Acknowledgments

In an emerging field like listening, there's no company, library, or database one can turn to, perform a search, and retrieve a ton of relevant results to review and write up. It takes detective work, finding people who know something, sniffing for clues, chasing leads, and, sometimes, nabbing one's quarry. This is an impossible task to do alone, and I was blessed to have the interest, support, and guidance of true leaders in listening.

Heartfelt thanks go to these individuals who sat for interviews, provided cases, contributed essays, set me off in the right direction, or reviewed drafts: Amanda Bird, David Berkowitz, and Sarah Hofstetter, 360i; Simon McDermott, Attentio; John Kearon, Brainjuicer; Jay Fischer, Calibre Consulting; Bob Woodard and Monica Corbett, Campbell Soup; Mike Hess and Michelle Lynn, Carat; Stan Sthanunathan, Coca-Cola; Don Springer and Marc Silberstrom, Collective Intellect; Joe Plummer, Columbia University; Manila Austin, Communispace; Rob Key and Chris Boudreaux, Converseon; Annie Pettit, Conversition; Bobby Thomas, Corner41; Dagny Scott, Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Laurent Florés, crmmetrix; Michalis Michael, DigitalMR; Steve Rubel, Edelman; Artie Bulgrin and Julie Propper, ESPN; David Geddes, Evolve24; Courtney Keating, GE Capital Credit; Eric Soloff and Greg Artzt, General Sentiment; Thomas Malkin, GeeYee; Michael Kassab and John Wittenbraker, GfK; Jenni Chapman and Michael Cooperman, Harris Interactive; Marcelo Padilla, Guy & Gallard; John Zogby, IBOPE Zogby; Carl Marci, Innerscope; Steven Van Belleghem and Annelies Verheage, InSites Consulting; Jennifer Zinn, J.D. Power and Associates; Richard Fielding, Kantar; Ed Keller, Keller Fay Group; Frank Cotignola and Paul Banas, Kraft; Jeff Catlin, Lexalytics; Britta Ware, Meredith Corporation; R. Scott Evans, Microsoft; Howard Moskowitz, MJI; David Rabjohns and Tom O'Brien, MotiveQuest; Linda Sonne-Harrison and Lisa Joy Rosner, Netbase; Brian Johnson and Daniel Neely, Networked Insights; Jonathan Carson and David Wiesenfeld, Nielsen; Pete Blackshaw and Dave Hudson, NM Incite; Katja Bressette, James Forr, Olson Zaltman Associates; Ethan Titelman, Penn Schoen & Berland; Jeff Rosenblum, Questus; Dannie Flanagan, Red Sky; Steve August, Revelation; Renee Murphy, Seek; Jason Harty, Snack Factory; Larry Friedman, TNS; Rishad Tobaccowala, VivaKi; Sarah Tunney, Westport Public Library; Yoram (Jerry) Wind, Wharton School; Geoffrey Precourt and Douglas West, World Advertising Research Center; Robert V. Kozinets, York University.

Special appreciation goes to Brendan Lawley and Antonia Miranda, ARF Knowledge Solutions interns, from the summer and fall of 2010, respectively. Both worked tirelessly on the project, tracking things down, finding and closing gaps, summarizing, and contributing their valuable perspectives, all the while staying on an even keel and maintaining their excellent senses of humor. Both of these able assistants built on the work completed by Chris Philp, intern from the summer of 2009.

Thanks also to my ARF colleagues: President Bob Barocci, Chief Research Officer Todd Powers, and Chief Financial Officer Felix Yang lent their executive support and made it possible for me to dedicate the time necessary. Jill Peled and Mi hui Pak of the ARF Knowledge Center provided valuable research and reference assistance. Catherine Gardner, Managing Editor of Journal of Advertising Research, offered many suggestions that improved the manuscript. Gwen LaFantasie and Leslie Hutchings of Member Services helped secure and schedule interviews. Kelly McSorley of the Events team, and Simone Moyle of Marketing, put on four important and successful Industry Leader Forums on listening. Bill Cook, Norman Cordova, Chris Ducharme, Michael Heitner, Kathryn Herrera, Heather James, Erin Jansen, David Marans, Ted McConnell, Erica Palmisano, Sheila Seles, Jeremiah Tucker, and Zena Pagan all offered suggestions, kind words, and encouragement, which were invaluable.

The team at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., that guided me throughout writing and production: Richard Narramore, Lydia Dimitriadis, Christine Moore, Peter Knox, Janice Borzendowski, and Susan Moran.

Lastly, I am grateful for the support of my family, Monica, Ethan, Renee, Laury, Wayne, Jodi, Michael and Sol, who were always there for me.