PR Newswire today announced the launch of Tbutton News Meter™, a custom survey offering qualitative feedback on corporate news and Tbutton Consumer Features™, an e-commerce application that provides instant consumer commerce opportunities.

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"The introduction of these two services marks what we feel is a new age for those engaged in the publicity and promotion business," said John M. Williams, executive vice president of global markets for PR Newswire. "When the Internet opened the corporate communications door to the public in the mid-1990s, it gave millions of people immediate access to information that generally was reserved for the news media and professional investors. But now, and with the Tbutton Service ™, it is possible for everyday people to not only read the story but take an immediate action on it," he added.

"We believe in a fairly straight forward premise, that the news release is created by professional people for one basic reason -- to sell something. We further believe that what they're selling falls into one of three categories, product, stock or image," Williams said.

"We reasoned that if millions of consumers were being given access to company news and information, it would follow that those consumers should be given an opportunity to act on what they were reading. And that means buying or, at the very least, getting more information," he added.

Tbutton News Meter™ is a product that enables companies to interact with key audiences by acquiring real-time feedback on new products and services, corporate image and reputation, and shareholder opinions from at least 100 individuals. Through PRN Direct, PR Newswire's password-protected extranet, clients can create a custom survey addressing specific topics and interests pertaining to their news release. The feedback is instantaneous and available 24 hours a day on PRN Direct. Companies can track responses over time to understand important shifts among their key audiences or to measure marketplace attitudes at a specific point in time.

PR Newswire has partnered with InsightExpress, a leading professional online market research company, to create and deliver custom Tbutton News Meter™ surveys for PR Newswire's clients. Additionally, InsightExpress provides survey participants, delivering at least 100 responses for each Tbutton News Meter survey.

"We are delighted to leverage our market research expertise and patented technology to power this innovative news service," said Lee Smith, president and Chief Operating Officer of InsightExpress. "The Tbutton News Meter™ service provides truly invaluable insights into marketplace opinions as events unfold in real-time," said Smith.

On a more consumer-related level, PR Newswire has also launched Tbutton Consumer Features™, an interactive application that allows a company to sell its products directly from a general product news or feature news release. All a reader has to do is click on a "special offer" button that is embedded in the news release and the commerce application will appear directly over the story. One never leaves the site and the news story is always there for reference.

"We took our time developing this first series of products," Williams said. "We tested a survey application for over a year and by October of last year we were ready to begin beta testing each of these new versions. The results gave us the go ahead and hopefully, our customers and prospects will see the value in the vision that says a news release can be far more than a piece of one way communication. It can work for you. It can help you sell."

About PR Newswire Association LLC

PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com/) provides electronic distribution, targeting and measurement services on behalf of some 40,000 customers worldwide who seek to reach the news media, the investment community and the general public with their up to the minute, full-text news developments. Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in fourteen countries and routinely sends its customers' news to outlets in 135 countries in 27 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters and investors as well as increasing numbers of private individuals. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.

About United Business Media Plc

United Business Media plc (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/) is a leading provider of business-to-business media solutions. Its products and services help companies around the world to meet their market information needs. UBM's businesses include NOP World, one of the largest market research groups globally; PR Newswire, the world's leading corporate news distribution service and CMP, the B2B media and exhibition group operating in focused markets sectors such as hi-tech, healthcare, property, entertainment, jewelry & fashion in the US, UK, Asia and Europe.

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SOURCE: PR Newswire Association LLC