Against the Current

In the last 72 hours, I have received a stream of invitations to connect to people on Plaxo Pulse, Plaxo's new initiative to transform itself into the flavor of the month: a social networking company. I dutifully responded to all these requests, partly out of curiosity and partly out of courtesy. I am now duly connected, awaiting all the benefits that will presumably accrue to me.

This stream of Plaxo connection requests came on the stream of Facebook connection requests. I dutifully responded to those as well, and continue to await all the benefits that will presumably accrue to me.

I should also note that I continue to get an ongoing stream of requests to connect on Linked-In, to which I also dutifully respond, and continue to await all the benefits that will presumably accrue to me.

And as I continue to wait, we stand poised for a major announcement from Google that it is partnering with Linked-In, Plaxo and others to create an open standard programming interface that will let third party developers leverage their platforms in all sorts of creative ways. This collaboration among seeming competitors is aimed directly at Facebook, which is growing too quickly for their comfort.

I continue to be impressed every time Plaxo alerts me to someone's changing job or contact details, which it then automatically updates on my computer. I have found that Linked-In can provide powerful insights by letting me see "who knows who." Facebook? Explain to me again why I should spend time there.

I truly hope that anyone reading this who's contemplating leaping into the social networking waters will remember that social networking has the word "social" in it for a reason. Layering glorified chat rooms on top of otherwise solid business data and applications can destroy rather than create value. A top Plaxo executive actually envisions Plaxo Pulse becoming part of a "life stream," presumably implying that social networking will become integral to one's existence. That may be true in certain segments of the consumer market. But in the business and professional world, if you dive into this "life stream," you'll likely be swimming against the current.

Labels: FaceBook, google, Linked-In, plaxo

Zillow Increasing Its Profile

Real estate web site Zillow.com has officially launched the Zillow Listing Feed program with a partnership with ERA Franchise Systems LLC. The new program, which will go live before the end of the year, will make ERA property listings available on Zillow.com.

Zillow Listings Feeds enables real estate brokerages to post for-sale listings directly to the site in a bulk feed, giving them another venue in which to be seen by prospective buyers. Individual agents will have the opportunity to enhance the listings by creating free profile pages with photos, contact information and details about the agents.

As part of this alliance, ERA property listings currently on the ERA web site will be dynamically uploaded to Zillow. Customers will be able to link back from those property listings to ERA.com in order to connect with agents.

Zillow's profile in the real estate market continues to grow. It doesn't yet have the name recognition of others in this market, but it's getting there. Aligning itself with long-established brands like ERA will certainly help Zillow build its brand and its credibility in the marketplace.

As the real estate market continues to struggle, such solutions like the Zillow Listings Feed program, will most likely gain in popularity as brokers seek innovative ways in which to sell properties. It probably won't take long for other prominent real estate companies to recognize the potential value of this service. Look for Zillow to form alliances with several others in the near future.

Mansueto Digital Launches Online Community/Database

Mansueto Digital, the online division of Inc. and Fast Company magazines last week announced the launch of IncBizNet (http://www.incbiznet.com/), an online business networking community and user-generated company database created specifically for private organizations. Mansueto has designed IncBizNet to become a directory of U.S.-based private businesses and it will rely on the listed companies to add and update their information.

To motivate these businesses to participate, IncBizNet is offering a collection of free tools, such as a press release newswire, company blogging software, local community groups for entrepreneurs and a directory that will enable the businesses to market their products and services.

The network already contains information from companies included in this year's Inc. 5,000. Mansueto's goal is to have one million participating companies. Those companies can create detailed profiles of their businesses, with marketing materials, press releases, blogs and videos--all in a multi-media directory. IncBizNet and members will also be able to create moderated groups based on industry, location or topic. There are also opportunities for advertisers--they can create sponsored groups to engage private companies in discussions that will help meet their marketing needs.

Mansueto also noted that IncBizNet will help Mansueto's editorial efforts by helping its journalists uncover new companies to feature within its properties (magazines, websites and events).

