• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, February 10, 2005

New York public relations firm CooperKatz & Co. yesterday announced the launch of a service for companies concerned with monitoring, analyzing, and responding to issues that emerge from the blogosphere and the Internet at large.

Blogger savant and CooperKatz executive Steve Rubel will lead the practice called Micro Persuasion, which Rubel said he expected to evolve beyond the monitoring and damage-control service announced Wednesday.

"Before large corporations with unique cultural legacies can address and engage complex online communities, they have to understand them," said Rubel.

The initial service is about teaching companies to listen to the online community, Andy Cooper, principal and co-founder of CooperKatz, said. The service is supposed to serve as a client's eyes and ears online. "This extends beyond blogs, to anywhere opinions and ideas are being exchanged online."

Existing clients include the Association of National Advertisers and WeatherBug.

The Micro Persuasion counsel has already been integrated into CooperKatz's existing services, and Rubel also intends to offer it as a stand-alone service. "Companies with fully functioning PR and marketing departments that we're talking to are overwhelmed right now with the Internet."

Are CooperKatz and Rubel telling existing and potential clients that with their help, they'll be able to manage the unruly and unknowable blogosphere? "Let's get one thing straight," stressed Rubel. "No one can manage the blogosphere. At best, you can hope to engage it and be part of it."