Over the past five years, Nielsen BuzzMetrics has published several critical white papers on a variety of issues and challenges facing the marketing and advertising industries, including the growth of consumer-generated media, the blogging boom and shifting consumer opinions and trends.
Feel free to download any of the following white papers. Note: some of these papers may still be branded as originating from BuzzMetrics or Intelliseek, the two companies that came together in 2006 to form Nielsen Buzzmetrics. As the new company completes its integration, all white papers will be rebranded as originating from Nielsen BuzzMetrics.
Generating Consumer Insights from Online Conversation
Aberdeen research for this report investigates how companies successfully compete in a world in which Web-based consumer-generated content is marginalizing the value of traditional media channels, and in which peer-to-peer networks are substituting for traditional authority figures in providing reliable information about a brand. Aberdeen surveyed over 250 organizations to create a roadmap for companies that aim to achieve a variety of business objectives through Best-in-Class use of social media monitoring and analysis solutions, including but not limited to: improved product marketing, public relations, market research, customer support, brand reputation protection, new product launch, competitive intelligence, and new product development activities.
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Aberdeen cites Nielsen Online's BuzzMetrics customers as likely to attain Best-in-Class.
A January 2008 Aberdeen survey of over 250 organizations found that 52% of companies currently have a social media monitoring and analysis solution in place; an additional 33% either have budget planned for such solutions within the next 12 months or are interested and currently evaluating potential providers. The research reveals that companies currently using BuzzMetrics from Nielsen Online as a solution provider are approaching Best-in-Class status when it comes to year-over-year improvements in key social media metrics. This Research Brief examines the blend of organizational capabilities and product functionality that Best-in-Class companies and BuzzMetrics customers utilize to achieve high returns on their marketing investment compared to all others.
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The Origin and Impact of CPG New Product Buzz
Did you know that CPG marketers can buy blog buzz? Well, sort of: According to a study by the Nielsen Company, high buzz volume around new product launches is tightly linked to media spend. The collaborative study was led by researchers from two Nielsen services – Nielsen BuzzMetrics, the leader in buzz analytics, and BASES, the leading provider of new product forecasting and consulting. These findings challenge the wisdom of marketer conventions that emphasize trendy, standalone buzz tactics over traditional advertising. It also sheds light into the predictive nature of buzz and sales.
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Forrester Cites Nielsen BuzzMetrics A Leader
Forrester recently cited Nielsen BuzzMetrics as a Leader in its 2006 Brand Monitoring Wave™ Report. Overall, Forrester "found that the vendor has the strongest strategic vision and currently competes at a scale unmatched by any other competitor. Nielsen BuzzMetrics offers technology with extensive functionality and consults to managers and C-level executives alike. Clients include many of the largest global advertisers across multiple verticals.", courtesy of Nielsen BuzzMetrics.
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Consumer-Generated Media 101: Word-of-Mouth in the Age of the Web-Fortified Consumer
This basic primer on Consumer-Generated Media 101 (CGM) introduces the concepts behind the new reality of Internet-enabled consumers who are creating and sharing their experiences, opinion and content online…where their influence spreads rapidly to others. Learn what CGM is, how it's evolving and why it matters to today's savvy marketers, brand manages, public/corporate relations professionals and others. Coauthors: President/COO Mike Nazzaro and CMO Pete Blackshaw. top
Power Shift: How the Internet Gives Consumers the Upper Hand—And What Proactive Automakers Can Do About It
Perhaps more than any other industry, the automotive marketplace has felt the impact of online consumers. They increasingly turn to the Internet for advice on everything from which cars and trucks to consider, how to negotiate the best price, what models to test drive and which products, dealers and brands to trust…and which to avoid. Automakers and OEMs who tune into this rich, online conversation among auto enthusiasts can learn a lot…and leverage the information they find there to their advantage. Coauthors: Automotive Industry Practice Leader Bill Stephenson and CMO Pete Blackshaw. top
Trust Media: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard (The 1.0 Guide to the Blogosphere for Marketers and Company Stakeholders)
Whether you're new to the blogosphere or a blogging veteran, this introductory white paper provides all you need to know about the blogging phenomenon: what it is, why it's hot, and why its influence has grown and deepened so rapidly. Take advantage of the "Get Smart Guide" of blogosphere jargon, and start to get a handle on who's who (and why) in the world of blogging. Co-published with Edelman. top
Talking from the Inside Out: The Rise of Employee Blogging
As more and more companies and brands turn to corporate blogging—or turn their employees loose to blog on their own—they're encountering some common challenges and opportunities along the way. This white paper examines the ins and outs of employee/corporate blogging, and includes a checklist for anyone who's turned to a colleague at work and suggested, "Hey! We should start a blog!" Should you? Coauthors: CMO Pete Blackshaw and Christopher Hannegan of Edelman. top
