‘Integrated, not Isolated’: Pulsar co-authors new #IPASocialWorks report

26th September 2016

As the use of social media networks increase, so does the amount of available social media data. And as a result, social media data has become an attractive pool of consumer information to all types of brands - a shift which is reflected in project work hitting agency inboxes. However, social media data isn't anything new.

Pulsar's sister company, FACE has been part of this movement since its inception - from innovating an audience intelligence platform, to using an integrated research approach which has proven highly successful for a multitude of organisations. This is why we were asked to contribute our thinking into 'Integrated, not Isolated - how to improve customer insight by embracing social media data' a new guide created by the IPA/MRS and TMS cross-industry initiative - #IPASocialWorks.

 

Co-authored by:

  • Tom Ewing, Senior Director, Brainjuicer Labs

 

'Integrated, not Isolated' talks about how to create real insight from social data sets, and why brands need to develop processes that integrate social. It focuses on how brands can use social media insight for all types of research - drawing on case studies from Sport England, MasterCard, Janssen and GE Healthcare. A key piece of communication for those wanting to learn more about social insight - for example:

 

"Brand tracking helps you build a faster horse. If you want to build something brand new, you need to listen more widely: to your category, to consumer audiences, and to their behaviour."

 

Key report findings:

 

  • Social data is the real voice of the customer. It can be invaluable and cost effective for hypothesis testing and making enhancements to product, service, pricing and distribution. However, although it can be a catalyst for it, on its own it is less suitable for major strategic innovation
  • Social insight KPIs need to align with, and ideally predict, the business metrics of the parent organisation
  • Organisations should invest in human analytical interpreters of the social data, rather than just in new improved software and tools. Those who can translate analytic output to business action will be the source of competitor advantage
  • Social must be integrated into the range of other insight tools and business intelligence datasets
  • The best model of integration is ‘diffused integration’ – professionalising and upskilling people in social insight techniques to enable knowledge and skills to spread across the organisation
  • Social analytics demands functional and analytical skills but also collaboration, agility and an experimental mindset
  • Social data moves insight teams even more into a strategic function, which can transform organisations

 

The report is available to purchase here - and as because of our involvement we are able to offer 25% off the RRP of £60 for non IPA/MRS or TMS members (£30 for members). All you have to do is quote FACE25 at the download stage of the order.

 

You can also join the conversation on Twitter: #IPASocialWorks

 

At FACE we understand the importance of social media data and specialise in conducting research projects with integrated social, qual and quant angles. If you have an exciting brief with an integrated approach, we’d love to hear from you. Just send an email to: [email protected].

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