If Wal-Mart Can Do It, So Can You

Calm down, “buy local” fans. Here’s a reason to celebrate, even emulate, the smiley face-sporting, big box store that likely sits on a street corner near you.

They’re hosting a real blog, “Check Out: Where the Lanes Are All Open.” One with real people. Telling real stories. About real products. And whatever else comes to mind.

They get authentic voice. They learned the hard way, but they get it.

Here’s a snippet from an article, Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write Unfiltered Blog, posted Monday on nytimes.com:

Known for its strict, by-the-books culture-accepting a cup of coffee from a supplier can be a firing offense-Wal-Mart is now encouraging its merchants to speak frankly, even critically, about the products the chain carries.

Corporate blogs are nothing new-General Motors, Dell and Boeing have them-but Wal-Mart’s site, called Check Out (checkoutblog.com), turns the traditional model on its head. Instead of relying on polished high-level executives, it is written by little-known buyers, largely without editing.

Read the article. It shares the story of Wal-Mart’s adventures with blogs, transitioning from flak-filled P.R. talk to the musings of Wal-Mart merchandise managers. The lesson learned? “Create an authentic blog or don’t create a blog at all.”

As the article states, “Wal-Mart’s decision to let buyers do the blogging reflected a growing recognition that ‘trying to control who can speak and what they can say does not work.’” And, yes, they’ve left the comments on, although it looks like those are reviewed.

So, if you’re still working to rally support on campus for unmoderated student blogs, or a non-ghost-authored leadership blog, or a blog written by a fundraiser or scholarship recipient … this blog’s for you (as is that New York Times article).

After all, if the world’s largest private employer can loosen the reins and encourage regular employees to share their unvarnished thoughts and unfiltered opinions, so could your institution.

A takeaway if your institution already hosts a number of blogs? Perhaps Wal-Mart will inspire you to consider less conventional authors than institutional leaders or students who write admissions blogs.

Posted by Hilery Livengood
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