"Brand blogs" in New York Times article

This New York Times article surveys several of the different brand names that have blogs about them, like Netflix, Barq's root beer, Gatorade, Walt Disney, Starbucks, and Trader Joe's. They interviewed me for this article, but I didn't get quoted, because I requested anonymity. Ah, the sacrifices I make. You can't be anonymous and famous at the same time. However, our good buddy Mike Kaltschnee, of Hacking Netflix, got himself quoted and linked in the NEW YORK TIMES. Way to go, Mike!

Here's the excerpt about Netflix:

some companies are starting to pay attention to blogs, using them as a kind of informal network of consumer opinion.

"In addition to viewing blogs as another media channel, it allows us to keep our pulse on the marketplace," said Ken Ross, a vice president of Netflix, the movie rental company based in Los Gatos, Calif. One of the best-known blogs about Netflix, hackingnetflix.com, was started last November by Mike Kaltschnee, who lives in Danbury, Conn.

"I post anything I find interesting, and it turns out 100,000 people a month find it interesting, too," said Mr. Kaltschnee. He also started a blog about Trader Joe's, the specialty grocery chain based in Monrovia, Calif., at trackingtraderjoes.com.

When it comes to Netflix service, postings about scratched discs or torn return envelopes generate dozens of comments from readers. "It's sort of like the unadulterated truth about Netflix," Mr. Kaltschnee said. "We hope that Netflix reads these things and notices trends and fixes them."

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My favorite brand blog, besides my own, is this Wal-mart blog.