MediaPost, Knowledge Networks Form Partnership to Define the 'Faces of Social Media'

NEW YORK, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The growth of social media use in the U.S. population is unquestionable, yet its marketing consequences have yet to be systematically evaluated. To fill this void, Knowledge Networks and MediaPost Communications Inc. have formed a partnership that delivers a consumer-centric view of social media involvement and its effect on purchase decisions for 30 product categories. The syndicated product, The Faces of Social Media(SM), will give CMOs the specific marketing consequences of social media use for each of five social media user segments -- from Evangelists to Active Users to Passive Users.  Parallels will be drawn from category-specific comparisons with non-users of social media to address the true incremental effect of social media (SM).

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Charter subscribers to the service, which includes biannual trends, are being solicited now.

With this seminal information, for the first time marketers will know:

To ground the social media/category comparisons, overall media consumption for each social media segment will accompany the above data.  A Social Media Influence Score will be developed as a guidepost for marketers to use in their decision making.

"Joining our expertise with MediaPost's, we are helping CMOs and brand managers decide to what degree they should play in social media and how best to target specific audiences," said Simon Kooyman, CEO of Knowledge Networks.  "We are painting a more sophisticated picture of social media's influence, showing where and how category consideration and SM level of influence intersect."

"While there is a sea of data about social media, little of it speaks to the needs of marketers who are trying to make specific plans for their categories and brands," said Chuck Martin, Director of MediaPost's Center for Media Research.  "We are pleased to be working with KN to deliver accurate data that goes beyond audience sizing to define effects of social media on consumer attitudes.  The result should be smarter, more efficient use of social media to nourish specific categories, and even brands."

The syndicated service also covers:

• Use of the major SM platforms, as well as social media features on non-SM sites
• General use of SM for purchasing and media decisions
• Frequency of passive and active SM use, as well as active SM use related to categories (posting, writing, uploading)
• Trust in SM information about categories
• Influence of friends versus non-friends on attitudes

This first release of The Faces of Social Media report, planned for April 2010, is based on interviews with roughly 2,000 members of KN's KnowledgePanel®, the only online panel based on a representative sample of the full U.S. population. The measurement will be updated twice a year, with data available for subscribers via user-friendly query software.

About MediaPost

MediaPost Communications is an integrated publishing and content company whose mission is to provide a complete array of resources for media, marketing and advertising professionals. Since 1996, Mediapost.com has been the largest and most influential site on the Internet for media executives, providing news, blogs and directories to help its community of more than 100,000 members better plan and buy both traditional and online advertising. MediaPost's Center for Media Research provides a dependable source of research material.

About Knowledge Networks

Knowledge Networks specializes in solving complex, high-impact problems, providing extraordinary quality and service to leaders in business, government and academia. We work closely with clients to create healthy consumer-brand connections, effective marketing and advertising, sound public policies, and accurate social science research. We have established respected practices in media, marketing, advertising, and government & academic studies. KN excels in study design, analytics, and custom panel creation; we deliver affordable, statistically valid online research through KnowledgePanel® – the only available probability selected, nationally representative Internet panel. For more information go to www.knowledgenetworks.com

SOURCE Knowledge Networks