Vincent Maher just launched a new personal finance blog called Money Talks. Normally a new blog would not be newsworthy but what makes this special is that Virgin Money are sponsoring the blog. As far as I know this is the first time that a high profile SA blogger and a major corporation have linked up in this way - hopefully this is an indication that traditional organisations are beginning to understand the concepts behind social media and the value that a reputable blogger like Vincent can bring to a brand.
The reputable blogger part is important. A lot of companies are building blogs that contain little more than advertorials written by PR shills. Credibility and independence are paramount, and Vincent has the freedom to write about whatever he wants:
The point of this blog is to provide information about personal finance issues and banking in general in a way that makes sense to people who aren’t accountants. That’s going to be tough. I have license to criticize Virgin Money, and very few limits on what I can say as long as it makes sense, is true and, to some degree, is constructive.
I am not surprised that a progressive company like Virgin Money is breaking new ground like this. They have shaken up the credit card business here with their excellent offering (5% interest on credit balances, really low fees). Congratulations Virgin and Vincent
Money Talks, with Vincent Maher and Virgin Money