“This growth suggests a wholesale change in the way the Internet is used,” said Jon Gibs, vice president, media and agency insights, Nielsen’s online division. “While video and text content remain central to the Web experience – the desire of online consumers to connect, communicate and share is increasingly driving the medium’s growth.”

Among those taking note of this trend: advertisers.  Estimated online advertising spending on the top social network and blogging sites increased 119 percent, from approximately $49 million in August 2008 to approximately $108 million in August 2009 – all despite a recession. Share of estimated spend on these sites has doubled, from 7 percent of online ad spend in 2008 to 15 percent in 2009.

Year-over-Year Percent Change in Online Ad Spend by Industry (U.S., August 2009)

*Estimated spend on social networking sites is based off of data for the top ad-supported member community sites ranked by unique visitors in August 2009
Read the full press release.

A scouring of blogs and message boards across Australia found that Aussies were surprised how much they enjoyed New Zealand, particularly its scenery and adventure activities.  And despite a few gripes about insects and gentle mocking of Kiwis’ “eccents,” Australians have taken to New Zealand with gusto.

“This goes to show that despite the traditional ribbing of New Zealand by Australians, they’re coming around to what we have to offer as a destination.  We seem to be winning in the all-important category of word-of-mouth advertising,” said Tony Boyte, research director for Nielsen’s New Zealand online division.

Queenstown was by far the most talked-about tourist destination among Australian bloggers, followed by Milford Sound and Fiordland.  Skiing and snowboarding were the most popular activities in terms of blogs and message boards, followed by surfing and windsurfing, hiking, visiting wineries and bungee jumping.

Just as the offline conversation about health care reform is growing in the U.S., we are watching the online discussion grow and evolve as well. In the past month, health care reform discussions have increased by more than 1,000 percent, outpacing the online talk surrounding Swine Flu and the government’s “Cash for Clunkers” program.

President Obama is keenly aware of the important role that bloggers play in sharing information about health care reform. On July 20, the President called for bloggers to help drum up support for his health care bill, causing another jump in online conversation in the days that followed. The White House has also been using Twitter to get the message out to the public. Of the 24 tweets that have been sent out in the last two weeks, 14 have been about health care reform.

Online discussion about health care reform – like offline discussion – is highly polarized. YouTube chronicles of recent protests at various public town hall meetings (which have been at the top of the list for most-cited videos in the last week), may have created an assumption that most citizens are strongly against the reform. However, in the past week there has been a slightly larger Web presence of those in support of reform, although the split is fairly narrow and is similar to other national polls on the topic. The bottom line is that the conversation is growing on both sides of the debate, as the following chart shows.

Much of the conversation centers around sharing the latest information on the health care reform debate, with both sides adding their own spin and attempting to debunk myths and misconceptions. The discussion is also highly charged, with some bloggers engaging in one-on-one arguments that degenerate to insults and name-calling. Some of these conversations are taking a very ugly turn, as we have seen them do in person as well.

While the health care reform conversation is taking place continues to grow in online political blogs and forums, it does not represent a significant share of conversations occurring on health care sites. Although patients may have the most at stake in health care reform, the conversations about this reform tend to be more political in nature and are less prominent in health forums and communities.

As the debate rages, consumers are increasingly turning to the official White House Web site to understand the key issues. In the last month, unique visitors to the health care pages of Whitehouse.gov have increased 390 percent, from 41,000 unique visitors in June 2009 to 201,000 in July. The administration has also established a site specifically dedicated to debunking the health care reform myths, www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck.

Where do you stand?

With a focus on information and irreverence, Mediaweek has launched MediaFreakBlog.com, joining sister sites Adfreak and Brandfreak. Jim Cooper, Executive Editor, AdweekMedia and editor of Mediafreak explains the strategy behind Nielsen’s most recent blog offering.

What’s the goal of Mediafreak?
Jim Cooper: Mediaweek’s mantra has always been cover the content and follow the dollars, and Mediafreak will operate under the same mission-just in blog form. Our staff writers and freelance contributors will bring their deep institutional knowledge to bear to deliver an insightful, informative and entertaining counterpart to Mediaweek and Mediaweek.com.