This new venture is a cross between social networking sites (like LinkedIn) and user-generated directory sites (such as Spoke Software's business database), effectively bringing the virtues of Web 2.0 technology together. It's certainly an interesting idea to bring two of the most popular functions on the web today together in a new program. Mansueto notes how its journalists will benefit from this resource. But, of course, the success of such a model is entirely dependent on user participation. These businesses must be willing to share and it's not a guarantee that they will do just that. As long as Mansueto can demonstrate the value of IncBizNet to businesses, it will have a fighting chance.

D&B UK Launches Anti-Money Laundering Report

D&B UK last month launched its Anti-Money Laundering Report, a one-stop shop for UK businesses who need to sign off on new AML legal requirements that go into effect on Dec. 15. The new D&B AML Report, which is available online 24/7, focuses entirely on providing customers need to know in order to comply with the new legislation.

The Money Laundering Regulations 2007 was created to help combat money laundering. Companies will be required by law to assess the risk posed by the companies they do business with and take measures to verify the identity of those companies and their beneficial owners.

The report contains: basic entity ID, sanctions lists check, stock exchange ticker files check, regulators lists check, director and beneficial owners, basic financials and corporate structure. Data for the report is from a variety of sources, such as global financial regulators, stock exchanges and global sanctions lists as well as D&B databases and country risk assessments.

D&B's target audience for the report includes credit and financial institutions, auditors, insolvency practitioners, external accountants and tax advisors, independent legal professionals, trust and company service providers and estate agents.

According to a press release announcing the launch, D&B worked with major global financial institutions to create the report to meet their specific needs related to the new legislation. Smart move: customers know exactly what they want and need from information service providers. By listening to them, you’re practically guaranteed to create a winning offering. The fact is, it's sometimes very difficult to understand exactly how customers use your product. Let them guide you; they will undoubtedly chart a successful course for your products and your company overall.

D&B also deserves credit for the timeliness of this launch. Getting the report in place online nearly two months before the legislation is effective was vital. This gives customers the opportunity to learn more about it and how it works before they actually need to utilize it. In addition, this is a perfect example of an information provider responding to a market's ever-changing data needs--which is especially key in the financial arena.

Kelley Blue Book, Carfax Integrate Services

Kelley Blue Book, which provides new- and used-vehicle information, announced this week that it has integrated Carfax vehicle history reports into its KARPOWER Online pricing, management and marketing solution. The integration of Carfax services into KARPOWER Online yields a more seamless solution for dealerships by enabling users to obtain used-vehicle history information without leaving the KARPOWER program.

Within KARPOWER Online, dealers can set up and access their Carfax account directly through KARPOWER Online. Dealers can have a Carfax report generated automatically through the KARPOWER Online system and they can view the entire report within KARPOWER.

Dealers can also now use the Kelley Blue Book and Carfax brands to market their used vehicles through a co-branded window sticker program. Highlights from the Carfax report are printed (in bullet points) on the sticker. In addition to the co-branded sticker, dealers can print a Carfax addendum sticker from KARPOWER Online to place next to a dealer's own sticker. According to the company, the most popular feature is the ability for users to customize and print Kelley Blue Book-branded window sticker and buyer's guides for either individual vehicles or a dealer's entire used car inventory.

KARPOWER Online offers dealer management system (DMS) polling, automated web export capabilities and other tools to help dealerships value, manage and market their used-vehicle inventories. KARPOWER Online also has access to 21 years of regionally adjusted Kelley Blue Book Retail, Wholesale and Trade-In Values and it offers a built-in VIN decoder in which dealers can input--instead of keying in information--to assess a vehicle.

Having two of the most well-known marketing brands in the automotive industry working together is certainly a good thing for their dealer customers and themselves. Separately, both Kelley Blue Book and Carfax have very strong brands that are recognized by dealers and consumer alike. But together, that brand name is further strengthened--and that will most likely help dealers sell more vehicles (at least that's what it's supposed to do).

But no program is worthwhile if it's not being used. By integrating the two into KARPOWER Online, both companies have increased the chances that dealers will use the system. These days, customers don't want to have to jump from one system to another. They want to have quick, seamless access to the products and services they need; if you make customers take too many steps to find what they're looking for, they'll find someone else who makes navigation easier. This should certainly become a winning proposition for both companies.