I Pay, I Say

While user rating and comments in buying guides and directory listings may seem all sparkly new and very Web 2.0, the concept has been around for a very long time. Indeed, I was involved in a research project with a major yellow pages publisher way back in 1990 to assess whether or not to add ratings information to restaurant listings (with the idea other categories might benefit as well).

The core issue back then was the same as it is now: can objective ratings co-exist with paid advertising?

Perhaps not surprisingly, restaurateur response to ratings played out roughly as follows:

• 5 star restaurants: "great idea; let's do it"
• 4 star restaurants: "intriguing idea"
• 3 star restaurants: "as long as you don't charge extra for it"
• 2 star restaurants: "are you crazy?"
• 1 star restaurants: "Your Pepsi is $2; pay on the way out."

The problem is a fundamental one: advertisers don't want to pay to tell the world ambivalent or negative information about themselves. It's why restaurants don't post negative reviews in their windows.

We tried clever variations. What if we only printed positive reviews? Advertisers shot this down quickly as well. If only good reviews were printed, then those restaurants without reviews must be bad. The ditty "if it's pay to play, then I decide what to say" pretty well sums up the long-standing dynamic.

That's why I was so surprised to see a truly unusual new approach to this age-old coming from user review site Yelp.com. According to the New York Times, while Yelp won't censor or remove negative comments its users make about its advertisers, Yelp allows advertisers to sort positive listings about their business first. The thinking, of course, is that user reviews are much like search results pages: nobody gets past the first few.

Has Yelp artfully cracked the advertising-reviews conundrum? At first I believed they had. Then I started thinking that this was just a cute ploy that advertisers would quickly see through. Then I thought that allowing advertisers to game the system was a little slippery. Finally, my view shifted again: isn't Yelp making a cynical statement about its own value proposition: if nobody is really reading all the reviews it posts, what's the point? Where's the value?

Having thought about this until my head hurt, I thought I'd toss this back to my readers. Breakthrough or not?

Labels: yelp.com

Reed Construction Data Launches SmartBIM Solutions

Reed Construction Data (RCD) last week launched SmartBIM solutions for the architecture, engineering and construction markets. The solution suite will include SmartBIM Library, SmartBIM Objects and RSMeans Quick Cost Estimator.

The company expects SmartBIM will help it improve the customer experience of its Autodesk Revit by providing an object-organization solution (in SmartBIM Library), parametric BIM objects (with SmartBIM Objects) and improved ability to value a project (using RSMeans Quick Cost Estimator).

SmartBIM Library is actually a companion product to Autodesk Revit that enables design firms to more efficiently organize, manage and locate BIM content. Users can generate libraries from data and objects and drag and drop those objects directly into Revit models. SmartBIM objects will also be able to directly link to RSMeans data.

RCD has also introduced SmartBIM Objects for Building Product Manufacturers (BPMs). Having RSMeans Quick Cost Estimator within Revit will enable users to calculate the estimated value of a project specific to its location. RCD plans to integrate RSMeans data into all SmartBIM applications.

RCD continuously launches solutions that integrate into the workflow of its customers, and this new product suite is no different. These SmartBIM solutions are designed to make users more efficient in their day-to-day responsibilities.

At the same time, RCD is able to add increased value by integrating RSMeans Quick Cost Estimator with the SmartBIM solutions, creating a more robust product offering for customers.

With each new launch, RCD comes closer to becoming a one-stop-shop for its customers; a source that will guide these customers through their projects, from start to finish.

ZoomInfo Spins Off Bizo Advertising Unit

ZoomInfo is back in the news this month. This week, the business information company announced that it has spun off its bizographic advertising business unit into a new company called Bizo Inc.

Bizo is an advertising targeting platform based on people's business demographics. The idea for the unit was first announced by ZoomInfo in October 2007, and it already has partnership agreements with several advertisers and publishers. ZoomInfo expects that Bizo will help business-to-business marketers reach the most appropriate business audience in the online environment.