Who is the audience? Is it broader than Mediaweek?
JC: Mediafreak is designed to appeal to a wide ranging audience of media professionals as well as a consumer and enthusiast audience interested in all things television, publishing and digital media.

How does it differ from the other blogs, Adfreak and Brandfreak?
JC: Mediafreak will solely cover the ad-support media business and, with our writers expertise and personalities, will be both distinct from and complimentary to its sister blogs.

Are you going to break news or is it largely to riff on the news?
JC: We will break news on Mediaweek.com and use Mediafreak as place where that news can be looked at through the prisms of context, insight, humor, outrage and a dash of snark — but we don’t want it to be gratuitously nasty in tone. We hope the blog will diversify our coverage of the media industry.

Brandfreak has an obsession with the brand Snuggies, what are some likely targets in Mediafreak articles?
JC: Well, we’ll always keep an eye on the general ad marketplace throughout the year, but issues like the future of media measurement and transition from traditional media to digital will always be broad themes behind our filings. The uncertain future of magazines, local broadcasting and newspapers will be ripe fruit for us to pluck as well. But the media industry is a vast waterfront to cover and fodder for Mediafreak will range from riffs on TV Land’s reality series The Cougar to insight on Supreme Court rulings. We’ll try to get freaky with it all.

Visit: Meadifreakblog.com

Jessica Hogue, Research Director, Nielsen Online

SUMMARY: As any mother will tell you, there is a big difference between hearing and listening. Today’s Power Mom does it all—the house, the kids, the job, the bills, the shopping—and the Internet has become a tremendous enabler, bringing new meaning to multi-tasking. While the ability to connect with moms is easier than ever before with the advent of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and a growing number of “mom blogs”, are marketers really listening to her value systems? It’s time to move beyond “messaging” to “listening”.

Marketers have made great strides in recent years to better understand and connect with moms. But in trying to perfect the message, many have forgotten to listen to the very consumer they are trying to woo. According to M2Moms®, 60% of Moms feel that marketers are ignoring their needs, and 73% feel that advertisers don’t really understand what it’s like to be a Mom. Last year’s Motrin Moms kerfuffle, in which women on Twitter and YouTube reacted to an ad offending baby-toting moms, raised the antennae of marketing managers everywhere and underscored the importance of not just reaching moms but understanding their value systems.

Initiatives like Walmart’s “elevenmoms” (a partnership through which the retail giant and a collection of mom bloggers are building a well-timed money saving community) demonstrate how marketers are taking steps forward to engage moms—particularly mom bloggers—and to develop mechanisms to absorb their input. Not all marketers have to go to such lengths to understand today’s Power Moms, but much can be gained from expanding perceived notions about this important and highly-influential demographic.

An influential force
While marketers today have a so many opportunities to connect with mom at various inflection points during her life (having a first or second baby, child entering school, return to work), the challenge is sensing her distinct needs and responding in a way that truly resonates. This forces marketers to redraw the vision of mom in our head.

As CEOs of their households, Power Moms wield more influence than ever before: moms control 85% of household spending, and are worth more than $2 trillion to U.S. brands, as reported by the Marketing to Moms Coalition. Most moms work. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 1965, about 45% of women with children (under 18) were employed; by 2000, over 78% were. Whether they work out of the home, telecommute, or run a business from the home, media technology and the Internet have become a true enabler.

Linked in
Nielsen reports that Moms between the ages of 25–54 who have at least one child under the age of 18 within the home represent roughly 19% of the total online population. And they are not passive observers online. Rather, Power Moms leverage their megaphones to influence online purchase decisions. Considering the expansion in ecommerce for foods, beauty and household products—which is projected to grow to $12 billion in 2011—effectively reaching moms has real bottom-line implication.

