Selling with Content: About Alethea Research:

Josh Gordon is the principle of Alethea Research. When Gordon was interviewed by Silicon Valley insider, Susan Bratton, on DishyMix, he said research is more than just a way to measure markets, but a way to find deeper truths within those markets. The name Alethea (pronounced ah-lee-thea) comes from the Greek word for truth. Here are some recent studies:

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"Revenue Generating Radio Technologies: A Progress Report"

Sponsored by Wheatstone Corporation

With every radio station searching for ways to replace declining ad revenue, it is not the most advanced or “coolest” technologies that will succeed, but the ones that support the winning business models.
This study asked the people implementing these technologies — the tech people — how their progress is going. The study was covered in almost every trade publication, website, and blog in the radio industry, and got people thinking.

Two page write up in Radio World

A list of other write ups.

Download the study from the Wheatstone website.

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What is Your Recession Sales Strategy?"

Sponsored by Oracle, published by The Customer Collective

This study documented the surprising lack of recession marketing strategy being

used in business nationwide, then showed how this could be seen as an opportunity.

Soon after its release this white paper/research study became the #1 downloaded financial management white paper on ZDNets's worldwide network of websites for almost three months. Findings from the study were reported on most major business publication websites including Forbes, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, Inc., Fast Company, Sales and Marketing Management, Internet Week, Information Age,Sales Manag

ement 2.0, and Smart Biz.

In April 2009 the Customer Collective was approached by Kraft Foods asking for permission to use the study for the sales training of their sales directors in 64 countries.
Then again, starting in March of 2010 this white paper again rose to be #1 download on ZDNet's worldwide network, this time pulling ahead of almost 200 recently released white papers, and holding the top position for another 3 months.

Download the study off the Oracle website

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"The Coming Change in Social media Business Applications"

Sponsored by Neustar, published by Social Media Today

This study was the first to measure a coming shift in how companies will use social media. The greats of social media were interviewed for this project including; Brain Solis, Shel Holtz, Dan Schnabel, and Ari Herzog.The study has been translated into Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese and replicated locally for comparison in South Africa.

Neustar was impressed enough with the study that they sponsored a major online ad campaign including advertising on LinkedIn, Facebook, the Lucid and Federated media networks, and ads on the Smart Brief, IT Tool Box, and LifeHacker.com websites.

Download the study for free off the Social Media Today website

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Revenue Generating Public Radio Technologies: A Progress Report

Sponsored by Wheatstone, for the Association of Public Radio Engineers (APRE).

At a time when NPR revenues were being strained, this study measured the potential of new technologies such as streaming and HD radio held for NPR stations. This study was created as a service to APRE, the association of NPR engineers, and first presented at the associations annual conference on April 8, 2011.

Download the study off the Wheatstone website

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"The Case for Advertising in Interactive Digital Magazines"

The Case for Advertising in Interacitve Digital Magazines

Sponsored by VIVmag and Nxtbook Media

This study first documented the core reason marketers advertise in the next generation of interactive digital magazines. Arriving in the publishing industry just as the Apple iPad was launched, the study helped to establish interactive digital magazines as an emerging media.The study gained positive consideration for digital magazines in the skeptical trade press, was cited by eMarketer ten times, covered significantly by the blogging community, and influenced how interactive digital magazines will be audited.

Download the study for free off the Vivmag website

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"At the Tipping Point: Social Media in the Multi‐Family Industry"

Sponsored by NCI

This study helped NCI, the largest real estate publishing company in the US, launch, Digital Sherpa, an innovative social media program which provides social media content and services for housing complexes throughout the United States. NCI CEO, Dan McCarthy, cited the study as he launched the program and the study was a prominent part of the press coverage and sales effort that followed.

Today, the DigitalSherpa line of marketing services products provides social media marketing solutions to more than 1500 small and medium-sized businesses.

Read about how the program launched on NCI's blog.

Read how the study lead the press coverage by that launched the study

Download the study for free off the NCI website.