Bizo will leverage ZoomInfo's knowledge of business people and companies, enabling marketers to deliver targeted online ads to business people based on a variety of criteria, including combinations of title, company, industry, functional area, company size, education and location. The platform will officially launch later this year with more than 20 million "targetable" business users in the network.

This seems like a natural next step for ZoomInfo, which--in a relatively short time--has made a name for itself in the business information space. With such a wealth of information, the company is certainly positioned to become a reliable source for online marketers as well. Marketers, of course, recognize the value of targeted marketing, but being able to drill down a target list to criteria such as title and company size isn't the easiest or fastest task. Reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time is crucial. If the Bizo platform can deliver as promised, and deliver valuable ROI to marketers, this product will be a real winner. The fact that it has already engaged advertisers and publishers (even before the actual launch) is promising.

AIRS, ZoomInfo Partner to Better Serve Recruiter Customers

AIRS, a recruitment training, technology and outsourcing provider, and business information provider ZoomInfo last week announced a partnership to deliver joint recruiter customers a solution to help them source candidates for employment opportunities.

Customers who already use AIRS SourcePoint recruiting platform will be able to seamlessly search and access ZoomInfo profiles of more than 40 million professionals and 4 million companies directly through SourcePoint. At the same time, ZoomInfo PowerSearch users will be able to access AIRS training, designed to improved their sourcing results.

The alliance will kick off with all SourcePoint customers receiving a temporary free trial of ZoomInfo Power Search. Joint SourcePoint and ZoomInfo customers can use the integrated system immediately for free.

This alliance makes perfect sense for both AIRS and ZoomInfo as they target the same customer base. Together, the two companies will be able to provide an even more powerful tool for their recruiter customers.

It also happens at a perfect time, when the war for talent is so strong, and there is increased pressure on (and opportunity for) recruiters to find the best candidates for their clients. Any tools that can help recruiters more quickly and effectively locate the top talent in the marketplace will most likely be welcomed by current and potential users.

From Wisdom of One to Wisdom of Crowds

If you're not already familiar with Gerson Lehrman Group, it's worth a look. Its financial success is impressive, and the underlying concept is simple but brilliant.

Gerson Lehrman describes itself succinctly as "the world's leading marketplace for expertise." Consultants and other subject matter experts provide details on their specialized knowledge to Gerson Lehrman, which markets this knowledge base at handsome rates to investors, financial analysts, private equity firms.

Of course, a Wall Street firm seeking to make a huge investment in a company or industry could go find a top consultant in that industry itself. Where Gerson Lehrman adds value is by making the search for that expert easier, plus simplifying the business relationship. Gerson Lehrman clients can arrange to talk to experts quickly, and even buy just one or two hour chunks of their time. In short, Gerson Lehrman sells expert "brain dumps" to people who want to get up to speed quickly in a particular area, or want to make sure they've left no stone unturned in their research. Gerson Lehrman has built a huge database of expert contacts, and facilitates paid knowledge exchanges between these experts and its clients.

Now, Gerson Lehrman is opening a new chapter in its evolution via a partnership with iGuard.org, a Web-based community where patients can share feedback about the medications they are taking.

At first glance, this appears to be a jarring departure. On second glance, the synergy is glaringly evident. In addition to providing access to expert knowledge, Gerson Lehrman is now providing access to a bropad base of experiential knowledge. This will allow pharmaceutical companies, healthcare investors, managed care companies, anyone with a stake in the pharmaceutical industry, can tap into a wealth of real-time field research on specific drugs. Are people taking XYZ drug suddenly reporting a widespread and unanticipated reaction to the drug? What's it worth to a hedge fund, for example, to get early knowledge that ABC Pharma may have a looming problem on its hands with its XYZ drug? That's just one possible application of this new partnership. And Gerson Lehrman is charting a smart evolutionary path by trying to be the leading organizer of all wisdom ... regardless of source.

Labels: gerson lehrman group, iguard, org