Rumors & Issues on the Internet: Using the Web to Manage Reputations and Crises…Before It's Too late
If a rumor or urban myth about your company or brand starts circulating on the Internet, how will you find out…and how soon? In an era when questionable information can spread rapidly online, brand managers, corporate reputation professionals and marketers need to understand how information and rumors spread, and what can be done proactively to stem the tide…before it takes a toll. Coauthors: CMO Pete Blacksahw and Senior VP/Business Development Karthik Iyer. top
Pre-Launch Drug Buzz: How Preliminary Buzz Impacts Post-Launch Discussion Among Drug Products' Target Audiences
Does online buzz by consumers and patients affect the success of a drug after it's approved by federal regulators for the pharmaceutical market place? This white paper examines the impact of online patient support groups and other online consumer forums where patients discuss common concerns, share ideas and treatment options and candidly lay out their own experiences with medical treatments and drug regimens. And indeed, small amounts of pre-approval buzz can have an impact on a drug's post-approval marketplace recognition. Author: Lydia Worthington, Head of Health/Pharma Practice. top
Is Pharma Capable of Word-Of-Mouth Marketing? Five Rules for Making It Happen
Word of mouth can have an incredible impact on the success and acceptance of prescription drugs, and Nielsen BuzzMetrics offers five guidelines for making it happen in the highly regulated pharmaceutical marketplace. top
When Trials Go Bad: Case Study Analyzing Consumer Reaction to Negative Clinical Trial Results for Cholesterol Drugs
According to Nielsen BuzzMetrics research, poor trials for drugs that otherwise have captured the public's attention can nonetheless spur online consumer interest, questions and conversations. The caveat is this: a pharmaceutical company's window of opporunity to build and sustain buzz and interest, however, is very small. top
Buzz Blogs and Beyond: The Internet and the National Discourse in the Fall of 2004
BuzzMetrics and Dr. Michael Cornfield, a senior research consultant to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, studied the impact of political blogs on the national agenda during the last two months of the 2004 presidential campaign. top
Word of Mouth Fuels Trans Fats Debate
Consumers who react and respond to external news events and lawsuits against firms whose food products were high in trans fats provided a sound example of how consumer-generated media can fuel the debate and trigger continued conversations and interest by the public. This white paper looks at one specific lawsuit and the online fallout and impact. top
New Technology Issues for Corporate Governance: Internet Message Boards
The flow of unauthorised corporate information has changed dramatically in the past few years as internet message boards have moved from the fringe to the mainstream. Employees,former employees, customers, competitors and investors are all anonymously communicating with one another on message boards instead of solely relying on company-released information. Companies need new policies to address this new reality. In many cases, the online chatter is harmless, but companies should prepare for the worst. top
24 Hours in the Blogosphere
On July 28, 2005, Director of Science and Innovation Matthew Hurst studied activity in the blogosphere over a 24-hour period to "get an understanding of the blogosphere and its denizens." The paper examines the most active blog domains, times of day for blogger activity, worldwide geographic patterns in posting activity and whatever profile/gender information could be gleaned. Publication date: 2006. top
Leave a Reply: An Analysis of Weblog Comments
Senior researcher Natalie Glance takes a look at the "other" aspect of the blogosphere that's often glossed over: the hundreds of thousands of comments that make up the conversation between bloggers and their readers. Her findings: comments on blogs make up about 15%-30% of the entire blogosphere and often add sentiment to the discussion by raising opposing viewpoints. Coauthor: Gilad Mishne, University of Amsterdam. Publication date: May, 2006. top
Predicting Movie Sales from Blogger Sentiment
Does blog buzz correlate with a movie's success in the theater? By analyzing the sentiment of blog posts about movies, Senior Researcher Natalie Glance shows that online discussions about movies to correlate with a movie's success, and that positive comments weigh more heavily in the equation that the raw number of posts. Blog buzz should be used with other parameters in predictive models of a movie's success. Coauthor: Gilad Mishne, University of Amsterdam. Publication date: 2005. top
The Political Blogosphere and the 2004 U.S. Election: Divided They Blog
In the buildup to the 2004 U.S. Presidential elections, bloggers played key roles in staking out positions on issues, candidates and key races. By sampling top conservative and liberal blogs, Senior Researcher Natalie Glance found that both groups tended to coalesce and rely on specific yet disparate news sources in their linking behavior, and while overall volume of discussion was about equal, conservative bloggers were much more efficient at internal/cross-linking behaviors than liberal bloggers. Coauthor: Lada Adamic, HP Labs. Publication date: March, 2005. top
![High-Value Population - 44% of Internet users publish their thoughts or otherwise create content online [Pew Research]](/images/uploaded/sidebar_pewresearch.gif "sidebar_pewresearch")
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