A recent study, conducted by Nora Ganim Barns at the University of Massachusetts and Eric Mattson with Financial Insite, found that only 16% of Fortune 500 companies have a corporate blog. Moreover, the higher a company is on the list, the more likely they are to have a public-facing blog.

The Glass Is Half Full

This is indeed some good news, as the adoption of blogs by Fortune 500 marketing departments is indicitive of the changing mindset of corporate marketers. Perhaps due to the influence of social media on consumers, transparency  is continuing to become more and more important for companies as they work hard to earn the trust of their target markets. It’s great to see brands beginning to recognize this fact and adapt to the changing landscape. Not too long ago, blogs were viewed as something very amateur and unprofessional. But as many marketers now know, a corporate blog is an excellent communication medium and branding tool. Go Fortune 500!

The Glass Is Half Empty

Only 16%! That’s way too small, and simply supports the idea that most large enterprises are too big and old to be able to adapt quickly to shifting consumer trends. The fact that these large companies are so slow to take advantage of new communication methods serves to illustrate just how un-transparent these companies wish to remain. This, of course, does not give me much confidence, especially since much of the current financial crisis has to do in part because of lack of corporate transparency. Why don’t these big name brands wish to communite more effectively with me?

What do you think: half full or half empty?