While the Internet increasingly provides healthcare organizations an eager audience of Web surfers anxious to learn about the latest medical treatments and services, it has
also been the source of growing trepidation for marketers who struggle to protect corporate brands on this anything-goes medium. Online monitoring services can help marketers
develop a first line of defense against lingering misinformation and other threats to a company's online image.
If you're in the market for these services, an online market analysis recently ranked WebClipping.com a top choice. Electronic Media Communications, an online market research
firm, compared four leading online monitoring companies, including Webclipping.com, Cyberclipping.com, Netcurrent.com and eWatch.com. It used nine criteria to determine the most
accurate, comprehensive and cost-effective provider. The analysis found that WebClipping.com monitors the most online publications at 15,474, followed by Cyberclipping.com at
3,607, Netcurrent.com at 2,433 and eWatch.com at 2,300. WebClipping.com also monitors 63,000 usenet groups and 35,000 email discussion groups.
In terms of costs, WebClipping.com was considered the most affordable ($100/per client set-up fee and $100 monthly fee per search phrase). Competitor fees started at $300 per
search phrase.
Last week, HPRMN caught up with Noah Silverman, Webclipping.com's president, to discuss how Internet clipping services can help marketers preserve corporate reputations
online.
HPRMN: Why use an online tracking service, particularly if you're reasonably confident that your online reputation isn't being threatened?
NS: There are several reasons. Chiefly:
- more and more people are surfing every day;
- increasingly, journalists are using the Internet to both research and publish their work. A recent online study found that 80% of journalists rely on online
research; and
- chat rooms are often where [corporate rumors] are [first] circulated. Companies can target these discussions to set the record straight while also expanding their
customer service [presence].
HPRMN: From a crisis communications standpoint, ferreting out rumors and responding to them is critical to managing a company's online reputation. How do you help your
clients attack misinformation? NS: By providing daily reports so they can decide where and when to act. If a crisis hits within message boards, we tell them what's
being said and tell them where to go. We also track online publications and search engines. The client receives an email summary that offers a brief synopsis of what's being said
about them.
HPRMN: How do you help clients get targeted research results and avoid information overload?
NS: We recommend clients provide specific phrases that allow for the most effective filtering. General concepts like "lung cancer" are never advised. Instead, we recommend that
companies provide specifics about their product or brand. For instance, "nicorette and women" is a good example because it includes the brand and a key subdivision. Another good
example would be the name of a pharmaceutical company and clinical trials.
HPRMN: Marketing naysayers could make a valid argument that the Internet is too much of a wild, wild west to effectively track a corporate reputation, with new Web sites
springing up daily and multiple chat sessions germinating throughout the day. Why should an organization invest in an online tracking service given the Web's untamed
content?
NS: Because the Internet shapes public opinion in much the same way traditional media does. Online PR, marketing and customer service are critical to establishing and
maintaining the reputation of a quality product or brand. Beyond the need to manage your reputation online, an online tracking service also helps you determine what's being said
about your competitors. This information is invaluable when launching a new product or service.
Noah Silverman can be reached at 212/965-1900 or [email protected].