Power Moms leverage digital applications to stay organized, connect with their families, friends and mom networks (think Facebook and micro-blog platforms like Twitter, as well as mushrooming networks like MomBloggersClub.com and TwitterMoms.com), and to get things done, like paying the bills, ordering groceries, downloading coupons and hunting for ideas for the next family vacation. And lest you envision moms tapping away at their computers, know that Power Moms are also mobile enthusiasts who are 35% more likely to use text messaging/SMS on the go.

But even online, not all moms are created equal. According to M2Moms, African American mothers are more likely to read articles online (68%) and listen to music (45%), whereas Caucasian mothers are likely to frequent social networks (45%) and message boards (43%). Web 2.0 is also relevant for Latinas: blogs were the top choice among Hispanic Moms (55%) followed by social networks (42%).

Prophetic profiles
Understanding the Power Mom’s online behavior affords a more holistic awareness about her passions and interests and also enables precision in online targeting for optimizing media plans. For example, established moms aged 40–50 who have three or more children in the home are heavy online shoppers, over-indexing on sites like Shopzilla, Target and Walmart compared with the average online consumer. On these sites, Power Moms are likely to be receptive to advertising deals and promotions. They also stay connected on email and are beginning to dabble in social networks, primarily Facebook.

Mothers aged 25–35 with at least one child at home are also heavy online shoppers, but the role of social networking is much more prominent. In addition to email, they are 85% more likely to spend time with Facebook compared to the average online consumer. While Power Moms aged 39–54 are only 23% more likely to post comments on social networks, marketers would be foolish to slight the value in this cohort. According to Facebook Insight, women aged 40–50 in the home are the fastest growing demographic on Facebook.

For younger moms, the Blogger’s Blog publishing site allows her to share the latest family pictures as well as articulate her views. Mom Bloggers are an increasingly critical subset of Power Moms, which are giving rise to networks like MomBloggersClub.com and TwitterMoms.com. Epitomizing the social value of communities like TwitterMoms.com, during the season premiere of the much-anticipated series “In the Motherhood,” women participated in a Twitter Party to express their opinions about the show. Now a digital trail of tweets (messages of 140 characters or less posted on Twitter) capturing real-time reaction lives on in cyberspace.

Power Moms are also increasingly engaged with video, whether co-viewing kid-focused programming like Noggin and PBS Kids, or even sites like NewBaby.com where moms upload video content on a variety of topics.

Is anyone really listening?
One of the more fundamental shifts that marketers might pursue is to overhaul their worldview of marketing to moms. It’s a nuanced point, but it is time to move away from developing “messaging” to integrating “listening”. Listening to online discussion acts as an ultra sensitive weathervane to hear the unexpected, the unprompted and to observe entirely new ways in which brands, categories and unmet needs may be expressed.

The Nielsen association map below captures a point in time (January through March 2009) in which mom bloggers were describing their value systems through thousands of online conversations. Expected themes of personal values touching on morality, integrity and ethics emerge, and topical conversations pertaining to the new Obama administration and the economy are revealed. Listening also provides a mechanism for mining the subtext; in this case the association map also reveals the relationship of aspirational goals related to parenting, love, responsibilities to work and the community, as well as the environment, and the very attainment of these pursuits.

These values are the fodder that hundreds of mom blogs wrestle with in an attempt to be heard, to connect and in some cases to influence change, all while providing marketers with a panoramic and unfiltered window into precisely what it’s like to be a mom today. While reaching Power Moms may require more finesse than in years past, the opportunities to observe, engage and develop a truly holistic perspective of these women are there for willing marketers.

Recently, several online automotive enthusiast blogs have taken unique opportunities to directly engage with their audiences via live, combined chats, integrating commonly utilized platforms such as Twitter.com and the blogs themselves. This type of direct engagement shows the continually evolving potential for such enthusiast channels to form new “touch points” and influence online consumers in new ways.

