CHICAGO and CINCINNATI (April 4, 2005) -- A newly published white paper on blogs from Edelman, the world's largest independent public relations firm, and Intelliseek, a marketing intelligence firm and provider of one of the Internet's leading blog portals, explores the importance of the blogging phenomenon for public relations and marketers and provides a first-of-its-kind directory of influential bloggers, segmented by industry.

Trust MEdia: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard, available for download at both the Intelliseek and Edelman Web sites, strengthens Edelman's foundation in blog practices and reflects both firms' deepening experience in blog analysis and consulting.

"We've entered the era of mass personalization where people expect far greater participation in their favorite brands and companies.  For companies, bloggers represent an immediate source of information and feedback, but also an opportunity to engage a rapidly expanding global network of influential, credible, passionate and involved group of real people who communicate constantly," said Pam Talbot, President & CEO, Edelman U.S.  "The white paper is to help companies better understand how to engage bloggers through authentic dialogue in ways that are appropriate and respectful."

Edelman was the first major PR firm to launch a corporate blog with CEO Richard Edelman (Six AM), and Intelliseek routinely includes blog data in its word-of-mouth analyses for corporate clients and brands.

The white paper's blog directory (available only to Edelman clients) ranks and profiles top bloggers who cover six key industries: marketing and public relations, business, consumer packaged goods, consumer technology, health care, and public affairs. The paper also provides basic information and experienced advice on blogger behavior, blogger engagement, legitimate public relations uses of blogs, and a blog lexicon. Intelliseek's BlogPulse portal contributed to the metrics and guidelines used to determine inclusion, ranking and influence for the blog directory.

Edelman and Intelliseek will promote the white paper through a series of webinars, presentations and engagements to interested parties and clients across the country.

Blogs, easily created Web sites by authors who publish unsolicited news and opinion, have emerged as one of the newest sources of content on the Internet. So-called "consumer-generated media" fuels Edelman's Word of Mouth Marketing division and Intelliseek's marketing intelligence solutions.

"Consumers are increasingly turning to other consumers for trusted information, and the blogging phenomenon is the perfect example of this shift," said Pete Blackshaw, Intelliseek's CMO and co-founder of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, which held its Word of Mouth Summit March 29-30 in Chicago. "Public relations and marketing professionals need to understand the impact of blogging and other forms of consumer-to-consumer discussion on their profession and practices."

Trust MEdia, geared to the public relations, marketing and communications communities, also provides examples of recent corporate and marketing blogs, and offers tips for professionals interested in getting involved in the blogosphere. The paper emphasizes the importance of transparency by any PR/marketing firm that engages in blogging.

"Blogging is not a fad, and it's not going away," said Rick Murray, general manager, Edelman Diversified Services. "There's a right way and a wrong way to think about and approach the blogosphere, and public relations professionals who get it wrong will get burned -- it's that simple."

Added David Weinberger, author of the JoHo Blog and co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto: "The Edelman/Intelliseek white paper does an especially good job explaining blogging as not just another opportunity to spout one's 'message' but as a way of entering into genuine conversation with and among one's customers."

For information about the white paper or word-of-mouth marketing, contact Edelman at 312-240-2822 or Intelliseek at 513-618-6700.

About Edelman
Edelman is the world's largest independent public relations firm with 1,800 employees in 39 offices worldwide. In 2003, the Holmes Group named Edelman "Agency of the Year," and PRWeek vote its work for CTI "Best Campign of the Year," the industry's most prestigious award for client programming. Edelman's network includes four specialty firms  -- Blue (advertising), First&42nd (management consulting), Strategy One (research) and BioScience Communications (medical education and publishing) -- making it possible for Edelman to offer clients a comprehensive spectrum of communications.

About Intelliseek
Intelliseek is a marketing intelligence firms that helps marketers, brands and companies turn unstructured data into insights to promote, protect and enhance brands and products. Intelliseek specializes in "consumer-generated media," the wealth of consumer opinion expressed in Internet forums, boards, and blogs, and in direct company feedback and solicited data. Intelliseek's BrandPulse solutions help speed and deepen consumer understanding, new product launches, marketing measurement and effectiveness, corporate reputation, and product quality/issuemonitoring. Its BlogPulse portal tracks and analyzes millions of blogs for key insights and trends. Intelliseek is based in Cincinnati, and its Applied Research Center is based in Pittsburgh.

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