In this session, we began by identifying web analytics, customer experience and voice of customer (VoC) as the three primary components of the overall analytic ecosystem. As one of the primary components, VoC was then divided into two very distinct categories:

• Consumer backyard, all of the touch points outside of an organization’s control, including social networks like Facebook and MySpace, blogs/forums and new digital media like Twitter and YouTube.

• Brand backyard, the direct touch points a company has with its customers, such as websites (public facing/intranets/extranets), advertising, mobile, video, Gadgets/Widgets, etc.

Krebs said the fastest and most cost-effective way to create a continuous dialogue with customers and be the first to know what is going on with your brand is to listen in the brand backyard. Employing an effective VoC strategy in the brand backyard enables customers to speak directly with companies and participate in their success, he said.

Krebs said it’s also important for companies to monitor and participate in the consumer backyard. But by the time issues and opportunities arise there, it is too late for companies to be proactive. He described how Motrin, in late 2008, launched a campaign targeted at new mothers and the body pain they felt from constantly carrying their babies. The messaging missed its mark and the online “mommy” community was incensed. Because the company did not have an effective way to listen in the brand backyard, “Motrin Moms” began Twittering and posting on YouTube.

Krebs said it’s also important to combine the various data sets collected throughout the analytic ecosystem to understand not only what is happening on your web site, but why. A panel discussion followed to provide examples of how organizations employ VoC solutions, how the data is used and actual success stories from listening in the brand backyard.

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