Companies Go Bloggy For MarketingCompanies Go Bloggy For Marketing

Contacting a blog can be tricky, though. A company must decide how egregious or potentially damaging a statement could be before it posts a response or contacts the author in an email that could eventually be posted online.

"You’re entering a world where people can talk back in a completely public forum," Kaushansky says. "You could uncover a firestorm if you’re not sensitive to how the information is sent back."

Within that exchange between corporation and individual consumer, there’s a surprising note of gratitude running in the opposite direction. Kaushansky insists that Umbria hears from "a lot of bloggers" thankful that their complaint or product idea is actually getting heard. "This is something that doesn’t get enough attention," he says. "The fact that as corporations start to embrace the blogosphere, a lot of good can come of it. Not just viewing it as another marketing vehicle for the company, but hopefully… to listen."