Waitrose : Blogging the blog

All the ingredients for corporate blogger authenticity.

The Site

Waitrose, the UK’s ‘partner’-owned supermarket operator, is promoting a blog written by its managing director about his efforts to eat well and lose weight.

Waitrose’s home page features two links to a blog by its managing director, Mark Price. The first, ‘MD’s blog’, is in a string of utility links at the top of the page (and all others on the site); the second is an illustrated link at bottom right for ‘The Grocers Blog’ [sic] which matches a photograph of Mr Price to an invitation to “Read Waitrose MD Mark Price’s blog”.

Both links lead to an introduction page for the blog, which has been running since the start of the year. A signed ‘Welcome’ explains that, as someone “passionate” about quality food and selling it, Mr Price aims to “share my thoughts, expectations and experiences as I journey from ‘chubby’ to ‘not so chubby’”. There is also an introduction to the in-house nutritionist, who gives regular comments and advice on the MD’s progress, as well as the latest post and links to all the blog entries. ‘Customer’ and ‘expert’ comments are listed separately.

The Takeaway

One of the biggest hurdles that corporate blogging has to get over is that at heart it’s just marketing by a sweeter name and, worse for the originating company, can easily backfire if it carries even the faintest whiff of manipulation, selective censorship or a public relations ‘ghost writer’. The Grocer’s Blog shows that there is nevertheless life in the idea if the blog is well conceived, well managed and well executed.

Choice of topic is important: food and dieting has a ready audience and is appropriate to the company’s business. Getting the MD to produce the blog – and not just act as occasional front man for a team of writers – establishes credibility and interest at the outset; having him maintain regular postings over an extended period carries that through. It also, of course, highlights the necessity of the blogger having something interesting to say and talk about. Here Mark Price proves to be the blog’s biggest asset in more than chubbiness; while never an entry goes by without a mention of his food intake they generally reflect aspects of his working day or home life, with thoughts and observations in his own relaxed and personable style. At the outset he admitted to being persuaded into blogging by his PR department (and his wife). His subsequent comments on how much attention the blog has attracted offline in addition to the steady handful of comments it continues to attract online should convince others to shed their inhibitions.

First published on 18 March, 2008