Major marketers are beginning to monitor blogs, message boards, online social networks and other cyberspace sources to spot trends and pick up tips on which way the consumer winds are blowing. "By
utilizing online message boards you pick up nuances in the marketplace--customer statements, thoughts--that enable us to distinguish whether something is a trend that has long-term impact or a fad
that will be short-lived," said Nick Mysore, director for strategy and insights at ConAgra, which learned from Internet chatter that the low-carb craze was fading and then decided to promote an
alternative menu, its Healthy Choice soups, entrees and lunch meats. For companies like ConAgra, the individual opinions blasted out in cyberspace form the fabric of online word of mouth that can
determine the hottest new product, make or break a TV show, or set off a customer revolt. The comments are particularly valuable for measuring customer sentiment because they're gut-level and
spontaneous. "Internet word of mouth is extremely important," said Steve Rubel, a marketing expert and senior vice president at Edelman public relations. "You see what the most vocal consumers have to
say about you and about your competitors--and they're saying it without necessarily knowing you're watching them."
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