Marketing technologies – what's the buzz
Chuck Kapelke
Bruce C. Ertmann doesn't work in disguise, hide behind bushes, or carry high-tech spy gadgets. But he can tell you what consumers are saying about Toyota with just a few clicks of his mouse. As the corporate manager for consumer generated media of Torrance, Calif.–based Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., his job is to observe – and respond to – consumers' comments about the brand as they spring up on blogs, podcasts, discussion groups, and other online media.
With the help of Nielsen BuzzMetrics, a New York–based firm specializing in word-of-mouth (WOM)...