Greg Verdino reports that the Nielsen BuzzMetrics Consumer Generated Media Summit is a no blog zone:
“Off The Record: the CGM Summit is off the record, so please no blogging, reporting, recording or broadcasting.”
If this was television, it would deserve a laugh track. Good grief.
on Oct 29th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Max Kalehoff here from Nielsen BuzzMetrics. Our event was a private, client-only user-group event. Unfortunately, most of the discussion about our request for attendees not to blog missed this important fact. As you note, Steve Rubel failed to indicate this, as well as many others. I guess it would’ve dilluted the otherwise great headline.
So why? The answer is simple: our paying clients preferred that format, and this was their conference. The agenda, topics, and key questions all flowed from their input – even their desire to tackle issues privately. Importantly, unlike many public media conferences, which seek awareness and ticket sales, this was a no-charge, no-frills gathering of 100 representatives from client organizations who have invested significant time and resources in Nielsen BuzzMetrics services. This was not an event put on for bloggers, but a client user-group meeting, something thousands of companies hold in private everyday. In the end, we achieved deep and stimulating conversation, led primarily by the clients themselves, and putting their interests first was the right thing to do.
We’ll continue to seek our clients’ input in future client-only events to see if a more fully exposed, “on-the-record” forum makes sense. We want to get it right, and welcome public feedback as well. At the same time, we must honor obligations to confidentiality around client case studies, client information and client wishes…
I welcome you to read my full post as well as offer any further comment or suggestions. Thanks.
http://attentionmax.com/blog/2006/10/are_private_conversations_hist.html
on Oct 30th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Max, your wording is revealing. You say it “was not an event put on for bloggers, but a client user-group meeting…” Why the distinction? Bloggers are not just people commenting on things they’re not involved with — in this case, some of the clients might well have been bloggers themselves.