Great post by WJS that gives us insights into what people are saying about brands and brand experiences online. Some highlights:

IBM and a handful of other major marketers, including casino operator Harrah's Entertainment and software giant Microsoft, are experimenting with developing ad campaigns based in part on what consumers are chatting about on the Web.

For decades, advertisers have relied heavily on sometimes-dated consumer surveys and focus groups to provide grist for their ads. Now, some are using new technologies to scan the Web for key words to find out what consumers are—and aren't—saying about their brands.

Then, they are incorporating those findings into their more-conventional research.

IBM discovered through online videos that potential customers tended to care less about its technologies themselves than what those technologies could do for them.

Last year, Harrah's Web sites and online ads began to reflect lessons it learned from consumer reviews on travel site TripAdvisor.com. It also started scanning reviews and comments on social-media sites like Twitter and Facebook to better understand consumers' perception of its casinos, hotels and spas.