Carat Interactive Embraces Blogs

Carat Interactive said it is tapping into the burgeoning blog phenomenon by launching a new practice focused on blog media and monitoring.

"We see it as the fastest growing area of the Internet," said John Cate, vice president and national media director at Carat Interactive. "We're interested in it, our clients are interested in it. We see it as a great opportunity for two-way communication between our clients and their consumers."

The new practice will focus on three areas: blog advertising, blog creation, and blog monitoring. Operationally, it will fit into the media planning and buying group at Carat, which works with the creative and content group. Rather than having a dedicated team to handle blogging, Carat will share best practices throughout its offices and account managers in those offices will be responsible for building blogging initiatives.

"I see clients who are in inherently high-interest categories finding value here," said Cate. "I think Pfizer is an example. I also know there's real opportunity for automotive, so our Hyundai and Kia accounts may show interest."

While several other players, mostly in the PR arena, have created blog-specific practices, Carat may be the first media buying agency to do so. The company says it believes blogs will play an increasingly important role in establishing dialogue between brands and their customers.

Already Carat Interactive has worked with clients on blog-related projects. It worked with Kodak on the Kodak EasyShare Gallery (formerly Ofoto) and with PalmOne to advertise on gadget blogs.