Analysts Under Threat

Here's an amusing little note from Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research:

Michael Eisenberg (a VC at Benchmark) calls "bloggers of 2005-2010 are the research analysts of the 1990s." Heh... You're kidding Michael, right? No one, least of all us, would diminish the role of the blogger in the 21st Century but to call them the new research analysts is about as accurate as those that insist bloggers will replace mainstream press. Your point is valid, bloggers can help you generate buzz if you're starting out but if you think that's a replacement for data driven research and analysis, you're totally off base.

We don't know (or care) to what extent blogs will pose a threat to the likes of Jupiter Research analysts, though his suggestions that blogs are good for mere "buzz" seems a little off the mark.

The real issue, for places like Jupiter, is how much of a monopoly they can maintain on  "data driven research and analysis".  At the moment, the biggest advantages a place like Jupiter (or Gartner) has, over mere bloggers, are the barriers to entry associated with the costs of full-time employees who can collect and crunch data. 

Despite the fact that they employ "analysts", the real value-added from these firms comes from their data (e.g. marketshare info for handset shipments in q3 '05.  When you need that kind of info, it's best to find a Gartner report).  The actual insights and opinions of the individual analysts (at places like Jupiter, or even on Wall St.) is somewhat secondary. 

And as for the data collection, that's becoming easier too.  New techniques of scanning the internet to collect sales information and prices are popping up.  The idea of paying employees to call around to collect data may one day seem quaint.  Then were does that leave the Jupiters and Gartners?  Not sure exactly, but the sanguine outlook might be somewhat naive.

Comments

[Michael Eisenberg]

Stalwart -
Right on. I will have an interesting chat with gartenberg on Thursday as he is coming to see me (I guess the above explains why he asked for the meeting :) ). The data is becoming increasingly easy to get a hold of and frankly it is becoming increasingly irrelevant. So much of the future market predictions have been wrong that people like me are skeptical. Let us look at the weblog and omniture trends which measure business velocity and interact with teenagers and we can figure this out. I will post more on this today on my blog.