Quiksilver: Analysis of Two-Way Communication on Blog

Below is an assignment for PUR 3000, Principles of Public Relations. My assignment was to analyze an organization that implements online, two-way communication techniques to facilitate interaction with its publics. I chose Quiksilver, focusing primarily on its public blog — The Mountain and Wave.

Two-Way Communications: At a Glance

Website(s):

http://www.themountainandwave.com

http://www.facebook.com/quiksilver

http://www.twitter.com/QuiksilverUSA

Priority Public:

Action Sports Enthusiasts and Youth

Purpose:

Reach priority public for increased positive image and sales

Types:

Video, accepting comments

Short, rapid news posts

Story-driven blog posts

Analysis

Quiksilver is the leading boardsports company, continually setting standards for the industry. It’s roots go back to the Australian surf breaks of the ‘60s – with a couple of surfers selling boardshorts out of the back of their truck. Quiksilver was the first to introduce technical boardshorts, the first to release a surf film as a home video, the first boardriding company to break $1 billion in sales and the first in the industry to formalize its social responsibility and expand its altruistic work through the Quiksilver Foundation.

So how does a company of this magnitude – with such a broad reach into all publics – maintain that grassroots feel and brand loyalty? How is Quiksilver able to uphold the simple foundations upon which it was created?

The answers lie in modern public relations practices: two-way symmetrical communication between Quiksilver and its audience. In 1976, Quiksilver was about selling boardshorts. And in 2009, it is still concerned with the same thing: selling its product. It is a retail company at its core, a retail company that targets the youthful, innovative spirit of action sports enthusiasts. To reach this market, Quiksilver has established a presence on Web 2.0 mediums, including social sites, which foster this two-way communication.

Quiksilver operates a public blog entitled “The Mountain and Wave.” The title of the blog gets its name from the logo of the company, which pays tribute to the two greatest natural playgrounds on Earth: the mountain and the wave. These two playgrounds define the culture, the spirit of the boardriding lifestyle – the spirit that Quiksilver embodies. Therefore, it is fitting to name the blog “The Mountain and the Wave,” rekindling the foundations upon which the company was established. Thus, the blog further enhances the grassroots feel of the company. Additionally, it drives the public back to the logo and back to the product. Everything comes back to the product.

Quiksilver posts about upcoming events: both events sponsored by Quiksilver as well as events not sponsored by Quiksilver. It posts about movie premiers, about results of the latest competitions. It posts about volunteer projects, about how to paint a surfboard and about historical periods and art movements relative to the industry. The blog covers a great range. It implements short videos, photographs, links to share on such sites as Facebook and Twitter, as well as an option to leave a comment. The site is easy to use, and is well organized; posts are sorted into various categories and also include specific tags directly within each post. The blog can be easily subscribed to with an RSS feed.

For instance, Todd Richards – snowboarder and creative mind behind “Todast Tuesday” – gives subscribers a sneak peak into his new movie, “Me, Myself and I.” The same day the post was published, there were already two comments. Not only does this provide Quiksilver feedback on how its audience feels about the movie, it allows members to interact and bounce around ideas. Quiksilver is able to send information through a blog – a channel often accessed by its target audience – and receives feedback: two-way communication.

However, the site is moderated. Before a comment can be published, the administrator must first approve it. Quiksilver has control whether the comment is published or not. This has been a debate within the “blogosphere,” whether companies should or should not moderate comments. By requiring approval, Quiksilver is still limiting comments to only those it wishes its audience to see. By opening up comments to anyone, it would be displaying an unbiased message. However, some comments could be derogatory or use foul language. Therefore, it may be reasonable for Quiksilver to limit some of its comments.

Although the Quiksilver “Mountain and Wave” blog is its primary form of two-way communication between the company and the target audience, Quiksilver also implements other medias. A Facebook page allows for two-way communication with photo posts and open comments, with links to Quiksilver pages as well. In addition, a Quiksilver Twitter account provides quick, short updates on events and initiatives within the company.