eBay Ink blog goes live

April 2, 2008

This post was written in April 2008; specific information contained within it may be out of date.

Welcome to yet another corporate blog. Well, you said it Richard.

eBay’s newest blog, eBay Ink launched today. Asking the question can an employee really be transparent is a good start, though frankly I’m not sure that a “You Say” box linking to posts by Auctionbytes, Only eBay and (preen) TameBay necessarily reflects sentiment about eBay from around the internet. When RBH links to posts from PowerSellers Unite, Pheebay and the angry guy on AOL, then I’ll really believe we have openness. In the meantime, of course, we’ll all be watching with interest. “It’s going to be a wild ride from here on out.” Ain’t that the truth.

Written by Sue Bailey · Filed Under Featured | Comments Off 

eBay PR clarify blogger’s statement

March 7, 2008

This post was written in March 2008; specific information contained within it may be out of date.

Richard Brewer-Hay’s blog hasn’t even launched yet, but already eBay’s corporate PR are intervening to clarify his statements.

Going back to the original CNN/Fortune Small Business piece, I was surprised to read this sentence:

I’ve been reading external blogs since I got here, too, and I think there’s great dialogue going on there. Scot Wingo’s blog eBay Strategies, Only eBay - all these blogs have a dialogue already, but they’re external. I plan to be linking to those blogs from the corporate blog, because I think that the external discussion is important.

What, no Auctionbytes? And unsurprisingly, Ina, Auctionbytes’ editor, thought the same thing.

A comment from eBay Corporate Communications came pretty quickly:

Richard’s point to Fortune Small Business editors about talking with bloggers was within eBay to coordinate editorial content with those authoring blogs that support eBay, PayPal and Skype; not outside bloggers.

As another commenter says, this clarification could do with some clarification. Is RBH supposed to be talking to other bloggers within the eBay group, as PR seem to think, or with those of us who don’t work for eBay, as he seems to think? I’m pretty sure that Only eBay and Scot Wingo aren’t corporate shills for eBay, but maybe PR think different. I think we should be told.

Written by Sue Bailey · Filed Under Featured | 14 Comments 

eBay gets a new official blogger

March 6, 2008

This post was written in March 2008; specific information contained within it may be out of date.

Richard Brewer-HayeBay are to launch a new blog, eBay Ink, which is being touted as a direct and open conversation between the company and its users.

The blog will be mainly written by social media/PR specialist Richard Brewer-Hay, who was recruited by eBay specially for the task. Company spokesman Jose Mallabo explained the purpose of the new site: “There hasn’t been one place where investors, industry analysts, employees, buyers and sellers, and PayPal and Skype users can talk to someone from the company, or listen to someone from the company discuss what changes mean from a high level.” The blog will allow open comments, unlike The Chatter which syphons comments off into a separate discussion forum.

Asked by CNN what he would be covering, RBH said “You name it, we’re going to blog it.” eBay Ink is not due to launch until April, but RBH has been at the company since January, learning the ropes.

Sellers may be a little concerned to hear him say that he has never sold, though his wife has. But he intends to start selling, and to post his feedback count on the new blog. Keep an eye on those DSRs, Richard ;-)

Done right, this could begin to repair the damaged relationship between eBay, its members and its shareholders. RBH makes the right noises:

It’s got to be transparent. There’s got to be an authenticity to it, an honesty to it, otherwise there’s not point in doing it in the first place. I’m going to open up my e-mail to questions from folks. People can comment, too, and comments are going to be open. You’re going to get the good, the bad, and the ugly. … They hired from outside the organization. I have no prior agenda with any of the execs or people in the company.

But if RBH wants to convince the more vocal members of eBay’s community that he’s more than a corporate mouthpiece, he’s got his work cut out. Can you really convince eBayers that you’re honest and authentic when you’re writing a blog on eBay’s site, and taking eBay’s paychecks? It’s going to be fun finding out.

With thanks to Drewdomkus for the picture.

Written by Sue Bailey · Filed Under Featured | 8 Comments