Blogging = "Contacting" a Company?

Joseph Jaffe had this great little blurb in his post about the Domino’s response to the “Snot Supreme” YouTube Video:

Marketers need to understand that when a blogger hits the publish button, they are essentially “contacting” the brand for a response, albeit indirectly.

I tend to agree. We used to call a company when we had a complaint. We hated it, and it rarely fixed anything, but at least we called. Now we just blog about it.

What do you think? Have we given up on one-on-one conversations with companies too quickly? Are there any down sides to using blogs to keep companies accountable?

http://thelostjacket.com Stuartfoster

I think at this point, Joe is right. Blogging about a company IS contacting the company. Bloggers have just figured out that this is a far faster way to get to upper management and really don't feel like being ignored and sent to a Domino's VP's inbox.
http://thelostjacket.com Stuart Foster

I think at this point, Joe is right. Blogging about a company IS contacting the company. Bloggers have just figured out that this is a far faster way to get to upper management and really don't feel like being ignored and sent to a Domino's VP's inbox.
Sanjay Mehta

Scott,
It is ingrained in our head that apart from exceptions like say, Southwest Airlines, in most cases, our one on one conversations with companies are likely to mean holding on a recorded message for long, having to bang our head to the wall, trying to get our point across to the insensitive call center operator at the opposite end, and ultimately not making headway. On the other hand, putting out a blog post, at our time and convenience, and then, with the reach that it has, it becoming more effective in resolving our issues, it has certainly emerged as the preferred option!
Sanjay Mehta

Scott,
It is ingrained in our head that apart from exceptions like say, Southwest Airlines, in most cases, our one on one conversations with companies are likely to mean holding on a recorded message for long, having to bang our head to the wall, trying to get our point across to the insensitive call center operator at the opposite end, and ultimately not making headway. On the other hand, putting out a blog post, at our time and convenience, and then, with the reach that it has, it becoming more effective in resolving our issues, it has certainly emerged as the preferred option!
Sanjay Mehta

Scott,
It is ingrained in our head that apart from exceptions like say, Southwest Airlines, in most cases, our one on one conversations with companies are likely to mean holding on a recorded message for long, having to bang our head to the wall, trying to get our point across to the insensitive call center operator at the opposite end, and ultimately not making headway. On the other hand, putting out a blog post, at our time and convenience, and then, with the reach that it has, it becoming more effective in resolving our issues, it has certainly emerged as the preferred option!