A whole new way to listen to consumers

Not too long ago, consumer research meant focus groups...sitting behind a one way mirror as eight consumers talked about what they love and hate about your brand. And not too long ago, word-of-mouth meant someone talking to a few friends and saying good/bad things about your brands. Blogging has changed this. Now anyone can spread their praise/complaints about your brand to a worldwide audience. And now thanks to a great little site called Technorati, consumer research means listening to those consumers as they blog about the world. I just spent an hour doing just that, typing in every possible word combination about my business. An hour later, I know that:

• A girl named MediumFrosty loves our "Mystic Rain" scent.
• An older woman is requesting samples at Beinggirl that are meant for teens.
• Consumers really do notice when we change our taglines, even just a little.
• Teens are noticing and liking our new ads for Sparkle Body Spray

Sure I might not know all the demographics associated with each of these consumers, but I don't need to. I can get a quick read on what's working without spending thousands of dollars for a formal focus groups. I've said it before, and I'll say it again....isn't technology great!