On February 18, 2009, editors of the blogs Autoblog.com, Jalopnik.com, and KickingTires.com joined up for a live chat with online automotive enthusiasts to facilitate discussion and field questions regarding the viability plans of GM and Chrysler. Via their Web sites and Twitter, editors John Neff (Autoblog), Ray Wert (Jalopnik) and Dave Thomas (KickingTires), actively engaged audiences in conversation regarding this very hot topic. Again on March 18, 2009, the trio of site editors took a similar approach, but this time invited Jon Lauckner, GM’s Vice President of Global Program Management. This gave enthusiasts and consumers the chance to communicate with an industry executive responsible for a controversial and highly anticipated product – the Chevrolet Volt.

For the social media managers and marketers, as well as traditional print media, this level of direct engagement between non-traditional information sources and audiences raises significant questions regarding the power of influential blogs as a new currency for information and opinion dissemination.

- As enthusiasts and consumers gain exposure to these types of live chats with influential editors of major blogs, how can brands – automakers in this case – leverage social media effectively to equip these influencers with the right information at the right time? What type and degree of engagement is appropriate, if any?

- Does evolving communication between influential bloggers and online enthusiasts act as a harbinger for decreased influence of traditional media venues in the automotive industry? Will the opinions of traditional media editors, such as magazines, lose significance?

Consider too, that in the past year, Autoblog.com has consistently seen Web site traffic above that of MotorTrend.com, the Web site incarnation of the widely circulated monthly publication of the same name.

Over the course of the twelve month period Autoblog.com traffic trends slightly upward, due in part to strongly received coverage of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January. As measured by unique audience, MotorTrend.com does not show similar strength as an online information disseminator, even during the Auto Show.

Source: Nielsen NetView, U.S., Home & Work

In any case, there are growing indications that what used to be more niche information venues are now making new efforts and potentially gaining traction among consumers and enthusiasts online. For social media marketers and managers, the question becomes how to understand and leverage opportunities with these influencers. For online versions of traditional print magazines, the question may be how best to compete.

More and more researchers are waking up to the reality that mining the growing volume of conversations on blogs, message boards and social networking sites (i. e., “listening” to consumers) can provide timely, penetrating insights on a wide range of issues and brands.

A series of parallel studies we conducted with Procter & Gamble demonstrates that both surveys and listening are often required to tell the whole story. We looked at a number of brands and products: everything from orange juice, to razor blades, to the infomercial hit, the Snuggie.

While surveys provide a sense of size or magnitude but are not ideal for capturing passion or intensity. That’s where listening comes in. Both magnitude and intensity are essential to capturing the “energy” associated with consumer beliefs. Perhaps the most significant finding of our investigations is that when it comes to deciding the best course of action to pursue in the marketplace, understanding intensity can be just as important as understanding magnitude.

One real-world case in which “listening” to consumers informed a course correction for Tropicana, was when they redesigned their Pure Premium packaging. After tracking intense commentary on the web, the brand went back to its original iconic look.

“What we didn’t get was the passion this very loyal small group of consumer have,” noted Neil Campbell, President, Tropicana North America. “That was something that came out in the research.”

Asking is More Left Brain… Listening is More Right Brain

Another brand that employed listening was Snuggie, the blanket/robe hybrid that became a viral web sensation, spawning tributes, You Tube parodies, and enough buzz to land it on the “Today Show.” “We were definitely in on the joke,” noted Scott Boilen, CEO of AllStar Marketing, the firm behind the ads. “Do we expect a family to wear these to a football game? No.”

Tracking Snuggie conversations online and employing Nielsen Online’s Brand Association Map (BAM), the results show responses and associations with the brand that are more “right brain,” allowing for more emotional, immediate and contextual understanding when compared with the survey responses.

“Although this older segment has joined Member Communities en masse in 2008, most have only a toe in the Social Media water,” notes Chuck Schilling, Nielsen Online. “Younger adults are still more committed to the Web 2.0 dynamic and have moved beyond the entry-level Social Network experience.”

Adults with multiple social networking profiles are approximately 2.5 times more likely than average to be in the 18-20 age group and to be students. As social media fans, they are nearly three times more likely than average to publish or own a blog, and more than twice as likely to visit online dating sites and other blogs. Technology is an important part of their lives, as they are more than twice as likely to set up an RSS feed or listen to MP3’s or streaming music on their cell phones.