-By Mike Shields, Mediaweek

NEW YORK Nielsen Online is launching a new group aimed at helping advertisers manage their reputations on the Web, particularly within user-generated content environments.

Essentially, the new Digital Strategic Services group promises to provide brands with research on what consumers are saying about them online, and what they can and should do to steer that conversation. Part of that steering might be accomplished by brand advocates.

The group plans to offer consulting services on such tactics as producing corporate blogs to trying to influence user-created online video on sites like YouTube. Nielsen says such these sorts of consumer-centric vehicles are increasingly top of mind among high level marketing executives.

"Consumer generated media has moved into the C-suite, and executives and brand managers face an unprecedented range of choices, from how much to invest in digital marketing to how to leverage social media in public relations," said Nielsen evp Pete Blacksaw. "We're able to educate clients and help them make the right choices to seize digital opportunities to connect with consumers and grow their brands."

Adweek is a unit of the Nielsen Co.