Business POV

“Buzz” — a multimedia system that tracks blog content — started as an art installation. But computer scientists Kristian Hammond and Sara Owsley at the InfoLab think it could easily apply to the world of the marketing, too. Exhibit A: the emotionally resonant anecdotes it's found for Juicy Fruit and Altoid's.

Part II — The Mash-up Newscast — ran October 17.

The focus of the InfoLab, according to the website, is on the theory and practice of information systems designed for the actual skills and limitations of human users. Students and faculty focus on the raw materials that make up the Web, as well as on the point of view they express. Buzz is a good example. The program goes beyond tracking mere references to brands to find provocative stories about the roles they play in a people’s lives.

Buzz's inventors shown in the segment:

Kristian J Hammond
Co-Director
Intelligent Information Laboratory
Department of Computer Science
Northwestern University

Sara H Owsley
Intelligent Information Laboratory
Department of Computer Science
Northwestern University