuit
against the company.

Audience:
While read by a variety of
stakeholders, the blog’s
content is primarily targeted
for journalists (in English and
Spanish) who report on the
lawsuit.
Style:
The posts themselves are in-
depth and factual versus short
and entertaining.

Chevron allows readers to

© 2009 The Corporate Executive Board subscribe to updates via Email,
Company. All Rights Reserved. RSS, and Twitter.
Source: http://theamazonpost.com/

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 Monsanto’s Beyond the Rows blog
features robust employee blogger
profiles to foster a personal Monsanto’s Beyond the Rows
connection with the blog’s readers.

Beyond the Rows

Objective:
Monsanto creates a public
blog to identify issues of
public concern and present its
employees’ views in a clear
and accessible format.
Audience:
The blog, while intended for a
diverse internal and external
audience, is primarily for
detractors of Monsanto’s
mission.
Style:
The blog balances feature Monsanto encourages
stories on Monsanto clients employees to share
and employees with professional credentials and
explanatory posts on key personal tidbits on their
issues. blogger profiles.

© 2009 The Corporate Executive Board

Company. All Rights Reserved. Source: http://blog.monsantoblog.com/about-the-bloggers/

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 GM’s FastLane Blog features
influential guest bloggers to bolster
the company’s position on key General Motor’s The FastLane Blog
issues.

General Motors invites guest bloggers to

add credibility to GM positions on key
issues.

FastLane Blog
Objective: GM combines product
and service posts with
GM’s FastLane blog business and issues-
discusses future products and related posts to paint a
services as well as important holistic picture of the
issues facing the company. company.
Audience:
The blog is targeted at GM
enthusiasts who are keen to
learn about the latest
developments at GM.
Style:
GM’s interactive blog allows
readers to create personal
profiles. GM also hosts
frequent webchats on specific
issues (e.g., environment,
energy) to share its position,
respond to criticism, and
answer questions.

© 2009 The Corporate Executive Board

Company. All Rights Reserved. Source: http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives/2009/03/america_must_support_efforts_to_repower_the_auto_industry.html

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 IBM’s HealthNex blog shifts
perceptions of what IBM does and
builds the company’s reputation as IBM’s HealthNex Blog
a thought leader in patient-centric
healthcare.
The HealthNex blog links to other related blogs to
connect itself to the broader healthcare
conversation.

HealthNex Blog
Objective:
The HealthNex blog
“The mission of this blog is to sources posts from
drive discussion and thought leaders who
collaboration on some of the work with clients in all
key elements necessary for a areas of healthcare
global, interconnected and life science.
healthcare ecosystem.”
Audience:
The blog is targeted at
individuals who are interested
in learning about the range
and depth of IBM’s work in
healthcare.
Style:
The blog sources posts form
IBM thought leaders who
share their personal opinions
on healthcare issues and
incorporate a variety of
multimedia to elaborate on
key points.

© 2009 The Corporate Executive Board

Company. All Rights Reserved. Source: http://healthnex.typepad.com/web_log/

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 Issues-focused blogs attempt to
shape public debate on key
issues and build reputation with
audiences
Learn More
Visit our
Social Media Showcase: Blo
gs
to view additional examples
and easy-to-use tools.
© 2009 The Corporate Executive Board
Company. All Rights Reserved.
Issues-Focused Blog Principles
1. Audience: Does your target audience read or contribute to blogs?
Issues-focused blogs are frequently read by:
 Journalists/Media outlets
 Interested citizens
 Lobbyists
 NGOs
 Government regulators & legislators
2. Industry: Is your industry blog friendly?
Government-regulated industries warrant increased investment in proactive issues-focused blogs.
 Telecommunications
 Internet/technology
 Energy/Utilities
 Financial services
 Healthcare/Insurance
 Pharmaceutical
3. Competition: Have you seen competitors or other thought leaders in your space succeed using blogs?
Examples of leading issues-focused blogs in key industries:
 Telecommunications: Verizon Policy Blog
 Internet/Technology: Microsoft on the Issues Blog
 Energy/Utilities: Chevron’s The Amazon Post
 Financial Services: Wells Fargo Environmental Forum
 Healthcare: JNJ BTW
4. Strategy: Can you identify a specific objective for your blog?
Common objectives for issues-focused blogs are:
 Influence public debate on key issues
 Represent the company’s side in highly public litigation
 Rebuild reputation after an attack
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