cgm

May 9-10 WOMMA Spring Conference: Sign-Up Now!

If you are serious about all the issues and themes in this blog, you won't want to miss the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's (WOMMA) Spring conference May 9-10.  It's like a shot of WOMdrenaline!  If you still are not convinced, watch this video from last year's event. (If you still are not convinced, check out this video from the very first WOMMA conference.) This year's event is entitled "WOMM-U" and a big focus is on "activating networks, influencers, and communities."  Sign-up here!  Here's the latest list of speakers at the event.  Imagine the time and expense of connecting with all these sharp minds individually.

• Clayton Closson from Quicken Loans
• Erin Byrne from Burson-Marsteller
• Liana Frey from Dell
• Brian Reich from Echo Ditto
• Blake Cahill from Visible Technologies
• Myra Norton from Community Analytics
• Rob Key from Converseon
• Warren Sukernek from VML
• B.Bonin Bough from Weber Shandwick Web Relations
• Leslie Forde from Communispace Corporation
• Jason Anello from Yahoo!
• Rohit Bhargava from Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
• Deb Eastman from Satmetrix
• Rod Brooks from PEMCO Insurance
• Brandon Evans from RepNation Media
• Geoff Nelson from Buzz Corps
• Geno Church from Brains on Fire
• Michele Makowski from Intuit
• Kate Niederhoffer from Nielsen Online
• Walter Carl from ChatThreads
• Brad Fay from Keller Fay Group
• Lynn Eastep from Fleishman-Hillard
• Kathy Baughman from ComBlu
• Chris Lightner from PopularMedia

Personal Note:  There are few things in my marketing career that have been more inspiring, empowering, and enlightening than my work with WOMMA.  When we created this group four year ago, we sought to shape a new way of thinking about marketing that puts the consumer at the center of the universe.  We were also determined to tackle head-on the issues like word-of-mouth ethics that we knew, if abused, had the potential to destroy all that is so special and unique about this "listening" and "conversation" anchored space.  The group remains committed to all these issues -- adamantly and passionately -- and whether through membership, conference participation, or -- even better -- putting your name in the hat for the new WOMMA board, please participate.

 

Holiday Reading: Top Marketing Blogs

Every month or so Peter Kim publishes a list of top marketing blogs entitled the M20.  Somehow I've managed to consistently make the list (which makes me scratch my head a fair amount) but there are a host of other excellent blogs that cover similar themes and issues.  This week he was a bit more generous in his link-love, and I've basically lifted his expanded list of highly readable blogs written by marketing executives.  See below. More background on Peter's approach here.

• Andy Lark's Blog :: Andy Lark, Dell
• AttentionMax :: Max Kalehoff, Clickable
• Bad idea, indeed :: Philippe Deltenre, Microsoft 
• BeRelevant! :: Tamara Gielen, eBay 
• Biznology :: Mike Moran, IBM 
• Brandopia :: Geert Desager, Microsoft 
• Buzz Marketing For Technology :: Paul Dunay, BearingPoint 
• The Changing Face of Media :: Scott Berg, HP 
• Churbuck.com :: David Churbuck, Lenovo 
• The Client Side :: Michael Seaton, ScotiaBank
• Community Group Therapy :: Sean O'Driscoll, Microsoft 
• Consumer Generated Media :: Pete Blackshaw, Nielsen Buzzmetrics 
• Conversation Agent :: Valeria Maltoni, SunGard Availability Services 
• Cross The Breeze :: Kris Hoet, Microsoft 
• Decker Marketing :: Sam Decker, Bazaarvoice 
• The Digital Mindset Blog :: Eric Kintz, HP 
• El Blog de Enrique Burgos :: Enrique Burgos, SEUR
• Emerson Process Experts :: Jim Cahill, Emerson Process Management 
• ExperienceCurve :: Karl Long, Nokia 
• Flooring The Consumer  :: CB Whittemore, Wear-Dated Carpet Fiber 
• Gauravonomics :: Gaurav Mishra, Tata Motors
• The HP LaserJet Blog :: Vince Ferraro, HP 
• HP's Small & Medium Business Community Blog :: Anneliese Olson, HP 
• The Innovative Marketer :: Steve Gershik, Eloqua 
• The Kristasphere :: Krista Summit, Lenovo 
• Listen Up! :: John Porcaro, Microsoft 
• The Lonely Marketer :: Patrick Schaber, Transition Networks 
• Marketing Monster :: Michael Morton, Lampo Group 
• Marketing Nirvana :: Mario Sundar, LinkedIn 
• Masiguy :: Tim Jackson, Masi Bicycles 
• MEGO :: Michelle Kostya, Cuisinart and Waring Pro
• Novell:  John Dragoon's Blog :: John Dragoon, Novell 
• Randy's Journal :: Randy Tinseth, Boeing 
• Sony Electronics Blog :: Rick Clancy, Sony Electronics 
• Strategic Public Relations :: Kevin Dugan, FRCH Design 
• Suzanne's Blog :: Suzanne Fanning, Fiskars
• Todd And - The Power To Connect :: Todd Andrlik, Leopardo Construction 
• "Turbo" Todd Watson :: Todd Watson, IBM 
• Unleashed on marketing blog :: Gary Bembridge, Johnson & Johnson 

