Pete Blackshaw Pens Social Media Tome

Pete Blackshaw, my former colleague at Intelliseek/BuzzMetrics/Nielsen, has a book in the offing (available July 2008). Pete has always been able to peek ahead beyond most of the pack in terms of the social media power shift as it relates to brand control and product perceptions (having founded PlanetFeedback ahead of its time).

When I was working in this space, one of the frustrating issues relating to our ability to claim successes had always been the willingness of large customers to become reference clients (something I experienced at the previous startup I worked for). From the blurb, it appears that Pete has worked on this considerably and a number of cases will be discussed:

In today’s Internet-driven world, customers have more power than ever. Through what interactive marketing expert Pete Blackshaw calls "consumer-generated media"—blogs, social networking pages, message boards, product review sites—even a single disgruntled customer can broadcast his complaints to an audience of millions. Blackshaw shows managers, marketers, and business leaders how to establish and maintain credibility for their brand by being authentic, listening and responding to customers, and forming relationships built on openness, transparency, and trust.

Filled with stories based on his experience working with Fortune 500 brands such as Toyota, Dell, Nike, Sony, General Motors, Unilever, Nestlé, Southwest Airlines, and Bank of America, Blackshaw offers a clear strategy to sustain a competitive advantage by creating enduring, loyal relationships with today’s consumer.

Having worked on a number of these engagements, it is going to be interesting to see them presented with in-depth case studies. Congratulations to Pete and good luck with the book. Can I persuade you to come out to Seattle for ICWSM?