Slide1: Internet Monitoring © 2000, CyberAlert, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Topics: Topics Why Monitor the Internet? Market Intelligence on the Internet Case Studies: Market Intelligence How to Monitor the Internet Market Intelligence Strategies CyberAlert (NetpinionsTM) Summary Entire presentation available to everyone as PowerPoint file.


Why Monitor the Internet?: Why Monitor the Internet? Epicenter of business information Corporate Product Primary resource for consumers Product specifications Product reviews, comparisons Consumer opinion Pricing 3. Where the news is….first


News on the Web : News on the Web


News on the Web : News on the Web


News on the Web : News on the Web


News on the Web : News on the Web


Why Monitor the Internet?: Why Monitor the Internet? 4. “Buzz” starts on the Internet; opinion trends form on Internet 5. Bad things happen to good companies on the Internet 6. Intelligence/insights can appear most anywhere Attack Web Sites (5,000+) Consumer Opinion Sites (epinions) Web Message Boards (Forums) Usenet News Groups E-mail Discussion Groups


Internet Monitoring Objectives : Internet Monitoring Objectives Gather key market information • News • Reviews • Opinions • Attitudes • Facts • Insights • Ideas • Plans Gain visibility Find patterns / trends


Internet Monitoring Objectives : Internet Monitoring Objectives About… • Company • Brands • Trends • Issues • Competitors


Internet Monitoring Objectives: Internet Monitoring Objectives Early warning of … Product deficiencies Pricing problems Customer service issues Reputation perceptions Rumors / attacks Scams Channel (distribution) problems


Internet Monitoring Objectives : Internet Monitoring Objectives • Identify and correct problems Gain competitive advantage Protect / build reputation


Internet Monitoring Objectives : Internet Monitoring Objectives Bottom Line … Better Informed Business Decisions


Audience Questions: Audience Questions Does your company regularly monitor the Internet to see what others have said about the company and its products? Web publications (nytimes.com, forbes.com) Usenet news groups (alt.misc.consumer) Message boards (epinions) Commercial Web sites (www.competitor.com) What tools do you use to monitor? Internet monitoring service (CyberAlert) Search engines (Google, AltaVista) News aggregator (YahooNews, Newspage) 3. Has anyone had a major “triumph” from Internet monitoring? Database Service (Lexis-Nexis, Dialog)


Examples of Successes : Examples of Successes Sporting goods company found activist group planning demonstration and boycott Within days of launch, software firm found dissatisfaction with specific product features Finance company uncovered customer anger at company policies Pharma firm found MDs recommending product inappropriately Telco uncovered competitor strategy Fashion company discovered rumor Insurance company found broker misrepresenting products


Intelligence Sources: Intelligence Sources 1. Attack Web sites 5,000+ rogue Web sites (est.) Intel, McDonald’s, Nike, First USA Unsupervised -- say anything Protected by first amendment Indexed by search engines Worldwide “soapbox” Criticisms can pop up anywhere Almost impossible to monitor manually


Attack Sites: Attack Sites


Attack Sites: Attack Sites


Attack Sites: Attack Sites


Attack Sites: Attack Sites


Attack Sites: Attack Sites


Intelligence Sources: Intelligence Sources 2. Web site message boards/forums Consumer opinion sites (300+) Message boards (25,000+ est.) Yahoo, AOL, many other Web sites Unmoderated -- say anything Messages are public, indexed by search engines Criticisms can pop up anywhere Almost impossible to monitor manually


Web Forums: Web Forums


Web Forums: Web Forums


Intelligence Sources: Intelligence Sources 3. Usenet News Group Postings 63,000 groups Unmoderated: anyone can post messages, no editing Messages are public, readable by anyone -- 5+ million messages/day Criticisms can pop up anywhere Almost impossible to monitor manually


Usenet: Usenet


Intelligence Sources: Intelligence Sources 4. E-Mail Discussion Lists 150,000+ lists and growing Must subscribe; only subscribers see messages, sent by e-mail Moderated and unmoderated 1 million + messages per day Posts go to all subscribers Very difficult to monitor, even with automated systems


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Case Study: Monsanto: Case Study: Monsanto


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods Search Engines Deep monitoring (1 billion pages) Can’t sort new documents Rarely search news media Spiders every 6 to 12 weeks Lacks timeliness Time consuming / costly


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 2. Database Services Deep database archives Esoteric information Weak current news Delayed entry Weak Internet Costly


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 3. Electronic News Services Personalized news Syndicators Timely Delivers top 10 stories only National news only No reviews/editorials; no regional media Inexpensive


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 4a. Internet Monitoring Services


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 4b. Internet Monitoring Services


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 4c. Internet Monitoring Services Automated monitoring Time and cost efficient (80/20 rule) Timely coverage Daily indexing of Web publications Broad coverage Web publications (3,000+) Usenet news groups (63,000+) Commercial, academic, and government Web sites (5+ million)


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 4d. Internet Monitoring Services Complex Boolean-type search strings Automated monitoring (Monsanto or Pharmacia) and (genetic or biotech or food or crop or seed) and not (Round Up) Nike and (sweatshop or labor or wages) (First USA or FirstUSA) and (scam or scum or idiot or thief or…….)


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 4e. Internet Monitoring Services Delivers NEW citations daily Delivers more than news stories Reviews, editorials, consumer opinion Delivers ALL citations found the previous 24 hours Delivers relevant, finely-grained information Stores “clips”


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 4f. Internet Monitoring Services (CyberAlert only) Robust document and knowledge management functions Document sharing Document annotation Document storage Personalized storage capabilities Fully searchable archive


Monitoring Methods: Monitoring Methods 4g. Internet Monitoring Services Combine best attributes of… Search Engines In-depth coverage of visible Internet Electronic News Services Timely coverage of news sources Traditional Clipping Services Delivery of all found articles from widest possible range of sources Conferences / Dialog Consumer opinion research


Slide46: Internet monitoring, market intelligence, and clip management system. http://www.cyberalert.com


Summary: Summary Internet is today’s primary source of news and “buzz” (consumer opinion) Internet monitoring is key element in market/competitive intelligence and consumer opinion research For complete coverage, monitor… News (international, national, local) Reviews, editorials, commentary Consumer opinion


Summary: Summary Multiple monitoring tools for different tasks. Continuing / Ongoing Netpinions (CyberAlert) for integrated monitoring (news, reviews, consumer opinion, etc.) on automated continuing basis, delivered daily As Needed News integration service to cover top of news Database service for historical research / archived material Search engines for .com, .edu, .gov Web sites


Summary: Summary Internet monitoring is only first step in market intelligence program Analysis Nuggets of intelligence Patterns of criticisms/complaints Reporting Frequent delivery to appropriate decision-makers Responding Private and public Corrective action Quick, decisive policy fix before serious damage is done


Slide56: Nobody monitors the Internet better than A Service of www.cyberalert.com


Slide57: William J. Comcowich CyberAlert, Inc. Foot of Broad St Stratford, CT. 06615 203-375-7200 comcowic@cyberalert.com