Ever wonder why Apple’s iPhone generated so much buzz before its launch?
Or why a 30-second Super Bowl spot can be worth the $2.7 million it cost and more?
Measuring and harnessing the power of this ‘’consumer generated media,’’ or "buzz,'' is what
Nielsen BuzzMetrics is all about.
Formed
through the union of two Cincinnati companies, BuzzMetrics and
Intelliseek, then acquired by ratings and information giant The Nielsen
Co., BuzzMetrics virtually invented the measurement of online
word-of-mouth and the interpretation and use of the buzz
surrounding consumer products.
Using powerful programs that
scour data from million of blogs, message boards, online communities
and video sharing sites, BuzzMetrics analyzes the emotions and
sentiments behind those postings and uses the information to deepen its
insights into consumer behavior.
That knowledge is critical to a
range of companies, because with the widespread popularity of the
Internet, every consumer now has the power to be a critic or reporter,
weighing in on the last movie they saw, book they read or restaurant
where they dined. Every day, millions of opinions generated by regular
people find their way onto blogs, discussion boards, review sites and
newsgroups. This online buzz can have a big impact on the image and
reputation of consumer products and ultimately on buying decisions.
“The
buzz factor is often the final arbiter of success or failure of
advertising,” explains Pete Blackshaw, executive VP of BuzzMetrics. It
was Cincinnatian Blackshaw’s
Planet Feedback online consumer feedback service that eventually evolved into BuzzMetrics.
BuzzMetrics' roster of clients includes General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Toyota and Nokia.