Archive for February, 2008

Drug dealing online

It’s no secret that the British are royally PO-ed about their ailing public health system. Understaffed and underfunded, hospitals are unable to respond to demand. Media accuses clinical beds of breeding superbugs. Patients criticise doctors for hit and run diagnoses that fail to satisfy. Treatments are increasingly compared online as being inconsistent and worse, ineffective.

Not surprisingly, political Buzz has turned to public health. How to create and condition a more healthy, happy population? Politicians do the usual teetering between sympathising with and “constructively criticising” their health care constituents. But really, it’s the Buzz online that is connecting the health care consumer.

Parents trade local treatment regimens and the different Brand names of generic antibiotics. Patients compare doctors and prescriptions. (We may not be that far from a rate-a-doc, like the rate-a-prof created by US university students). Patients of chronic conditions are given the de facto status of experts in experience online, and they dispense support and advice with more speed (and more consideration, according to their networks) than the educated, expensive experts that haven’t got the time to listen.

What the patients say, why they say it, and to whom promises to radically alter the business of medicine. Pharmaceuticals, health officials, and local and national health care policies are all being actively reviewed online. Already, patients can order medication from online pharmacies in different countries. What they buy, where they buy it, and what they think about both choices makes for an interesting study already underway at Attentio.

Buzztrend

Anders has set up buzztrend.eu that looks at mainly political buzz arising from blogs and forums. Its a nice site especially as he is using our data. Some good stuff there on the US elections and how EU commissioners compare. He’ll also be following the US elections through 2008 and next Spanish vote.

Speaking of the economy

The dollar is circling the drain and dragging a whole lot of not-so-innocent bystanders down with it. The blog-o-sphere is buzzing about who or what killed the economy? Was it Bernanke’s slow reaction that wrought the recession? Have Keynes’ followers failed us? Have jobs been out-sourced, or have machines out-manned our workforce?

One of Attentio’s neater tricks includes keyword-fishing, accompanied by overanxious Attentio analysts (many investors, such as myself). Our computer trawls through related blogs and picks out the lastest culprits in our economic debacle. I found this week’s chart grimly amusing. Our recent dip was “much anticipated”. The “slowdowns” are picking up–even Macy’s Department Store laid off over 2000 workers. The current US President, never one who had to worry about money, is encouraging those in constant dismay over personal finances to buy buy buy (wholesale). Presidential candidates are pushing Lord Keynes’ theories on the government (spend spend spend…on defence?).

Rapper Kanye West is perhaps the best substitute for the bemused Benanke. West’s hit “The Good Life” reminds us all that “Having money isn’t everything but not having it is.”

Superstar sightings

All professional bloggers know that there is money to be made in creating controversial content that people flock to read. But what about forums? Attentio just finished up a project in which it tracked a few popular posters (with their consent, of course–this is Europe). These posters initiated discussions, wove in and out of threads, and increased the traffic to some of their favourite links.

If athletes earn commission on the number of times they showcase a Brand name or product, why not let expert consumers introduce or promote a purchase? Rather than hiring the all-to-obvious fake poster to “create Buzz”, find a poster that attracts Buzz. These posters are legion, and each has his or her own niche of expertise and attendent acolytes and followers.

Approach her, the way one might a popular blogger, and discuss product samples. These posters are professionals about their topics. They can assess a product objectively, and most have already built a reputation online doing just that. Merchandisers or marketers need only supply the access and incentive for the popular poster to explore and evaluate their product.

Blunt celebrity endorsements are on their way out, according to market experts. Ads are dividing between the subtle suggestion and the frank discussion. Forums are famous millions of frank discussions dissecting everything from eye liner to the rims on Audi models. Pick a winning poster and the next market-moving discussion could involve your product.