Palio Launches Social Media Monitoring Tool

Source: Press Release

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, JULY 27, 2009—Palio, an inVentiv Health (NASDAQ: VTIV) company, launches a new tool to monitor social media for clients’ brands. Developed by Palio’s Research and Analytics team, Susurro [soo-sur-oh] is a social media-monitoring tool that provides a comprehensive understanding of online discussions surrounding clients’ brands. It focuses on consumer or patient online discussions of brands and competitors.

“When contemplating the need for this tool, we asked our clients a few questions: ‘Are you monitoring social media about your product?’ ‘Do you know what patients and physicians are saying about your product online?’ ‘Do you know where these discussions are taking place?’ ‘Do you know how patients and physicians react online to recent news about your product?’” said Carl Turner, vice president, research and analytics director at Palio. “Typically, the answer we heard was ‘No.’ We found that most clients need to know more of what is happening with their brand in social media. Basically, we found they are missing the rich information being shared about their product.”

Palio’s Research and Analytic team recognizes that the Internet is unfiltered. Conversations take place and information is shared without any control. “We want our clients to have a better awareness of how their brand is being discussed, so we developed Susurro,” said Turner. Susurro discovers and analyzes online product discussion across social media sources, including blogs, discussion boards/forums, pictures, videos and other user-generated content.

“Anyone can dig up information on the Internet and report on the number of references. It’s interpreting what is being said within the context of the brand that is important,” said Turner. Susurro provides an in-depth understanding of marketing messages and brand positions within the context of the brand. It is a market research tool that provides a qualitative and quantitative study of online discussion around a brand.

“Through this tool, we can provide clients with a qualitative analysis of relevant social media – a deep-content analysis of discovered media with excerpts and examples; natural reactions to events surrounding a product; underlying attitudes about a brand, medication or treatment; insights into the real lives of target patients; and a detailed qualitative breakdown of discussions by topic,” said Turner.

Susurro also captures misinformation shared about clients’ brands. “We also know that by using Susurro we can help predict and follow trends and market events.” For more information on how Susurro can help your brand, contact Carl Turner at 518.226.4120 or cturner@palio.com.

Palio is a full-spectrum advertising and communications agency headquartered in Saratoga Springs, NY, that excels in brand creation that changes the way people think with execution that will Never be forgotten.SM For more information on Palio, visit http://www.palio.com/.

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About inVentiv Health inVentiv Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTIV) is an insights-driven global healthcare leader that provides dynamic solutions to deliver customer and patient success. inVentiv delivers its customized clinical, sales, marketing, and communications solutions through its four core business segments: inVentiv Clinical, inVentiv Communications, inVentiv Commercial, and inVentiv Patient Outcomes. inVentiv Health’s client roster is composed of more than 350 leading pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences, and healthcare payor companies, including all top 20 global pharmaceutical manufacturers. For more information, visit http://www.inventivhealth.com/.