• Chicago Tribune, Friday, November 23, 2007 11:30 AM

Marketers such as Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble are listening closely to what people say online as the Web continues to morph from a medium of static sites to a place where dialogue and interactivity dominate. The companies are adding positions like community manager, new media strategist or blog strategist, and are actively engaging on the Web.

Behind this tidal wave of new positions in companies and consultancies is the explosion in popularity of social networking sites and online conversations opening new potential marketing opportunities to companies looking to interact with consumers.

But companies have to tread carefully. Unlike traditional advertising messages, Web ads and social networking strategies that try to covertly blend into the mix often backfire, leading to severe consequences. "To get a true sense of what people are saying on blogs or in forums, we don't get involved in the conversations," says Leah Jones, a conversation analyst who works for a recently formed division of Edelman called Me2revolution.

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