Big Biz Moves into Blogosphere

Blogging: It’s not just for the little guy anymore.

Big business has officially moved into the blogosphere, a territory once claimed by radicals, grassroots organizers and armchair political philosophers. 

Bizcentral.org is a new group blog authored by lobbyists for some of the biggest industries in America.  The petroleum industry is represented, as well as nuclear power, chain drug stores, the American Trucking Association – even the Salt Institute, "the world’s foremost source of authoritative information about salt (sodium chloride) and its more than 14,000 known uses."

Bizcentral isn’t the first big-biz blog out there: the American Manufacturing Association has published its blog, shopfloor.org (actual post title: "Carpe Tort Reform") since 2004. But Bizcentral says it aims to be the first blog for business associations.

The site is the brainchild of Pat Cleary, a senior vice president at PR giant Fleischman Hilliard. Cleary, who helped set up shopfloor.org four years ago, told the Politico newspaper the site has only two rules for its contributors: first, you can’t cricitize other members.  Second, you have to post at least once a week.

Welcome to blogging.

The three-day-old blog features business-friendly posts pointing out news that puts industry in a positive light.  One post highlights an article naming Wal-Mart one of "America’s most eco-savvy corporations." Another uses a Tony Soprano-like argument to boost the image of a proposed Colombian free trade agreement ("Free trade works. . . capiche?")

And, not to be outdone, the Salt Institute contributed a flashy expose entitled "Workplace productivity demands effective winter roadway maintenance."  DailyKos, watch out.