Dig Insights Buys 'Cultural Context' Firm OneCliq

In Toronto, Canada, research firm Dig Insights has announced the acquisition of OneCliq, whose 'Cultural Context Engine' analyses consumer emotion across billions of social posts, web sites and online conversations, in real time.

Dig helps clients with brand and innovation challenges, for example by identifying trends, building and forecasting the performance of innovations, or tracking opportunities in-market. The firm has more than 250 staff across offices in Toronto, Chicago and London, and offers a proprietary innovation insights platform called Upsiide, featuring mobile-first approaches to engaging respondents, as well as researcher-first analysis and dashboard capabilities. Dig has recently acquired San Francisco-based qual agency Ignite 360 and Austin, Texas-based strategy and innovation advisor Ebco Trends. In the spring, the company announced that three of its four founders would be stepping back from their day-to-day roles with the business, with fourth co-founder, CEO Paul Gaudette, joined by a number of new senior staff to drive the business forward,

OneCliq's software rapidly analyses online conversations for tone, sentiment and emotional context, and models consumer viewpoints to help clients hone their branding and innovation strategy. The firm was founded by siblings Tanika McLeod and Nathan Knight (pictured left and right) and like its new owner is based in Toronto. Dig says that after the buy OneCliq will 'power new offerings and enhance everything from early trend exploration to driving post-project actionability.'

Gaudette says OneCliq's co-founders and team 'bring deep expertise in AI, a fresh perspective on how people engage with the world online, and a platform that helps us tap into the emotional and cultural signals shaping consumer behavior.' He adds: 'It's a smart addition to our tech-enabled approach and a big step forward in how we help clients stay ahead of what's coming.'

'We're entering an era where Generative (AI) systems will completely redefine what's possible in insights and innovation,' says McLeod. 'With Dig, we're turning untapped emotional data into powerful, strategic decisions for global consumer brands, and at a speed and scale that's never existed before.' Knight comments: 'This started because my sister and I wanted to give people's voices a deeper place in decision-making. We're excited to join a team that shares our belief that emotion is data, culture is strategy and the future belongs to those who listen deeply to what people say and feel today.'

Dig, in which private equity firm Beringer Capital acquired a majority stake in 2022, in online at www.diginsights.com while OneCliq is at www.onecliq.io .