Managing "Content Chaos" via Text Mining Presentation

Thanks to all the Factiva users who dialed into the Content Chaos presentation today and to those who asked questions. If you have other questions, please feel free to email me or post them here.

I'd love to hear opinions -- dissenting or supportive.

Also, we're working on getting a recording of it out to those who need help falling asleep at night.

Cheers
Glenn

Blogging Allows Marketers to Start Conversations

Alexandra DeFelice reports in CRM Magazine (Jan 1) that marketers at large companies are starting to take more notice of the Blogosphere and how it may change their jobs. And she talks about how marketing could start moving toward having a "meaningful" dialog with consumers. But the industry is not there yet. She reports that Ray Valdes, a Gartner analyst said:

Less than 5 percent of the Fortune 1,000 is using blogs strategically, but that percentage will triple in the next two years... however, even companies that are using blogs are not necessarily using them efficiently at this point... A lack of knowledge and a fear of the risks and repercussions are stopping companies from developing a blogging policy.

Most U.S. PR Professionals See Blogs as Important

I missed this study on blogs from Peppercom at the end of last year, but it's worth noting. They surveyed 900 U.S. PR professionals and found :

• 80% feel a corporate blog can help improve the dialogue between a company and its stakeholders
• 79% feel a corporate blog can help position a company and/or its "chief blogger" as a thought leader
• 62% state the blogosphere is an appropriate venue for corporations to communicate with stakeholders

Venture Chronicles: Who is reading blogs

Here's a very good post on why CMOs should care about blogs. I especially like:

the people these decision makers [CMOs] rely on for influence are reading and reacting to blogs, therefore business decision makers are being influenced by blog (sic) if only by a degree of separation.

Nielsen Strengthens Web Buzz Monitoring Position with BuzzMetrics, Intelliseek Deal

It's not surprising to see a media monitoring giant like VNU (owner of well-known Nielsen) entering the rapidly growing Web-measurement market.

This deal probably means that Nielsen BuzzMetrics moves ahead of Biz360 and Umbria on the revenue leader board.

Mining Bird Flu Data

Here's an interesting example of text mining news coverage.

A recent analysis by the Factiva Reputation Lab (TM) shows that while bird flu may be a very serious issue of concern to the entire world, it's not getting the press coverage of other issues. For the past two years it has (not surprisingly) been dwarfed by coverage of natural disasters, terrorism and the war in Iraq. But it's not even reaching the coverage of obesity and AIDS.

New Blog Being Written From the Hart

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the entry into the Blogosphere of one of our industry's leaders -- Clare Hart, Factiva's CEO. I'd be remiss because she is a powerful figure in the industry who's voice SHOULD be in the Blogosphere (And I'd be in trouble if I didn't mention it because she's my boss! Kidding, Clare.)

In From the Hart, Clare will likely be giving her perspective on the information industry -- where she sees trends going and how Factiva will strive to be leading the way in many of those cases.

We at Factiva hear Clare's take on things routinely, certainly, but I think it will be great to see her comments in the public space to see how other's perceive her views.

PR Innovation of the Year Finalists Announced

I'm pleased to say that the product my colleagues and I have been working on for a while, Factiva Insight: Reputation Intelligence, has been named a finalist by PR Week in its Innovation of the Year category.

Here's a CIO Who Gets It

Right now it's pretty rare to see executives blogging. I suspect it's because many haven't realized the value of the tool and many others haven't carved out the time in their schedules to do so. Will Weider, the CIO of Affinity Health System and the author of The Candid CIO is one who gets it.

My guess is that it's just a matter of time before he's joined by more professionals who will realize they can use this medium as a way to increase visability for themselves and their companies. Cheap publicity, if you ask me.

Today's News Bounces through MSM-New-Media Echo Chamber

An op-ed in the 2 Jan 06 U.S. edition of PR Week points out that new media must factor into PR managers' strategies.

Paul Bergevin, president of Citigate Cunningham, states:

It seems pretty clear that today's important stories bounce up and down in an echo chamber of cross-reference between traditional and nontraditional media. What happens in the grass- roots or the word-of-mouth blogosphere informs the major media - and vice versa. The most important stories are the ones that are, in fact, a product of the interplay between traditional and nontraditional media.

Harnessing and managing the storytelling between traditional and nontraditional media outlets is the real job of today's PR pro. This is an incredible opportunity for PR to have an even greater influence in the future than it has enjoyed in the past.

C|Net: Why companies monitor blogs

Another article (this one from CNet) on what's becoming more and more obvious -- that companies ignore blogs at their own peril.