| What is VespaBlogs.com?
Piaggio USA's VespaBlogs.com is the future home of two new weblogs that will be written by Vespa owners and will launch in the second quarter of this year. Piaggio USA is the Italian manufacturer of Vespa and other top scooter brands, and is Europe's leader in the two-wheel sector. It re-entered the U.S. market in 2000 and now has dealerships in 85 markets, 15 of which opened in the last year.
Why is Vespa launching blogs?
Piaggio USA feels blogs are an ideal way to connect with Vespa brand loyalists and encourage them to become online evangelists. It is an extension of the scooter clubs that have existed offline for years. One reason is that U.S. scooter buyers are heavy online users. According to internal Piaggio USA research, a full 65% of prospective motor scooter buyers visited the Vespa USA Web site, while 56% visited other sites when conducting research prior to purchase. Piaggio USA hopes that by hosting a transparent peer-to-peer discussion, it will enable more individuals to embrace scootering for a wide array of daily lifestyle needs. In addition, it will enable Piaggio USA to actively listen to consumer feedback in real-time.
What blogs will Vespa launch?
VespaBlogs.com will house two distinct weblogs written by online customer evangelists. It may possibly be expanded in the future.
One blog will celebrate the urban mobile lifestyle. It will include articles, tips, tricks and links on the latest tools that help individuals get around any city more quickly, easily and enjoyably. The blog will feature posts about Vespa scooters, with the aim of appealing to a broader audience - those who crave mobile gadgets. Content might include: how to get real-time traffic alerts on your cell phone; how to learn Spanish while commuting; how to prevent your gadgets from getting wet; Web sites that help you get around by subway more easily; gadgets for staying cool while commuting in the summertime; etc.
The other blog will focus on the journey we call life. It will help readers learn how to get from point A in their lives to point B, both literally and more "existentially." Content might include: tips, tricks and links on weight loss; saving money; getting errands done faster; how to triumph over stress; or how and where to travel with your pet; etc. Like the other blog, this Vespa blog will also occasionally put the Vespa scooter in the context of larger lifestyle topics.
Who will write the Vespa blogs?
Vespa plans to recruit four bloggers (two per blog) to regularly contribute content to the new sites. Ideally these authors will be existing US-based evangelistic Vespa owners who already blog and a passion for what they write about.
How does someone apply to become a Vespa blogger?
CooperKatz & Company, Vespa's new agency of record for PR and online marketing, is managing this program. Those who are interested in applying to become a Vespa blogger should contact Steve Rubel at . He heads the agency's Micro Persuasion practice, which helps companies develop blog-based customer evangelism programs. CooperKatz will start interviewing candidates in early May.
What will the bloggers receive in return for their service?
In return for their services, Vespa bloggers will get an early look at Vespa products and services, passes to Vespa events as well as Vespa accessory merchandise and online/media exposure. Vespa is not paying for any of the bloggers to blog, nor is it trying to influence them on content. These are simply perks for blogging for Vespa.
What kind of control will Vespa have over what the bloggers write?
Vespa will not exercise control over what each blogger posts. However, it will provide each blogger with a code of ethics that he/she must agree to sign and abide to, as well as regular guidance. In addition, each blogger will be required to post with a regular frequency and blog at least once a week about their life as a "scooterer."
Who owns the content that's posted on the blog?
The authors and Vespa will both own the content and it will be published under a Creative Commons license for others to cite/source.
Will the Vespa bloggers need to give up their own blogs?
Absolutely not.
Will comments be turned on?
Vespa believes in transparency and will enable blog comments. However, they may, at their sole discretion, remove comments if they are deemed off-topic or inappropriate.
How will you drive traffic to the blog?
Piaggio USA plans to execute a small ad buy on both blogs and search engines to support the launch. In addition, since the online marketing and PR programs are tightly integrated, the blogs will integrate into the broader PR strategy as well. In addition, the VespaUSA.com site will link to the blogs once launched.
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