Sample screenshot of Ripple Effect

Prior to landing in Austin, Waggener Edstrom announced its mobile app Hot Spots @ SXSW, which would use Foursquare check-ins to help visitors find the most popular events. Today at SXSW, WE is introducing an updated version of this app as well as two other digital tools.

Hot Spots in Austin has added a Buzz feature to track trending topics at the conference. The app will be customized for future events. It’s available for Windows Phone 7 and iOS smartphone platforms.

WE is also highlighting Ripple Effect and a new Social Graph tool.

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[L to R: Bradley Honan, SVP, StrategyOne; Suresh Vittal, VP and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research; Greg Radner, Global Head of PR Services, Thomson Reuters; Brad McCormick, EVP and Director of Digital, Porter Novelli; Karla Wachter, SVP, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide]

This post was written by Nancy Lazarus, contributor to PRNewser.

At the Sentiment Analysis Symposium in New York on Tuesday, a panel of PR executives weighed the pros and cons of this complex method of evaluating online and social media content.

The panelists agreed that the value of sentiment analysis is enabling the tracking of a wealth of online conversations. However given its limitations they recommended its use in conjunction with other research techniques.

Bradley Honan of StrategyOne summarized the evolution. “We’ve gone from traditional market research to media monitoring to mining data that helps formulate business and communications strategy.”

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Twendz Pro, Waggener Edstrom’s (WE) premium edition of their free Twitter analytics tool went live this morning with three price tiers available: $150 per month for unsupported DIY access, $350 for some hands-on training and analyst consultation, and a custom version for big brands who want to develop an ongoing listening and response program.

Free Twendz launched last spring, and Pro comes a week after competing megafirm Edelman announced their TweetLevel offering.

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