 

Consumer-Generated Media Blog Featured on TypePad Homepage

I'm proud as a peach to report that this beloved (and ever consumer-centered) blog was just singled out on the front page of TypePad.com as a featured blog.  The official write up had this to say (blush, blush) about Consumer Generated Media:

Pete Blackshaw believes in "the power of the Internet to give individuals a voice and change the way things are done". His blog, Consumer Generated Media, helps promote  ideas on marketing, consumer advocacy, multi media, and more. There are thought-provoking pieces on text mining and how it "undresses" advertising, 10 important takeaways from Steve Jobs' recent iPhone pricing apology, and lighter commentary from one of the original "Mad Men" of advertising.  Many of Pete's categories, from actionability to consumer affairs, relate to consumers themselves, and offer ways in which they (and we) can stay "in control"!

Many thanks to those who have subscribed to and supported this blog over the past couple years. Keep sending feedback.  Much, much more to cover!

Pete Blackshaw believes in "the power of the Internet to give individuals a voice and change the way things are done". His blog, Consumer Generated Media, helps promote  ideas on marketing, consumer advocacy, multi media, and more. There are thought-provoking pieces on text mining and how it "undresses" advertising, 10 important takeaways from Steve Jobs' recent iPhone pricing apology, and lighter commentary from one of the original "Mad Men" of advertising.  Many of Pete's categories, from actionability to consumer affairs, relate to consumers themselves, and offer ways in which they (and we) can stay "in control"!

Many thanks to those who have subscribed to and supported this blog over the past couple years. Keep sending feedback.  Much, much more to cover!

Hey! Nielsen: Where the Black Box Meets the Soap Box?

This week a site I've been working on, Hey! Nielsen, just launched to public beta.  It's 100% about CGM, and has echoes of the first "consumer expression" business I started out of P&G, PlanetFeedback.  In a nutshell, Hey! Nielsen provides a platform for consumers to rate, review, rant, react, and respond to all manner of content related to entertainment: TV, movies, music,  personalities, websites (e.g Facebook, MySpace,), and more. In the coming months, a Spanish language version of the site, Oye! Nielsen, will roll-out. Nielsen essentially wants consumers to be heard, and its not being shy in suggesting the consumer opinions and non-personally identifiable data will be shared with big decision makers in the entertainment industry. What's clear in this new age of control is that the "power to be heard" has unique and important "social currency," and certain brands (Nielsen believes it's one of them) have unique credibility, as well as years of expertise in panel management for research purposes, to be the conduit.  This is a big reason why I keep pounding away in this blog at the importance of business functions like consumer affairs in the new marketing mix; importantly, brands need to "mind their influencers," and the vast majority of them are right under their noses, eager to talk to them, with or without advertising stimuli.
Consumer Megaphone as Corporate Matchmaker:  Anyway, I just returned from a couple launch events and meetings in New York, and it's all pretty exciting -- and for many reasons beyond the obvious. This was an unusual project for Nielsen, and certainly the subject of lots of very healthy "conversation."  Although my division Nielsen BuzzMetrics played an important role in the launch (strategic consulting, BlogPulse integration, marketing tactics), the initiative was coordinated and led right smack in the center by Nielsen Communications, a group which successfully (and quickly) brought together dozens of key stakeholders throughout the company to get us to this first phase (we have much more to do).  There's an "Exportable AHA" (my new term for "takeaway") here.  Consumer expression is serving as a powerful stimulus and catalyst to unite key stakeholders in large, sometimes siloed, organizations. I see this in every "CGM 101" training session I lead at major corporations. Everyone, it seems, has a stake (perhaps even some degree of fear and apprehension) in the "new rules of consumer expression," from communications and public relations to marketing and operations.  The "vocal" consumer is what brings them together.  On more than a few occasions, workshop attendees have approached me and said my presentation represented the first time they had ever met or interacted with some of their own colleagues.  As I see it, that's both a breakthrough, and a huge opportunity.

