Corporate Writer's Block

It's December, so I am spending a big portion of my time looking back over my old marketing ideas and campaigns. One campaign caught my eye as being especially relevant to a blog devoted to the nexus of technical marketing communications and business strategy.

A couple of years ago I did a survey of 1000 Massachusetts-based computer and telecom companies to see how many of them published case studies on their websites. The answer was about 60%. So, of course, I immediately did a direct mail campaign to the other 400, suggesting that case studies are almost de rigueur in any marketing communications program. The reasons are obvious, so I won't bore you with them here. Anyway, the response was meager. I suspect that the reason these companies weren't writing was not because:

A) The idea of writing case studies had not occurred to them previously

or

B) A sufficiently adequate writer was not available

I also think that if I did a survey on white papers or other kinds of marketing documents, that a lot of companies aren't writing those either -- or they're not updating them as often as they should.

I think what's going on here is a sort of corporate writer's block -- something that goes beyond budget issues or writing technique or finding a qualified writer. I know a lot of frustrated marketing managers who would like to see more stuff get written, and who also have the resources in place to do the job, but for some reason it doesn't happen, or happens far too little.

A company that can't express itself has a handicap -- but where does it go for help? Writers and writing coaches help organizations write. Strategy consultants help organizations think great ideas. But who helps an organization make the leap between ideas and the marketplace?

This topic, by the way, very much relates to my last blog item, "Taking Strategy to Market," which I have expanded into a mini-white paper. You can download it here. You can also hear me read it via MP3 stream (my first). That's at this link.