This document discusses challenges that brands face in managing conversations at scale on the internet. It reports on research conducted through surveys, interviews, and focus groups with current customers. The research found that while most marketing budgets focus on measurable paid advertising, many respondents were looking to engage with influencers and communities to have conversations. However, respondents said they lacked the staff, workflows, and ability to measure outcomes to manage conversations effectively at large scales. The document concludes by reframing the challenge not as scaling conversations, which is difficult, but prioritizing the most important conversations.

1. Can Brands Manage The Conversation Layer At Scale? Matt Goddard CEO, R2integrated @R2iMatt @r2integrated

2. Research Approach: Survey Intercept Focus group Current customers

3. How do we define scale?

4. What do we mean by the conversation layer?

5. Awareness Decision Making Showing me things I may want What product will I actually buy Advertising Layer Conversation Layer

6. People, Places and Content Networked Communities of Interest The new battleground for decision-making behavior

7. Research showed: Lions share of budget is the things they can measure. (CPC, behavioral targeting, paid media) Focused mostly on the big 4. 36% of respondents were looking at the outer web. 25% are engaged in influencer outreach. Content objects and downloads, not conversations.

8. Respondents said: “I don’t have the staff or workflow.” “I can’t explain to mgmt what’s working.” “I’m overloaded with data.” “Need to identify key areas of importance.”

9. Respondents said: “Marketers will always have an avenue of awareness.” It’s reaching (conversing with) the targeted audience that is difficult.”

10. The Scale vs. Relevancy Problem

11. Let’s ask a different question: Can we scale? No Can we prioritize? Yes How?