September 26, 2007 15:31 ET

Marketwire Survey Results Demonstrate Importance of Blogs in Investor Relations Communications

Posting News to a Blog Is Essential; Mega Cap Companies Use Blogs Most

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - September 26, 2007) - Marketwire, a full-service newswire and communications workflow solutions provider, today announced the results of its innovative study on the use of corporate blogs in IR communications. Developed to gain valuable insights on how the IR community views the blogosphere, Marketwire's data demonstrates the importance of blogs to an overall communications strategy; in addition, results from the survey provided key content for IR Magazine's educational supplement "New Web Trends - Social Media and SEO" published this month and available for download by visiting the Marketwire website.

Among Marketwire's findings, 67 percent of IR professionals who have a corporate blog or plan to host one believe that posting company news is essential, underscoring the significance of blogs in communicating with employees, customers, shareholders and partners. Respondents identified company earnings, as well as product or service announcements, and non-material financial news all nearly equally as important to discuss in a corporate blog, either through direct mention or linking to a company press release.

Further, 33 percent of Mega Cap companies -- those with a market capitalization greater than $200 billion -- already host a corporate blog. This demonstrates the growing adoption of social media by these companies.

"By going straight to the source, we gathered valuable data on the use of blogs in the IR community," said Thom Brodeur, senior vice president, global strategy and development for Marketwire. "While many believe that IR professionals as a whole are reluctant to incorporate new media into their communications plans, we determined the opposite -- new media, particularly blogs, do indeed have a significant function in communicating to the investor community. As we gather results from yet another Marketwire survey of bloggers, we will continue to work toward bringing the tools to market that our clients need to meet the demands of social media."

Additionally, Marketwire congratulates four winners selected from all survey respondents to receive a new BlackBerry® mobile device enabled with Dashboard Mobile Financial™, the first RSS-based mobile reader designed exclusively for investment dealers, their staff and clients. As a Dashboard Communication Corporation partner, Marketwire provides the exclusive newswire feed on Dashboard Mobile Financial, offering Marketwire clients an additional distribution point for news targeted to the investment community.

Marketwire's IR Blog Insights Survey sought feedback from IR professionals attending the recent NIRI Annual Conference and CIRI Investor Relations Conference. IR professionals also could complete the survey through the Marketwire website.

For more information on all of Marketwire's communication and news distribution solutions, please call 800-774-9473.

About Marketwire

The only fully integrated North America-based global newswire, Marketwire, Inc. is a full-service partner to IR, PR, and MarCom professionals seeking premier distribution, media management, multimedia and monitoring solutions. Marketwire's customer-centric corporate philosophy focuses on being the best by infusing every aspect of its business with the following core attributes: precision, adaptability, innovation, and simplicity.

Marketwire delivers its clients' news to the world's media and financial communities. With a reputation for technological leadership, Marketwire offers innovative products and services -- including Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Dashboard Mobile Financial, News Dashboard coverage reports, exclusive access to networks such as the Canadian Press Wire Network, Easy IR and Easy PR workflow solutions, and more -- that help communication professionals maximize their effectiveness while ensuring accuracy and best practices. Having merged companies (Market Wire and CCNMatthews) in April 2006, and enjoying a combined history of 25 years of service, Marketwire is now majority-owned by OMERS Capital Partners, the private equity arm of one of Canada's largest pension funds. Operating 12 offices worldwide, Marketwire distributes the majority of press releases issued by publicly traded companies in Canada. For more information, visit us at www.marketwire.com.