Nikon engages other Bloggers with Outreach Program
By Tom Chandler on Jun 17, 2007 in Business Blogging, Engagement Marketing, PR
Blogging for engagement is a powerful technique. But what about engaging with other bloggers?
Engaging readers via passions and values is valuable — whether you’re aiming directly at customers or at influencers.
It’s why Nikon just launched an outreach program aimed directly at bloggers; for six months, they loan a Nikon D80 digital single lens reflex camera to 50 bloggers.
At the end of the period, the blogger can extend the test another six months, buy the camera at a discount rate, or send it back.
While there’s been some criticism of the program (one wag called it “blogola”), it’s clear that Nikon has already recouped a significant amount of online PR. (A Google search suggests a lot of traffic on the subject.)
Last year, Nikon loaned D80 cameras to a handful of Flick’r shooters, and that program was clearly successful. (If not, why would they do it again?)
What’s Your Outreach Program?
One of the strengths of blogging for engagement is that other bloggers can broadcast your “values and passions” message to their readers.
It’s one way the blogosphere and social media worlds amplify your message — provided your content is compelling.
In this case, Nikon’s clearly nurturing an image placing them squarely among the ranks of connected digital users.
What are you doing to reach online influencers? Loaning cameras to bloggers might be a bit extreme, but what can you do to put your product in the hands of connected users?
And more importantly — and I speak for all my readers here too — Nikon, where’s my camera??
Keep engaging, Tom Chandler.
I did this kind of thing years ago (pre-internet) for a medical publisher who wanted to reach a strong niche market who was entrenched with the leading competition for its medical dictionary. So we picked a few hundred best prospects, gave them a free dictionary and a journal. We asked them to use the book and journal about their experiences for 30 days. It was a huge success, the folks we picked were influencers for their local industry trade groups.
It would have been a breeze to do via bloggers today.
Roberta Rosenberg, The Copywriting Maven | Jun 18, 2007 | Reply
It’s interesting the lengths Nikon has gone to in an attempt to sidestep any “pay to play” charges (loaned the cameras, etc).
Still, they’re suffering them anyway.
My hobby blog (fly fishing) is #2 in the market, pulls more traffic than all but the top public message boards, and yet only one fly fishing manufacturer seems to know that blogs exist.
Kudos to Nikon for recognizing the opportunity.
Tom Chandler | Jun 18, 2007 | Reply
One of the biggest problems with this programs is not that it’s blogola - because it’s not - but the group of bloggers targetedto receive the camera. Marketing bloggers. People who, via their specific blogs, have nothing to do (or at least very little to do) with photography.
And must of the conversations that came from this program were about the program itself…and not the camrea.
Jonathan Trenn | Sep 3, 2007 | Reply
Johnathon: Given Nikon’s overall campaign goals (their commercials touted the town that took pictures with loaned Nikon DSLRs), I’d say they didn’t particularly want the photo crowd on this one — they wanted everyday folks who took pictures.
And yes, the initial conversation was about the program, but I wonder what the results will be over the course of the program.
Tom Chandler | Sep 5, 2007 | Reply