New research conducted by Blueocean Market Intelligence on behalf of Microsoft suggests that adults and children may want to be more mindful of how their digital activities impact their online reputations. Only 44% of respondents surveyed think about the long-term impact of their online activities on their personal reputation. The research was conducted among 5,000 adults and children aged 8-17 in the US, Spain, Ireland, Germany and Canada.

Cloud computing services have been around for a while; however, they have gained significant attention in the last couple of years. Cloud computing vendors who were focused only on enterprises, are now also targeting consumers. While an immense amount of research has been done around the overall cloud computing space, not much specific research exists on consumer cloud. There are a range of questions related to awareness, perceptions, usage and monetization opportunities which remain unanswered. Therefore, Blueocean is launching a comprehensive study on this consumer cloud space.

This study, based on our 360 discovery ^TM degree approach, will involve online primary research augmented by vendor interviews, in-depth consumer interviews, and social media analysis. Interviews will be conducted in three geographies (USA, Germany and India). The report is expected to be published by the first week of March 2012.

As more consumers turn to blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other online forums to share opinions and product feedback, the need for sophisticated analysis of social media conversations increases.

While other social media reporting programs typically focus on marketing and public relations analytics, Blueocean Market Intelligence taps into real-time customer conversations to guide next generation product development and identify top customer issues.

This week, Blueocean created an infographic based on recent social media buzz around the Kindle Fire, a tablet computer version of Amazon.com's Kindle e-book reader. We initially saw an uptick in conversation about the device since Amazon announced that they would be publishing an update and the New York Times published a report summarizing the problems that customers have been experiencing.

Blueocean was named one of three finalists for the prestigious 2011 EXPLOR Award. Now in its 12^th year, the EXPLOR Awards celebrate exemplary achievements in market research by recognizing the most innovative applications of technology in the field today.

Along with their client, Blueocean Market Intelligence was recognized for their case study: “Beyond Monitoring: Using Social Media Research at Every Stage of Product Development for Greater ROI,” a creative analysis of social media conversations. While other social media reporting programs typically focus on marketing and public relations analytics, Blueocean’s program taps into real-time customer conversations to guide next generation product development and identify top customer issues. The result is intelligence that is more relevant, actionable, and measurable for clients.

In August 2011, Blueocean Market Intelligence continued our investigation into why shoppers’ attitudes and habits related to Walmart haven’t improved. Our report uncovers the drivers behind the second quarter lackluster performance, key department spending trends and shoppers' overall outlook for the upcoming holiday season.

Key insights from this report include:

• How is Walmart's "Ad Match Guarantee" affecting customer attitudes about their price leadership position?
• Why are some current shoppers continuing to shift their spending to dollar stores and other retail channels?
• Are customers leaving Walmart at an accelerated rate?
• Is Walmart’s EDLP program helping them maintain their position as the low price leader?

Blueocean surveyed 1,500 Walmart shoppers in August. Consumer reported whether their shopping behavior changed in the second quarter of 2011 compared to the first quarter . Shoppers also predicted how they are likely to shop in the next six months. Survey participants, ages 18 to 75, were a representative sample of the U.S. population.

Despite positive trends in its peer group, Walmart sales in the United States are declining. According to its latest earnings report, same-store U.S. sales declined 1.1 percent in the first quarter of 2011. This is the eighth straight quarter U.S. sales have declined.

The first wave of the study, "WALMART CUSTOMERS ROLLING BACK," found customer loss, price competition and Project Impact reorganizing efforts negatively affected 2010 sales compared to 2009. The second wave "MORE ROLLBACKS: WALMART CUSTOMERS RESPOND TO CONTINUED ECONOMIC MALAISE" was conducted to discover whether changes Walmart implemented beginning in the third quarter of 2010 and slow economic recovery have impacted consumers’ shopping habits. Blueocean surveyed 1,500 Walmart shoppers in April. Customers reported whether their shopping behavior has or will change from the fourth quarter in 2010 vs. the first quarter in 2011, and the next six months vs. current. Survey participants, ages 18 to 75, were a representative sample of the U.S. population.

As the economy rebounded slowly in 2010, Walmart continued fighting sluggish sales. According to its latest earnings report, same-store sales in the United States declined 1.3 percent in the third quarter of 2010. This is the sixth straight quarter U.S. sales have declined.

Blueocean surveyed 1,800 Walmart shoppers in September to discover why sales weren’t rebounding like other retailers in its peer group. Customers reported whether their shopping behavior has or will change over three time periods: 2010 vs. 2009, 2010 holiday season vs. 2009 holiday season, and the next six months vs. current. Survey participants, ages 18 to 75, represented a sample of the U.S. population. Blueocean’s WALMART CUSTOMERS ROLLING BACK reveals why many customers are choosing to shop elsewhere and/or purchasing less and what the future may hold for Walmart sales.

Companies successfully practicing ‘Voice of the Customer 3.0’ have added social media to their research toolbox and have made listening a regular practice. While many companies have launched social media efforts, they are failing to demonstrate where it fits and how it generates positive ROI. In this report, Blueocean Market Intelligence provides a roadmap to help you build a listening framework. You will also find two concrete examples of how social media can be put into action to improve products and services and deliver measureable business impact.