Introducing: Top Marketer Blogs (alpha)

I've found some great new blogs through lists like Mack Collier's Top 25 Marketing Blogs, the Power 150, and the Z-list.  However, it strikes me that most of the voices blogging about marketing today are ones that offer advisory services (mine included)...

There's something different about the voices that come from the client-side of the table.  While many of us might have been there and done that in some fashion, these are marketers who are *doing it* right now.  If you've ever been on the client side, you know the joy and pain of building a brand that an outsider may never know.  For me, it was working for a brand that was once sold in fishnets in grocery store checkout aisles and seeing it rise to become the logo of choice for actors, musicians, and trendsetters worldwide.

So I'm starting a list to highlight the most popular blogs written by client-side marketing professionals.  These are people who are doing their brands a favor by engaging customers and prospects in conversation.  If you know of others who should be included, please comment below!

Here's the draft list; let's call it the alpha version:

1. Flooring The Consumer  :: Technorati authority = 504.  Authored by CB Whittemore, Director of In-Store Innovation, Wear-Dated Carpet Fiber.
2. Marketing Nirvana :: 424.  Mario Sundar, Community Evangelist, LinkedIn.
3. ExperienceCurve :: 332.  Karl Long, Web/Social Media Integration Manager, Nokia.
4. The Marketing Excellence Blog :: 254.  Eric Kintz, VP Marketing, Digital Photography & Entertainment, Hewlett-Packard.
5. cgm :: 191.  Pete Blackshaw, CMO, Nielsen Buzzmetrics.
6. Decker Marketing :: 167.  Sam Decker, VP Marketing, Bazaarvoice.
7. Masiguy :: 162.  Tim Jackson, Brand Manager, Masi Bicycles.
8. AttentionMax :: 153.  Max Kalehoff, VP Marketing, Nielsen Buzzmetrics.
9. Churbuck.com :: 148.  David Churbuck, VP Global Web Marketing, Lenovo.
10. Emerson Process Experts :: 130.  Jim Cahill, Marketing Communications Manager, Emerson Process Management.
11. Bernaisesource :: 99.  Dan Greenfield, VP Corporate Communications, Earthlink.
12. John Dragoon's Blog :: 29.  John Dragoon, CMO, Novell.
13. Randy's Journal :: n/a.  Randy Tinseth, VP Marketing, Boeing.

Here are the ground rules:

• For now, the rankings are driven by Technorati's authority metric.  There are other metrics out there, but this is a pretty good one to start with.  Your suggestions appreciated.
• Group blogs and brand blogs have been excluded.  These are personal blogs, written by individuals.  I intend to cap the list at 20, if we can find that many...I didn't leave it at 13 on purpose!  Your submissions appreciated.
• Blogs written by consultants, agencies, and service providers are excluded.  These are brand voices. 
• Updates will be irregular until we get this thing rolling.  The beta version will be published in a couple/few weeks with additions and methodology changes, if applicable.

Analysis: It's interesting that only the top blog has enough authority to make Mack's list.  There is certainly some long tail popularity in play here.  And also the fact that the era of the rockstar CMO is fading.  These are marketers with many different titles - level doesn't matter nearly as much as the passion.

My advice - subscribe to all of these for now and try them out for a week or two; you'll be a better marketer and/or advisor with the insight.  The easiest way to do it is by downloading this OPML file and importing into your feed reader.

Again - any suggestions for adds would be greatly appreciated, as long as they fit the ground rules!

Comments

[Mack Collier]

Great list Peter! I would add that Decker Marketing, Marketing Nirvana, and Experience Curve have all appeared in the Top 25 Marketing blogs at some point.

But I am thrilled to see Tim Jackson and Eric Kintz' blogs make your list! Good stuff, this list provides another good resource that covers different ground from the existing ones.

[Rohit]

Hi Peter,
This is a really interesting way of thinking about how the marketing blog landscape shakes out. I also had noticed that many of the most prominent voices seem to be from agency or "advisory" types ... though I might argue that many of us also bring a perspective from "doing it" - though perhaps not to the same depth on a single brand. Either way, I hope this sparks a discussion about how we can get more client-side marketers to start their own blogs and share their expertise. As you suggest, the marketing blogosphere would be a much richer place for it.

[Pete]

At some point between 12 - 6 am, the name came to me: "The M20." Look for enhanced branding on the beta version of this list.

I sent an email out to the authors of Mack's top 25 blogs asking for help on adds...good suggestions coming in already. Will post later today, must run to meeting.

BTW TOTAL coincidence that the list has 13 entries and today happens to be Friday the 13th...I'll be hyper-cautious of anyone in a hockey mask today.

[C.B. Whittemore]

Peter, what a great way to celebrate Friday the 13th! Thanks for including Flooring The Consumer and looking at the blogosphere this way. I'm honored to be in such company.

[Eric Kintz]

Thanks Peter for including me.

Here are a few others:
http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/thechangingfaceofmedia , http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/laserjet from my colleagues at HP

Eric

[Jackie Huba]

Peter,
Don't forget John Porcaro, a Microsoft marketing manager at http://www.johnporcaro.com/

[Tim Jackson]

Peter,

Wow, man, I don't know what to say. I got a Google Alert with the link to this post and then I read a little and thought, "holy crap! I better start doing some better blogging!"

