Burson-Marsteller today announced the creation of B-M Business
Intelligence, a new information gathering, tracking and analysis tool
designed to help clients translate raw data into practical business
solutions. Business Intelligence offerings include opposition
research, opposition tracking, and crisis and litigation support.
Instead of merely studying media clips to determine their position
in the marketplace, companies will use B-M Business Intelligence to
take a 360-degree look at their operations, issues and business needs
to determine their precise place, opportunities and challenges in the
competitive landscape.
"Too often, research is too general or not targeted enough for a
company's needs," said Ame Wadler, Burson-Marsteller's Chief Strategic
Officer. "B-M Business Intelligence is the latest tool in our growing
commitment to developing communications solutions for clients in a way
that is completely linked to solving business problems."
B-M Business Intelligence supports clients by using cost-effective
technology and advanced information-gathering techniques to uncover
data that may be hidden or hard to find, helping companies gain a
competitive edge as they face growing challenges from competitors
across the street and around the globe.
"Clients today are tracking news reports every day, but there has
been an explosion of information, and we believe more companies need
to analyze the information out there to understand the marketplace and
compete even more strongly," said Mark J. Penn, Worldwide President &
CEO, Burson-Marsteller. "We believe this is a very strong new offering
based on our worldwide network of information gathering and analysis
resources."
The offerings include:
Opposition Research: The opposition research tool helps clients
compete in the marketplace by auditing and analyzing competitors'
positioning in areas including business and marketing practices,
executive positioning, corporate governance, corporate responsibility,
and legal stance on business issues.
Crisis and Issues Support: The crisis and issues support tool
helps clients prepare for, cope with and emerge from a variety of
potential crisis situations and other challenges by providing them
with information and intelligence throughout the life of the crisis.
B-M Business Intelligence is able to provide hourly or daily reports
to identify new issues, new perspectives, new critics and new
supporters and how they are being received by the public. This tool is
useful as companies face product recalls, public health emergencies,
litigation and legislative battles.
Opposition Tracking: Each of these tools can be supported by
tracking of opponents' statements and positions on a real-time basis
to determine the consistency of opponents' messages on key issues over
time. B-M Business Intelligence provides a regular report of key media
coverage for opponents, an overview of key developments and any change
in messaging or positioning that may occur.
About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller (www.burson-marsteller.com), established in
1953, is a leading global public relations and public affairs firm. It
provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across
a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and
web-related services. The firm's seamless worldwide network consists
of 57 wholly-owned offices and 45 affiliate offices, together
operating in 59 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is
a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDQ: WPPGY),
one of the world's leading communications services networks.