(PRLEAP.COM) BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – Feb. 24, 2006 – Results from the New Media Summit ‘06, the annual event that identifies the most powerful forces driving business communications, were released today at the Venture Capital in the Rockies Conference. This year’s panel of experts included Brad Feld of Mobius Venture Capital, Howard Kaushansky of Umbria, Doyle Albee of Metzger Associates, GoGaGa.com founder Joe Pezillo, and was moderated by Boulder Daily Camera Business Editor Matt Branaugh. Based on audience feedback, the panel determined the following top-ten trends:

1. Buyers have more information than sellers

Ten years ago, comparison-shopping meant driving all over town. Today, a buyer can get bids from around the world in minutes. Understand this, and your business may survive the new revolution: Web 2.0.

2. Customers will pull what they want before purchasing

…and often reject what sellers push on them. The same is true for consumers of information – they will find what they want and reject what they don’t.

3. Blogs are important because buyers want discourse

Instant feedback loops mean perception and rumors really are reality. Brand loyalty can shift quickly. Companies that converse honestly with their customers have a clear advantage.

4. Objective journalism is dying – long-live the citizen journalist

Consumer-generated “social media” has gone mainstream. Old-guard media are having problems. Who should you believe? Customers now check many sources – and it’s easier to access hundreds than it used to be to access one.

5. Electronic discussion is the new public relations

Customers swim in oceans of information, looking for islands of knowledge. Reporters are moving from “gatekeepers” to “discussion leaders,” and certain blogs are gaining followings that rival media subscription rates.

6. Things like Google News Alerts are the trade magazines of the future

…and possibly the newspaper, TV and radio stations of the future. Buyers are no longer limited to the publications that come to their door or the channels on their cable system. People are looking for – and finding – what they want, when they want and how they want. Get on the bus.

7. RSS is the new news, information and entertainment distribution channel for Generation @

The individual can control the mushroom cloud of information and opt-in to what’s relevant to them. People will no longer settle for “what’s on.” It’s all on, all the time. The only thing worse than people talking about you is people not talking about you.

8. Search engine optimization is the new advertising

Mainstream media buyers are shifting their budgets. And further refinements are coming. Pay-per-click? How about media companies getting a commission on sales?

9. Adoption rates are faster than ever, in history’s biggest market

Pay attention to things like podcasting, as many buyers want to listen to information about companies and products before they buy. These technologies are not fads, and are being adopted much faster than, for instance, the Walkman.

10. Change is happening faster than anyone can keep up

You don’t have to be a techie for this stuff to impact your business, and you don’t have to be a techie to take advantage. Understand how these new tools can help you market your company.

The New Media Summit is hosted annually by Boulder-based strategic communications firm Metzger Associates, a pioneer in the use of new media from the first web sites and e-conferences to blogs and podcasts. For more information, visit www.metzger.com.


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