When this case was created we were on the edge of what was to come in Consumer Generated Media. Today we have blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else is right around the corner in this rapid changing environment. These sources provide opportunities for both consumers and marketers to gather more information then ever before. The information available from the CGM sources provides a great opportunity for marketers to improve their customer relationship management as well as give them a great opportunity to gain insights into their consumer’s behaviors. I feel the potential is outlined very well in Exhibit 10 of the case. The main issue that marketers face is how they create meaning for decision makers with all of this information. I feel Intelligence Seeker is on the right track by targeting the seemingly unlimited potential the question is are they providing the context their customers are looking for and need? The sky is the limit with CGM today but developing the means to create the meaning is a complex proposition.
The two Pulsebrand reports that were referenced could provide a brand manager many insights into their customers and competitors. Exhibit 4 gives a nice summary of the overall attitudes and interests of your customers and exhibit 5 allows the brand manager to drill into the detail from the customers themselves. Using both reports together could give a brand manager valuable insights about their products, customers, and competition.
At a summary level a brand manager can see how their brand measures up against the other products or brands. The reports allow someone to discover their overall customer tones as wells as gain insight into what topics are most often being discussed? From this information you will want to know the what, why, where, and when. Utilizing the information from Exhibit 5 a brand manager will hopefully be able to gather