Kantar Analytics Signs Deal to Plug Social Media Gap

Kantar's Analytics Practice has signed a multi-year deal with consumer analytics firm Engagement Labs, to help brands add understanding of word-of-mouth conversations to the incomplete picture offered by social media listening.

Launched in May, Kantar Analytics brings together a global network of more than 1500 data scientists, analytics consultants, technologists and data designers from across the business. According to the company, focusing exclusively on social media mentions has left brands 'deaf' to half of the consumer conversations about their products and services. To address this issue, the partnership will combine analysis of word of mouth conversations with social media data using Engagement Labs' TotalSocial platform. TotalSocial combines social media listening with consumer surveys, to understand how people pass on information and talk about specific brands in their daily lives.

Drawing on this picture of consumer conversations, the Analytics Practice will use its marketing and campaign insights capabilities, coupled with its AI toolkit (known as STAN), to help brands understand how to best maximise the impact of their marketing spend. Matt Dodd (pictured), Managing Partner of the Practice in the UK, comments: 'It's important for businesses to understand how they are discussed and represented online but we shouldn't be blind to other data sources. Brands need to build a complete picture and this partnership will help our clients to integrate both their online and word of mouth strategies'.

Web sites: www.kantar.com and www.engagementlabs.com .