Using digital media to monitor and forecast a firm's public image

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the notions of “Public Image Monitoring and Forecasting” done using media available in digital formats, such as blogs, discussion groups, and news articles, referred to in the aggregate as “digital scuttlebutt.” This chapter analyzes the purposes behind development of such a system and the different kinds of information that such a system would draw from. The chapter also investigates construction and extensions of a public image monitoring system designed to troll through various digital media to better understand a firm's public image.