Greg Verdino raises an interesting question to Nielsen BuzzMetrics about its ongoing client-only CGM Summit 2006,
...how can you host an event about consumer generated media and not let your consumers, um, generate media?
This is Greg's response to a warning in the confirmation email Nielsen BuzzMetrics sent to its attendees: "Off The Record: the CGM Summit is off the record, so please no blogging, reporting, recording or broadcasting." For those who are not familiar with the jargon, CGM refers to Consumer-Generated Media, in which blogs play a big role. The irony is pretty amusing, isn't it?
Steve Rubel sees both sides of the issue. I agree with him on that the no-blogging strategy might help preserve the benefit of paying to attend the summit. If the company made the decision for this reason, I think it values its consumers' and its own interests. This can be a justification for the ban. However, if Nielsen BuzzMetrics banned blogging partly out of concerns that they would be harshly criticized or challenged, or simply be talked about, this might be an indicator that it at least understands the Word-of-Mouth power of CGM very well. But is it better that people don't talk about you?
A commentator was curious about the outcome of violating the ban. Me too. I don't know if this warning is legitimate enough to put the violators into trouble. If so, will a blogger get caught just because s/he writes "I think the summit is awesome for blah blah blah...?"
Both Steve and David Armano mentioned about the group blog for Forrester's Consumer Forum in contrast with Nielsen BuzzMetrics's no-blogging policy. I don't know how Forrester reached the contributors. I don't know if Forrester gatekept the outlet. But at least it's a good sign.
Greetings,
Max Kalehoff here from Nielsen BuzzMetrics. Our event was a private, client-only user-group event. Unfortunately, most of the discussion about our request for attendees not to blog missed this important fact. As you note, Steve Rubel failed to indicate this, as well as many others. I guess it would’ve dilluted the otherwise great headline.
So why? The answer is simple: our paying clients preferred that format, and this was their conference. The agenda, topics, and key questions all flowed from their input - even their desire to tackle issues privately. Importantly, unlike many public media conferences, which seek awareness and ticket sales, this was a no-charge, no-frills gathering of 100 representatives from client organizations who have invested significant time and resources in Nielsen BuzzMetrics services. This was not an event put on for bloggers, but a client user-group meeting, something thousands of companies hold in private everyday. In the end, we achieved deep and stimulating conversation, led primarily by the clients themselves, and putting their interests first was the right thing to do.
We’ll continue to seek our clients’ input in future client-only events to see if a more fully exposed, “on-the-record” forum makes sense. We want to get it right, and welcome public feedback as well. At the same time, we must honor obligations to confidentiality around client case studies, client information and client wishes…
I welcome you to read my full post as well as offer any further comment or suggestions. Thanks.
http://attentionmax.com/blog/2006/10/are_private_conversations_hist.html
Greetings,
Max Kalehoff here from Nielsen BuzzMetrics. Our event was a private, client-only user-group event. Unfortunately, most of the discussion about our request for attendees not to blog missed this important fact. As you note, Steve Rubel failed to indicate this, as well as many others. I guess it would’ve dilluted the otherwise great headline.
So why? The answer is simple: our paying clients preferred that format, and this was their conference. The agenda, topics, and key questions all flowed from their input - even their desire to tackle issues privately. Importantly, unlike many public media conferences, which seek awareness and ticket sales, this was a no-charge, no-frills gathering of 100 representatives from client organizations who have invested significant time and resources in Nielsen BuzzMetrics services. This was not an event put on for bloggers, but a client user-group meeting, something thousands of companies hold in private everyday. In the end, we achieved deep and stimulating conversation, led primarily by the clients themselves, and putting their interests first was the right thing to do.
We’ll continue to seek our clients’ input in future client-only events to see if a more fully exposed, “on-the-record” forum makes sense. We want to get it right, and welcome public feedback as well. At the same time, we must honor obligations to confidentiality around client case studies, client information and client wishes…
I welcome you to read my full post as well as offer any further comment or suggestions. Thanks.
http://attentionmax.com/blog/2006/10/are_private_conversations_hist.html
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