Business - Written Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by Paul Artiuch - 0 Comments

Corporate blogging – If the banks can try it, why can’t you?

RBC, Canada’s largest bank, has recently launched a program to engage N-Geners though peer bloggers and a Facebook site. The bank has recruited six university students who post their daily thoughts on managing finances and other student issues. This seems like a progressive move for a conservative financial institution – if it’s done right.

So far, the blog topics have varied – finding summer jobs, reward cards, starting a business, cell phones and mortgages. The posts are free of marketing pitches and offer some useful advice. It seems like a good start.

The key will be for the bloggers to engage other young people in the conversation. However, with most N-Geners wary of large corporations and their marketing pitches, the blog’s authenticity will be vital. The two key tests for the program will be the handling of any negative feedback about RBC and whether the bank actually acts on any recommendations that may result from the conversation. It would also be nice to know what motivates the six bloggers to maintain their involvement in the program.

We will be watching the conversation over the coming months to see how the bloggers fair. If done in an honest and transparent way, the program has the potential of helping RBC attract a new generation of customers. However, with too much oversight or interference, the blogs could all too easily go the way of many other failed N-Gen engagement strategies.