Brand Monitoring

As the concept of Brand Networking continues to evolve, I have seen a new request coming from our clients. Many companies are interested in building an interactive network and strengthening the relationship with their customers, but there is a growing concern regarding critical commentary across the internet. The majority of feedback usually occurs outside of a brand's website and can surface in various forms across the internet: blogs, podcasts, forums, videos, etc. With so many different forms of communication and media delivered through the internet, brands are looking for efficient ways to actively scan the web for potentially damaging feedback. I've thrown out the term Brand Monitoring to encompass both automated and manual survelliance.

For the last few years, Brand Monitoring has become a growing practice for global brands and there is presently a good article in BusinessWeek about companies defending against China's blogs. Although, this practice of Brand Monitoring is primarily used in global markets, the principles can be successfully applied to a domestic audience. As part of our research for a client, we discovered over twenty recent blogs mentioning "poor customer service" at very specific locations. In addition, we discovered screenshots of incorrect signage, a deragatory video about a manager, and an attempted boycott by "green activists."

Brand Monitoring can be used to identify critical commentary on the internet against a brand, its employees, or its competitors. The reporting occurs in real time and quickly alerts internal teams (Marketing, Customer Service, PR, etc.) of potentially damaging attacks against the brand. When the situation is observed early enough an issue can be contained, resolved, or transformed into a positive marketing or sales experience.

Key Aspects of a Brand Monitoring platform:
-Automates surveillance across blogs, forums, websites, and online media
-Real time alerts, assessments, and reporting (text, email, paging, etc.)
-Validates the source of the criticism and assigns a threat score

We've just released a Brand Monitoring platform for a client and they are having great initial success. I will put together a case study over the next quarter and release the data. If anyone has any similar experiences or ideas, please send me an email.