PlanetFeedback

About PlanetFeedback

PlanetFeedback.com, Inc. was established in 1999 by Pete Blackshaw, a former brand manager at Procter & Gamble, to function as one of the internet's initial consumer feedback portals. The company was headquartered in Cincinnati, OH and provided an online community platform where consumers could communicate with companies, while businesses could collect and analyze real-time customer feedback to improve service and reduce costs. The business model focused on being a 'value-added repackager' of this consumer feedback, selling insights and services like crisis early warning systems to corporations rather than relying on advertising revenue. This approach was intended to maintain its position as a consumer advocate.

Pete Blackshaw, a graduate of Harvard Business School and the University of California, Santa Cruz, founded the company after his time at P&G, where he co-founded their first interactive marketing unit. His experience in brand management and early digital marketing informed PlanetFeedback's strategy. Blackshaw's work with the company led to his authoring the book “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000,” which explores themes central to the company's mission. He also co-founded the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).

The platform provided tools to make lodging complaints easier and more effective, including pro-forma letters and contact information for corporate leadership and other influential bodies. PlanetFeedback operated as a venture-backed firm, securing early-stage VC funding in May 2000 from investors including Allen & Company and Blue Chip Venture. On October 25, 2001, the company was acquired by Intelliseek, a marketing intelligence firm. The rise of social media platforms like Twitter, which offered real-time, direct public engagement with brands, eventually made dedicated portals like PlanetFeedback redundant.