I’m always surprised anytime anyone doubts the power of blogs to touch consumers. Too many detractors still think of blogs as this nebulous place where teenagers gripe about homework or their latest boyfriends, or where people with nothing better to do try and prove their importance by talking about what they don’t know.

Blogs are powerful. Examples of the power of blogs to directly impact consumers are popping up with increasing frequency and intensity. The New York Times’ recent piece illustrates this by talking about consumers who blog about the brands they love. Another great example comes from John Engler, where he talks about the excitement he’s getting from reading the Bare Naked Ladies’ blog.

Great stuff, especially this:

Reading their entries as they make these latest recordings has me looking forward to spending money on their new album…

That’s marketing by blog, and it should be a case-study. Each member of the band is getting in on the action, letting me learn a little more about who they are individually, as well as pumping me up for the new album by letting me be part of the experience.