Anyway, give the site a test run!  It's not out to become another Facebook or MySpace, but rather a very focused "open" platform on the very topics Nielsen is already tracking.  I like to think of it as the place where the "black box meets the soap box."  Also, if you know of folks who'd like to play a leadership role in this new venture, shoot me or Jennifer Geissel a message.

The Iterative, Blended Influential Scorecard: Or Lack Thereof?

Both Peter Kim and Steve Rubel are up to an interesting exercise.  Both, in their own ways, are introducing new frameworks for measuring influence.  Peter is tacking the matter from the lens of key marketing blogs, and as you can see he's already updated his list based on a combination of feedback and new criteria.  Steve Rubel, similarly, is tackling a set of important new timely questions around "What is Influence," especially as non-blog power-pockets like Facebook start to take deeper root.  See Crowdsourcing a New System for Measuring Influence.  Also see Edelman's latest Social Media index posted by Edelman CEO and "Sixty Second View" blogger David Brain.  I frankly think this a critical, and fascinating, exercise for all marketers and business professionals to think through, as so many critical tactical and strategic decisions in this "age of consumer control" are grounded in how we define the so-called "influencer."  Again, see Peter Kim's latest list below.  He must have made a terrible mistake in keeping me on the list.  :-)

1. Listen Up! :: John Porcaro, Group Manager - Online Communications, Microsoft.
2. ExperienceCurve :: Karl Long, Web/Social Media Integration Manager, Nokia.
3. Strategic Public Relations :: Kevin Dugan, Director of Marketing Communications, FRCH Design.
4. Todd And - The Power To Connect :: Todd Andrlik, Director of Marketing and PR, Leopardo Construction.
5. Marketing Nirvana :: Mario Sundar, Community Evangelist, LinkedIn.
6. Decker Marketing ::  Sam Decker, VP Marketing, Bazaarvoice.
7. Flooring The Consumer  ::  Authored by CB Whittemore, Director of In-Store Innovation, Wear-Dated Carpet Fiber.
8. The Marketing Excellence Blog :: Eric Kintz, VP Marketing, Digital Photography & Entertainment, Hewlett-Packard.
9. cgm :: Pete Blackshaw, CMO, Nielsen Buzzmetrics.
10. Bernaisesource ::  Dan Greenfield, VP Corporate Communications, Earthlink.
11. Cross The Breeze ::  Kris Hoet, Marketing Communications Manager, Microsoft.
12. Churbuck.com ::  David Churbuck, VP Global Web Marketing, Lenovo.
13. Masiguy ::  Tim Jackson, Brand Manager, Masi Bicycles.
14. AttentionMax ::  Max Kalehoff, VP Marketing, Nielsen Buzzmetrics.
15. Emerson Process Experts ::   Jim Cahill, Marketing Communications Manager, Emerson Process Management.
16. BeRelevant! :: Tamara Gielen, Email Marketing Manager - Belgium, eBay.
17. Brandopia ::  Geert Desager, Trade Marketing Manager, Microsoft.
18. Buzz Marketing For Technology ::  Paul Dunay, Director of Global Field & Interactive Marketing, BearingPoint.
19. Community Group Therapy :: Sean O'Driscoll, General Manager of Community Support and MVP, Microsoft.
20. The Client Side :: Michael Seaton, Director - Digital Marketing, Scotiabank.
21. "Turbo" Todd Watson :: Todd Watson, IBM software group - web marketing, IBM.
22. John Dragoon's Blog :: John Dragoon, CMO, Novell.
23. The HP LaserJet Blog ::  Vince Ferraro, VP of Worldwide Marketing - LaserJet BU, HP.
24. The Changing Face of Media :: Scott Berg, Worldwide Media Director, HP.
25. Marketing Monster ::  Morton, Marketing Specialist, Lampo Group.
26. Bad idea, indeed :: Philippe Deltenre, Business Development & Strategy Manager, Microsoft.
27. The Innovative Marketer :: Steve Gershik, Director of Marketing Innovation, Eloqua.
28. Sony Electronics Blog :: Rick Clancy, Head of US Corporate Communications, Sony.
29. John Heald's Blog :: John Heald, Cruise Director, Carnival.
30. The Kristasphere :: Krista Summit, Web Marketing Strategist, Lenovo.
31. Randy's Journal :: Randy Tinseth, VP Marketing, Boeing.

