Sam Flemming

China's New Obsession with Blogs and How Companies Can Benefit

But the real story here is not just blogs...it is ALL consumer generated media, including blogs, BBS, audio and video. If you include all of these, esp. BBS, then you will see there is a lot of talk about companies. For example, based on our data collection, we estimate that there are 4 million BBS messages a month about the automobile industry alone.

The issue is not if these sites are monetizing traffic or not--its that consumers are in control of a media that can have positive and negative effects on brands....and brands can't control it. They better be listening....

China's New Obsession with Blogs and How Companies Can Benefit

Great stuff. Some of these stats are truly impressive. Although they resonate with our experience monitoring BBS and blog conversastions in China as well as other statistics we often see quoted, I would be interested in learning more about how CMR came up some of these. Would be useful to promote the blog and BBS inteligence/research industry.

I think it is also important to understand that the real story is that these stats give basis for the existence of a Chinese net culture. As Shaun suggests, companies need to begin listening, learning and engaging consumers within this new world.