The Hindu Business Line : Mind those bloggers!

LAST week a part of the anatomy was in the news, for all the wrong reasons. No prizes for guessing which part. It was the middle finger. Henry Gray, whose book Anatomy of the Human Body, has been the Bible for many medical students for a small matter of 147 years, ) not surprisingly had not given the middle finger anything close to the importance that bloggers in the US have. The middle finger that Indra Nooyi, CFO and President of PepsiCo, likened to America in her speech to Columbia Business School has suddenly caused hackles to rise and bloggers to rise in arms (or is it fingertips) at the slight to America and Americans.

How can a speech made to the graduating class of a top-flight university create such a storm? How can an analogy, however offensively made, create a public relations scare of the highest proportions? The answer, my friends, though not blowing in the wind, is what the world of technology would describe as blogging.

Blogs (or weblogs) have been described as different things. A blog at the simplest level could be an online journal with freshly updated content. At a more sophisticated level it is "something that will revolutionise the Web." At a more flippant level a blog is "something to keep you occupied when you're unemployed." Obviously if the reaction to Ms Nooyi's speech is any indication, lots of people, whether they care to accept it or not, seem to fit into the last category!

The dreaded finger

Here is what Ms Nooyi reportedly said: "As I grew up and started to study geography, I remember being told that the five fingers can be thought of as the five major continents.

"The index finger is Europe, pointing the way up; the ring finger is Latin America, sensual and romantic (think Salma Hayek or J-Lo); the thumb is Asia, proud and aspiring; the little finger is the Dark Continent, while the middle finger - yes, you guessed it - is the United States of America.

"As the longest of the fingers, it really stands out. The middle finger anchors every function that the hand performs and is the key to all of the fingers working together efficiently and effectively.

"Remember that the middle finger - the US - always stands out. If you are smart, if you exhibit emotional intelligence as well as academic intelligence, if you ascribe positive intent to all your actions on the international business stage, this can be a great advantage," she concludes.

Well, does that really seem all that objectionable? But the reaction from bloggers has been swift and negative. Angry bloggers have called it "A Shame", "Condescending", "Patronising," implying that she was biting the hand that fed her, the US, the country that had made her rich and famous ... her speech was offensive, in poor taste ... the angry bloggers went on and on. Subsequently, Ms Nooyi has offered an unconditional apology.

Tone and manner

The speech to the casual reader seemed innocuous, inane even, with a heavy attempt at humour. But it did not seem to be as offensive as the bloggers had made it out to be. In fact, a third of the people who responded did not consider it objectionable. Maybe the "tone and manner" of the communication was what upset the audience and excited a chain reaction. Rather than going into the propriety or impropriety of her speech, it might be worthwhile to look at the whole event from a communication perspective and see what the learnings are.

Perception is reality. If you are perceived to be arrogant, condescending and patronising then you are that! (And God help you!) It is important to understand perceptions, more so when they are different from reality.

What you say is perhaps less important than how you say it. And maybe more important is who is saying it. A lady from India? A highly paid immigrant? Telling America what is to be done!

Today dangers, or PR disasters if you will, can lurk in any corner. In 1985 when Coke launched its new product and failed, a real estate investor from Seattle, Gay Mullins founded the "old Cola drinkers of America" hotline for angry customers. Today Pepsi has realised the damage that bloggers can cause. And bloggers are the newest kids on the block and a potential PR hazard.

Speed of response is extremely critical in crises. Pepsi's delay in posting the controversial speech on the site raised the ire of bloggers.

Needless defence of her speech by public relations personnel touting the company line clearly shows that the situation was misread.

You don't win blog wars with angry people by reason. And it seems it does not take much to upset a blogger.

What seems like a small ripple can quickly turn into a tidal wave.

And what about India?

A lot of this seems to be far removed from the world we live in despite the fact that Pepsi is losing money here and Ms Nooyi is originally from Chennai. And yet, that is a short-sighted way of looking at things. Despite our advancement and being accorded (grudging) admiration from the rest of the world, some parts of corporate India seem to be pretty naïve about technology and its uses in marketing particularly. India has its share of technophobes (some of whom are in fairly senior positions) who rely on secretaries for their e-mail. With a mindset like that, it becomes well nigh impossible to understand a relatively new phenomenon like blogging and what it can do.

Blogging affords a great opportunity for customer intimacy and allows salespeople to really get into their customer's business. In fact, blogging, at least in certain categories, could be as powerful as "word-of-mouth." There are approximately 10 million blogs currently, so it is an emerging medium and opportunity. Very often, we fail to understand the need for and importance of speed. Blogging calls for speed in execution and response. We also believe that any crisis can be managed. So very few companies seems to have a crisis management programme in place. After all, lightning never strikes twice does it?

And the future?

Tom Zeller Jr., writing in the New York Times, says "bloggers are not always the kingmakers that pundits sometimes credit them with being." They may not be much of a political force, but if the latest Pepsi fizz is anything to go by, they can be a potent force in the world of marketing and communication. Prof. Cornfield, an expert on the subject, describes "the blogosphere is half-forensic and half-tavern." Ms Nooyi would agree with that, seeing the way her speech has been dissected and the irrational manner in which some bloggers have reacted. Sadly you cannot wish this away. This is the new economy. Welcome to its harsh realities. And we in India must realise this sooner rather than later.

And my personal advice (unasked for and certain to be rejected) to Ms Nooyi and others like her: Get a better speechwriter and think twice before accepting a speech invitation from a business school!

(The author is CEO of Brand-comm.)

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Getting contestants excited

On the fourth innovation in economic life