CGM & Forecasting Product Launch: Nielsen BASES/BuzzMetrics Study

Last week I kicked off a New York based Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) workshop , and a key point I underscored -- and repeat in virtually every presentation -- is that buzz never occurs in a vacuum.  The digital trail of CGM is like a never-ending accountability scorecard that implicates just about everything in business, from advertising to customer service to employee relations.  The key challenge (and opportunity) for managers is to understand and take full advantage of the the "cause and effect" of the various inputs.

BUZZMETRICS/BASES STUDY:  Along these lines, the Nielsen BASES and BuzzMetrics divisions (disclosure/transparency check: Nielsen is my official employer) converged on a study and white paper this week underscoring the symbiotic relationship between CGM and paid media. Authored by Kate Niederhoffer (BuzzMetrics), Rob Mooth (BASES), David Wiesenfeld (AC Nielsen) and a few others, this first stage CPG brand and market-mix modeling study found that high blog interest, or buzz, around new product launches is tightly linked to paid media spending. Notes the study:

After analyzing blog buzz volume, ad spending, purchase intentions and actual product sales, Nielsen found the best predictor of buzz for newly launched consumer-packaged goods (CPG) is a large advertising budget. The study evaluated nearly 80 new CPG products across several subcategories, launched in the U.S. between 2005 and 2006. On average, the top 10% of products with the most buzz, spent nearly $20 million on paid media for the launch. In contrast, the companies that generated the next 40% of blog buzz spent an average of $15 million and the companies that generated the bottom 50% spent an average of only $5 million.

 

Worth also mentioning that 10% of brands accounted for 85% of total CPG buzz in the study. The study also suggests that blog buzz drive greater precision in market forecasting.

The news release is here, and the free white paper download is here (registration required). The authors of the study will host a special Web cast, with a Q&A moderated by Brandweek editor Todd Wasserman, on Friday, July 20 at 12PM EST. Sign up here.

Longer term, I think there are many other key variables that need to be modeled into the mix, and this study is just the first "toe in the water."   Other pieces of the mix that need to be evaluated and studied include the following:

• Ad Types: What are the key nuances between "types" of advertising and buzz; will the growth of ad spending online further confirm these conclusions?
• Role/Impact of Search: Where does online search figure into the mix?  There's no question the Apple iPhone benefited enormously from search placement, and we also know the pet food industry has been significantly scarred in search results because of negative buzz (potentially impacting future product launches)
• Intervention Impact: What's more important: the amount of spend, or how brands make key interventions against the spend, and ensuring buzz, to drive more efficiency?
• Negative Buzz: What if the buzz backfires because no one believes the advertising?  Should the concept of Negative GRPs be integrated into the planning mix?
• Forecasting Against Experience:  As brand "experiences" become more closely linked to word-of-mouth and CGM levels, should business processes like "customer service" also be factored into such forecast models?

This is all where the rubber meets the road with word-of-mouth analysis.  Very exciting!

Top Marketing Blogs - A First Cut!

Probably a total fluke, but this consumer-obsessed marketing blog managed to make Forrester analyst Peter Kim's first cut at a Top Marketing Blog ranking.  My current slot is #5, but here's an important caveat (before you high-five me).  Peter narrowed the criteria to "the most popular blogs written by client-side marketing professionals.  These are people who are doing their brands a favor by engaging customers and prospects in conversation."   Put another way, these are blogs that are not directly linked to the formal marketing services.  Many other superb marketing blogs -- far more insightful than my own -- didn't make the cut!  Also important, Peter's taking suggestions.   (I read or subscribe to most of the other blogs on Peter's list, but there are a few new ones I knew little about, so use his list to push your frontier of awareness.)