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Derek Creevey 212-819-4834 derek.creevey@edelman.com

Edelman Launches BlogLevel and TweetLevel Tools for Navigating Influence

July 14, 2011 (New York) Edelman, the worlds leading PR firm, today launched BlogLevel and version 2.0 of TweetLevel, free tools that allow communicators to identify who is influential on a particular topic, on a designated platform. TweetLevel finds the influentials on Twitter, and BlogLevel does the same in the blogosphere. The new tools build on the original TweetLevel which MTV used to select its first Twitter Jockey, dubbed one of the top Twitter moments of 2010. Both tools offer practical intelligence for companies and brands, using a proprietary algorithm that uses forty different metrics to track and score bloggers and tweeters in any language and country according to their influence. People who rank highest are those who create original ideas that are amplified by others, and those who engage most meaningfully with their followers. Think of these tools as a GPS for navigating influence on any topic, said Nancy Ruscheinski, chief innovation officer, Edelman. Knowing which bloggers and tweeters are influential and understanding who influences the influentials helps us plan and measure effective campaigns and offer better, realtime intelligence to our clients. Ruscheinski adds that although the tools were primarily developed for internal use, the algorithm and tools are being made widely available because the broader application for communicators is clear, and the firm welcomes a crowdsourced approach to the tools evolution over time. Already, BlogLevel and TweetLevel have been beta-tested by more than 400 people (including university professors, industry analysts, marketing professionals, journalists and brand marketers), who have used the tools to track: the most relevant and influential users on various topics the amount of buzz and noise around a specific area the dialogues people are having and the links theyre sharing what any given tweeter or blogger is discussing, influencing and being influenced by

250 Hudson Street New York New York 10013 Tel +1 212 768 0550 Fax +1 212 704 0117 www.edelman.com A Daniel J Edelman Company

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Jonny Bentwood, director and head of influencer engagement, Edelman UK, led the development of both tools and explains how the tools differ from others designed to track influence: Most of the other tools that are out there focus exclusively on Twitter and Facebook profiles and ignore other online activities like blogging. With BlogLevel and TweetLevel, we can consider influence more holistically. For example, its clear that blogs are more influential when their content is search-optimized and discussed in social media channels like Twitter, so those are metrics weve built into BlogLevel. BlogLevel and TweetLevel, and the underlying algorithm, are different from existing influence tools in several other ways: Distinct metrics for idea starters vs. amplifiers: BlogLevel and TweetLevel distinguish between people who are idea starters the people who originate ideas or are first to surface news and the amplifiers who spread other peoples ideas. Both are influential, but BlogLevel and TweetLevel recognize and emphasize their influence differently. BlogLevel algorithm considers the discussions on other social media platforms and search optimization: Unlike other blog ranking tools, BlogLevel ranks importance by how much a post is discussed on Twitter and how optimized the blogs content is for search. Broadcast to engagement ratio: TweetLevel places higher rankings on people who engage in conversation and post relevant content as opposed to those who simply post their views. TweetLevel analyzes every tweet to help communicators match their brands and issues with the right people, increasing the efficiency and relevance of influencer outreach and engagement efforts.

For more information about BlogLevel and TweetLevel, click here for FAQs and here for instructional slides. ### About Edelman Edelman is the worlds largest independent public relations firm, with wholly owned offices in 54 cities and 4,000 employees worldwide. Edelman was named Advertising Ages top-ranked PR firm of the decade and one of its 2010 A-List Agencies and 2010 Best Places to Work; PRWeeks 2011 Large PR Agency of the Year; European Excellence Awards 2010 Agency of the Year; Holmes Reports Agency of the Decade and 2009 Asia Pacific Consultancy of the Year; and among Glassdoors top five 2011 Best Places to Work. Edelman owns specialty firms Blue (advertising), StrategyOne (research), Ruth (integrated marketing), DJE Science (medical education/publishing and science communications), and MATTER (sports, sponsorship, and entertainment). Visit www.edelman.com for more information.

250 Hudson Street New York New York 10013 Tel +1 212 768 0550 Fax +1 212 704 0117 www.edelman.com A Daniel J Edelman Company