Now That Is Fast

As long as we're on the subject of word-of-blog:

• Fast Company now has a staff blog! First entries August 5, and called FC Now. This is nothing short of thrilling. Frequent writing and insights from some of the best, and an unbeatable model for other businesses that also might happen to have a talented writer (or dozens) in their midst.


• The August issue of the magazine also features an article by FC Now co-blogger Linda Tischler called Buzz Without Bucks. A sample:

As traditional media channels fragment and consumers zap commercials quicker than you can say TiVo, more companies are looking to harness the power of buzz. "Word of mouth has superseded any form of paid advertising, in terms of influence," says Marian Salzman, chief strategy officer at Euro RSCG Worldwide and author of Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand (John Wiley, 2003). Personal recommendations, she says, have become far more reliable and authentic than conventional hype.