British bloggers less savvy November 24, 2006
Posted by uknetmonitor in PR, blogs, companies, corporate reputation, public affairs, reputation, stakeholder.add a comment
PR Week has a report on a MORI survey that shows that the UK is behind the rest of Europe, with only half of all adults ever having heard of blogs, compared to 90% of the French. So far so bad, but what is interesting is that nearly a quarter of Brits said that they preferred to get their information from blogs. Newspaper are still ahead at 30%, but probably the most significant thing was the 52% who said that they were more likely to buy a product reviewed online, and a staggering 34% who said that they actually chosen NOT to buy something after having read bad things about it on a blog.
Any one in corporate communications, worried about corporate reputation needs to sit up and take notice of what impact blogs are having on their public relations, consumer PR, and brand.
For more information contact us at http://www.uknetmonitor.com
Should companies let people know they are monitoring? September 21, 2006
Posted by uknetmonitor in PR, blogs, companies, corporate reputation, public affairs, reputation, stakeholder.add a comment
Clients frequently ask whether or not they should let people know that they are monitoring what is being said in weblogs, chat rooms, discussion forums, newsgroups and so on. There are a number of pro’s and cons of letting people know you are monitoring:
PRO’s:
- It means your organisation is open to dialogue with its stakeholders, is listening, and is transparent (something for your CR report);
It shows that your management is professional enough to be alert to the gorwing influence of the internet - enhancing corporate reputation.
CON’S
- This may inhibit (or provoke) what people say, distoring the true picture of your reputation;
You risk turning discussion boards into customer service departments as people expect replies to their posts;
Of course, if you don’t disclose that you are monitoring web activity, then you are open to accusations of spying - particularly on what colleagues are saying.
For further information or advice go to our website at UKNetMonitor.
Quantitative analysis of blogs and user generated media July 31, 2006
Posted by uknetmonitor in PR, blogs, companies, corporate reputation, public affairs, reputation, stakeholder.add a comment
Quantitative analysis of consumer-generated media is, by itself, limited in its accuracy and use. Computer driven statistical selection is prone to error. It is possible for example to say that Technorati report 164 blogs mentioning Vodafone and masts. This compares to 170 for O2, 187 and for Orange. However, even using the most advanced and complex algorithms, the following clip for example, is likely to be picked up as a posting about mobile phone masts:
All our boats built in traditional Turkish wooden type Gulet style between 15 m (50 ft) - 40 m (133 ft) length. They have 1 mast with two sails, 2 masts with three sails, and 3 masts with six sails. Cabins have mostly double beds each with wc, hot showers. Some of them have generator and air-conditioning. Some harbors are good to visit ancient sites of your choice (don’t miss it). Stereo system for your pleasure on board. Mobile phone, Fax, Data, Internet, Airport transfers, Hotel arrangements are available.
Additionally there is the question of specificity. In seeking to count or analyze a trend of posts relating to protests about masts for example, a post such as the one below certainly relates to a mobile phone mast, but is about signal strength rather than a protest – although the taxonomy suggests an unhappy blogger.
My phone is being very annoying too at the moment. The signal mast in this area has gone tits up, and I occasionally get a text, but I can’t send any, or make any calls. At the moment I feel like ringing up Vodafone and asking why it is I should pay for a contract when I can’t even use the damn thing.
It is for this reason that UKNetMonitor relies on human selection of significant clips to ensure that all reports only contain relevant, significant, consequential, actionable postings, rather than adopting a blanket number-crunch.
Given these limitations we provide and use a degree of statistical analysis which is in the public domain, that we believe is useful in assessing trend directions rather than for the purposes of measurement, and also for assessing the relative influence and authority of a web-clipping. For more information on what we do to analyse stuff that helps with corporate reputation visit our website at http://www.uknetmonitor.com
UKNetMonitor - Virtual WOM July 21, 2006
Posted by uknetmonitor in PR, blogs, companies, corporate reputation, public affairs, reputation, stakeholder.add a comment
An interesting observation in Accountability’s new report “What assures” about the importance of word-of-mouth (wom) on corporate reputations.
“The gossip between stakeholders – including NGOs, analysts and so on, does ultimately determine the credibility of an organisation”. I would add customers and employees to that list. Customers because they are probably the stakeholder with the biggest contact with the company, and employees because they are a source of “privileged” information.
Companies looking to establish a reputation of trust need to assure their stakeholders. Accountability point to “received wisdom” as important as it provides confirmation by multiple sources. Apart from inside information, the report also mentions “Gossip” as important because it comes with confidence in the source, often based on a strong relationship - this could be personal, or a shared interest - and of course gossip is real and virtual. The gossip of consumer generated media is becoming more influential on corporate reputations than ever before.
For more information on how to manage corporate reputation on the internet, and to monitor what people are saying in blogs check our website at http://www.uknetmonitor.com.
The growing market for blogs June 8, 2006
Posted by uknetmonitor in PR, blogs, companies, corporate reputation, public affairs, reputation, stakeholder.add a comment
BBC NEWS | Technology | The growing market for blogs
I couldn't put this better myself, so I won't. Here is James Cherkoff arguing its time for companies to wake up to the power of blogs
Bloggers now have influence beyond the internet |
It's the interaction between blogs that makes them so interesting and influential.
A single blog can be akin to a ranting madman on the corner.
However, when linked together into massive intertwining communities, they have the vibrancy and passion of an enormous street market.
Information, opinions and whispers exchange hands at light speed. And it's no longer confined to techie chats.
Conversations about every conceivable subject take place, from newborn twins to politics, or rants about brands and products.
As the quantity and quality of these conversations grows, so does the blogosphere's influence beyond the internet, including the commercial sector.
Pay attention
Consumer power is not a new thing. What is new is the passion that the blogging community creates and the speed at which communities builds.
Media professionals often write off user-generated content as amateur and poor quality, and, of course, a lot of it is.
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User-generated media has gradually created groups of independently- minded critics who constantly publish their views to faithful audiences 
However, enthusiasm for these new media tools is infectious and many amateurs are striking chords among their audiences in ways that traditional media struggles to do.
It's worth noting that gender stereotypes are changing too.
Livejournal, a big provider of blogging tools, has 500,000 UK users and females outnumber males 2:1.
A key element of this new type of media is the trust that people have in it.
If someone's blog raves about a new product people take notice because they know the publisher has no vested interest.
Unsatisfied customers can immediately tell the world and hook up with their disgruntled brethren.
The resulting energy and passion can make traditional media look quite pallid in comparison.
User-generated media has gradually created groups of independently-minded critics who constantly publish their views to faithful audiences.
If the traditional press is the fourth estate, the blogosphere can be thought of as a new, fifth estate. If there is a story to tell, it will publish and be damned. 
James Cherkoff is Director and co-founder of Collaborate Marketing and editor of the blog Modern Marketing.For more information about UKNetMonitor, go to our website at www.uknetmonitor.com