Thank you for the inclusion on this list- I am honored and flattered.

Thanks!
Tim aka Masiguy

[Pete]

Thanks to everyone who's posted and emailed more adds already. Some more blogs you'll see next version:
- Brandopia: http://brandopia.wordpress.com/ by Geert Desager, Trade Marketing Manager, Microsoft
- Strategic PR: http://prblog.typepad.com/ by Kevin Dugan, Dir of Mktg Comm, FRCH Design
- 'Cross The Breeze: http://crossthebreeze.com by Kris Hoet, Marketing Communications Mgr, Microsoft

I had some more leads but can't find enough information on your blogs, e.g. company or title:
- Valeria Maltoni
- Patrick — the Lonely Marketer
- http://badideaindeed.wordpress.com/
- http://lifeinthemiddle.typepad.co.uk/
- http://jasonrecliner.blogspot.com/

Did I mention that of the 13 on the alpha list, I could only find email addresses for 9? C'mon people, you're marketers!

[Toby]

Peter - here are a few more to add to your list:

Merrill Dubrow, president of M/A/R/C Research
http://www.marcresearch.com/blogs/merrill/
(bloggy disclosure M/A/R/C is a client)

Bill Marriott, Marriott
http://www.blogs.marriott.com/

John Heald - Carnival Cruises
http://johnheald.wordpress.com/

Paul Levy, president Beth Israel Hospital
http://runningahospital.blogspot.com/

Nick Jacobs, president, ceo Windber Medical Center
http://windberblog.typepad.com/
(first ceo/hospital administrator to launch a blog .. his story -
http://www.tiny.cc/k3umK )

[Mack Collier]

Pete try http://www.conversationagent.com for Valeria's.

[Philippe]

Hi Peter,

http://badideaindeed.wordpress.com/ belongs to me: Philippe Deltenre, Business Development & strategy manager at Microsoft Belgium

Cheers and thanks

[Michael Morton]

Hi Peter,

Try MarketingMonster.wordpress.com

I am the author.

[C.B. Whittemore]

Pete, Valeria Maltoni blogs at http://conversationagent.com.

Another amazing blog is http://runningahospital.blogspot.com/ by Paul Levy
President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Cheers!

[Jim Cahill]

Peter, Thanks! I'm honored to be included in your list.

IBM's Todd Watson has a great blog. See http://www-03.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/Turbo .

Take it easy, Jim

[Dan Greenfield]

Thanks Peter

It's great to be part of this group. I look forward to the time that corporate blogging is so common that the list will focus on the small list of companies who are not blogging.

[John Dragoon]

Peter,

A great read and a terrific reminder of the difference and value of marketing service vs client. As you said, I suspect many of the advisory service blogs were once honing their crafts on the client side and perhaps vice versa.

It's tough (but enjoyable) building and sustaining a brand no matter what side of the table you're eating from. I do know one thing, it is all about the conversation and engagement with others.

Your blog and the many excellent ones you referenced reminds me how high the bar is for good marketing blogs - be they client or advisor led. It also reminds me I'm delinquent in my postings. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day of running the business say "I'll get to the blog post tomorrow...". I'm using your post as the proper catalyst to get on with it.

Thanks for the great read that your blog is and the helpful reminder to all of us to keep raising the bar.

John

[Karl Long]

Hey Peter, great idea for a list, finally one where i'm not up against the likes of Seth Godin :-) I'm kidding of course, but i've already interested in some of the dialog that is happening around this. One thing that bloggers that work for brands often run into is they become an "unexpected spokesperson", which often runs contrary to various communication policies and procedures. Depends of course on the culture, size, and bureaucratic nature of the company. I wonder if this has anything to do with these bloggers being harder to find?

[Pete]

@Karl - I think you're right on the money. I have clients who won't even leave comments on blogs because they don't want to be seen as an "official voice." I think Max Kalehoff had some good thoughts on this: http://www.attentionmax.com/blog/2007/07/top_marketer_blogs.php

@John - thanks for joining the conversation. I'd imagine that it gets exponentially more difficult to do so as one reaches higher levels of organizational authority. Interesting thread last summer at MarketingProfs about CMO blogging: http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2006/08/should_cmos_blog.html

@Dan - amen to that! BTW I was a devoted Mindspring customer for many years...

Thanks to everyone else for the leads! We're up to 24; I'll post all in the beta. Shooting for around July 27 or as time permits.

[Karl Long]

Pete, totally agree, Max's notes were very insightful, I quoted him on my post about this.

[Michael Seaton]

ok, shamless self promo ahead but, considering my blog is The Client Side Blog http://theclientsideblog.com - I felt compelled to reply here.

Damn, us bank marketers get no respect!

[Peter Kim]

Hi Michael - picked up on your blog, was already planning to include in the next round. Thanks!

[Gary Bembridge]

Interesting post.

Yes, it does seem that most marketing blogs are (as you say) not from current "client side" people.

I am on the client side (Johnson & Johnson) and recently started blogging and podcasting on things that struck me that clients need to think more about.

The blog is at http://www.garybembridge.com

[Peter Kim]

Thanks for the tip Gary!