The rise of public discussions in the digital sphere is a steadily increasing phenomenon. Weblog-writers are the key drivers of this development. Companies begin to utilize the investigative power of these multiplyers: market and consumer insights are drawn out of these networks. The digital arena is becoming a trend laboratory and opinion market place as well as a field for competitive strategies. The innovative Social Network Analysis-method is able to identify relevant patterns and weak signals in these areas. Being formerly only applied within organizations, Social Network Analysis can therefore generate very valuable information out of the World Wide Web.
