are obfuscating for a reason, and that is never a good way to start a dialog with potential

customers.

The corporate blog

For better or worse, the advent of blogs has penetrated corporate websites, and many

companies now publish blogs about their company, industry, and competitors. This infor-

mal writing style—which can be candid, irreverent, and reactionary—has supporters and

detractors arguing both sides of the issue.

7

OVERVIEW

Corporate information

Finally, there are areas of the corporate site that do not directly sell or support products

and services. While they might help promote the company in peripheral ways, company 1

information is fairly neutral when it comes to customer relations. A well-written blog post

might bring ambient search engine traffic and a well-organized About Us section might

help candidates find and apply for open positions, but there is little marketing material

and even less customer support.

News and press releases

The concept of press releases goes back to 1906, when an agency working for the

Pennsylvania Railroad issued a statement to the press about a train accident before

the press had any time to write their own story. Since then, press releases have been used

to officially inform media of significant, newsworthy events. Sometimes it’s centered on

the company itself—like the grand opening of a new office—and sometimes it’s tied to

the company’s offerings, like the launch of a new product or the acquisition of a key

competitor.

While the role of press releases has not changed much with the Internet, the means of

delivery has. Companies can now archive news on their own website, building a public

library of documents that researchers and investors can use for research. In addition, press

releases are now distributed to both online and offline media. Besides submitting to the

regular avenues, a PR department can cast their net wider with a host of (mostly free)

press release websites.

Contact information

It is critical for any company to provide sufficient contact information. This includes the

following: