Using sociology, social networks theories, social psychology, this paper is an update on worldwide data and trends around the social web. Using first-hand original case studies, the authors attempt to demonstrate valid and reliable foundations for social web research. Rigorous listening research lies 'beyond the buzz'.
With the advent of the social web (also known as web 2.0) as a new way of communicating ideas, market researchers are faced with a new social space that requires relevant methods to apprehend its segments, analyse opinions and identify trends. As the social web becomes increasingly prominent, the question of its social structure and, consequently, of its segments, has become of the utmost importance. This presentation addresses three issues with respect to the social web as a research field: What is the interest of this field compared to other fields? How is the social web structured and how can it be segmented? How should opinions be analysed?
Has the monopoly of traditional population segmentation criteria and sampling methods come to an end? Can demographics (employment, age, sex, ethnicity, etc) or behavioural (consumption and cultural habits) criteria be replaced by new "community membership" criteria? Has the "one voice - one vote" principle long lived for market and opinion research? Guilhem Fouetillou and Anthony Hamelle of linkfluence, a social web research institute, will offer creative and sometimes iconoclast perspectives on these issues. Basing themselves on social graph theories, they will share their insight on the importance of links, how they reveal the existence of true opinion communities, how they help single out opinion leaders and what this all means for the research industry.