The Limits of Blogebrity

We're proud of our blog. Some 12,000 people have dropped by the site in the first year that we wrote Brandstorming, and with a Google Page Rank 4 and improving, we are on the front page of search engines for a lot of the material we come up with.

This blog is more about fun and branding, but it has served the purpose of communicating what we are like as people and as a company, and we thank our readers for that.

In St Louis, the thriving blog community we had hoped for is still a little small, and awareness of the use of blogs for retail promotion are almost nonexistent, so we often describe our experiences, in the hopes that companies searching their name will get that a new way to communicate with customers has opened to them - but a new source of complaints is also available.

So when Bacana, a new Brazilian Steakhouse started construction out in Chesterfield, we thought we would grace the place with out presence and help them get their name out for the grand opening. In fact, we were hoping to be invited to their pre-grand opening, where we could talk about the restaurant, and serve as a type of local restaurant critic. It worked for Chipotle, why wouldn't it work for another restaurant?

So we popped in the other day to talk to the General Manager, who of course was as busy as a one-armed paper hanger. When we introduced ourselves as bloggers, a blank look came across his face, and when we suggested we would write a review, he said "great." There was a beat of awkwardness, and we realized that we were coming across like two people begging for a meal instead of local residents hoping to help out his opening.

The pre-opening had already happened, so luckily we had a quick out, but it certainly came across as funny as we got in the car. Yes - writing about Bacana would help them if people searched their name, but when companies have no clue who we are, trying to explain what blogging is and how it affects company reputation is not so easy.

Also, we come across as shills begging for food - which is absolutely not the image we wanted to project.

Beware the false impression that blogs give you of worth. You might find yourself beating a hasty retreat.

Bacana - Brazilian Style Barbecue opens today in Chesterfield next to Aqua Vin in the old KC Masterpiece building on the back side of the parkway, and the first 100 people get 30% off their bill. This deal also happens Thursday and Friday.