If Infosys’s Think Flat concentrates on various emerging trends like growing economies, shifts in global demographics and technology, then Hindustan Lever’s Sunsilk Gang of Girls is community-driven.
“Corporate blogging has marked its presence in India only from 2005. The pace is much slower in India when compared to that in any other country; however it is growing fast. Now more and more companies are joining the bandwagon and the blogs focus on sales, culture, branding and knowledge,” said Sangeetha Joshi, managing director of Empower Research, a research and analytical firm with an offshore model that also undertakes blog analysis for its cl ients.
Techno majors like Intel, TCS, Rediff, HCL, IBM and Wipro use blogging as a cost-effective method to reach out to their clients and also for brand building.
Taking a cue from industry giants, smaller IT companies are also planning to start their own corporate blog. Narendra Barhate, managing director and CEO of city-based Seed Infotech, said, “We will launch our corporate blog in two months. Once we started to expand we realised the need for a corporate blog. Recently we expanded our business to China and corporate blogs are the need of the hour.”
Apart from companies, many professionals too have started their own blogs. “I have a blog of my own but I do feel that an internal corporate blog can help in maintaining a healthy work atmosphere. The managerial level involvement should be there in keeping these blogs going. To a certain extent, it can even solve work related problems and avoid stress related issues,” said a professional with a leading city-based IT firm. “Blogs are convenient, easily accessible and an effective medium for people to communicate internally and externally. At Intel, senior managers blog frequently to share ideas and keep in touch with the community,” said Dr Camille Miranda Gonsalves, head of public relations for Intel-South Asia.
Intel Technology has both internal and external blogs. The internal blog is a medium to get in touch with its employees while the external one has Intel senior technologists sharing their views on future technologies. “As the company grows the blogs are a very convenient tool and it can one day replace the open house and staff meetings,” Gonsalves said.
Tata Interactive Systems’ blog focuses on e-learning solutions and services. Software solutions, systems design, development, electronic performance are the key categories.