Core77

The NYTimes has a longish profile up on Nielsen BuzzMetrics, the who-ya-gonna-call when it comes time to understanding that darn blogoshere and its ilk.

As consumers eagerly post word-of-mouth commentary in online communities, message boards and Web logs, a straightforward question confronts brandmeisters: Who wins and who loses as time-tested practices of mass production and mass marketing are undermined by the informed and often cranky voices of the knowledge age?

A possible answer to that question can be found here, on the fourth floor of a 19th-century brick and stone building on Main Street, in the office of Nielsen BuzzMetrics.