Award To Recognise Business Uses Of Social Technologies

Forrester Research has announced the Groundswell Awards to honour excellence in key business uses of social technologies. The inaugural global awards will be announced at Forrester’s Consumer Forum in Chicago, October 11-12, 2007.

“It’s time somebody recognised that social technologies — blogs, wikis, communities, widgets, and all the rest — aren’t just toys or conversation pieces: They’re also effective business tools,” said Josh Bernoff, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. “We will concentrate on business effectiveness and value — not just the prettiest blog or the most active wiki — to choose the winners.”

“Forrester’s research shows that nearly half of all consumers use social technologies at least monthly,” said Charlene Li, Forrester vice president and principal analyst. “But businesses often see social technologies as a threat. Instead, we urge companies to focus on the five main goals for using social technologies to interact with their customers: listening, speaking, energising their most enthusiastic backers, providing support, and embracing their customers’ best ideas. Forrester also recognises two additional goals: managing, or using these technologies to empower employees, and social impact, where social technologies improve society.”

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These seven goals are also the seven categories in which the Groundswell Awards will be judged.