PRCA endorses Netemic's Web 2.0 monitoring tool

by Jacquie Bowser Brand Republic 16-May-08, 09:50

LONDON - The Public Relations Consultants Association is to endorse Netemic's automated online social media monitoring tool, after striking a discount deal with the software firm.

Netemic's iFeed tool, which launched last November, allows PR agencies and digital marketers to monitor Web 2.0 media, such as blogs, forums and wikis in real time.

The iFeed tool scours the sites to discover content matching companies, products and services; it then delivers the relevant results to the user.

This gives subscribing agencies a real time measure of brand awareness and consumer sentiment.

As part of the deal, the PRCA will recommend iFeed to its members, made up of over 140 PR consultancies. In return, Netemic will discount the price of the software licence to these agencies.

PRCA members will be charged £495 per month for three months for a five-licence package. This will allow the use of iFeed for five clients at a discounted price of £99 per licence (against a list price of £300 per licence).

Members who continue with the service will be offered their first five licences at £150 each per month, or half the usual price.

Netemic said that iFeed was created in response to the explosion in social media content and its rapidly growing importance as a key channel of influence.

Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA, said: "Social media has huge implications for brands.

"At the very least companies should be monitoring what is said about them in these uncontrolled and uncensored environments to ensure they are able to anticipate potential issues.

"More proactive companies will see the ability to monitor unconstrained influencers as an opportunity to improve their products and services. iFeed makes these processes much easier."