Connecting the Social Industry Dots: Brandwatch Joins Big Boulder Initiative

In my wildest dreams I couldn’t have foreseen a more exciting time in social data than right now. Today. This year!

It may still feel like the Wild Wild West at times in this arena, but that makes it all the more vital for everyone to join up together in this industry and have those important conversations that affect businesses and social data companies alike.

Which is why I’m thrilled to announce that Brandwatch is joining the Big Boulder Initiative (BBI) as a founding member.

From the social platform companies themselves, to social data providers, the social analysis software makers, and brands and agencies that benefit from monitoring social conversations, and the deeply immersed academics pushing at the edges of how social data can help solve big problems in the world, we all need to connect up. And BBI is helping us do exactly that.

Big business is sitting up and taking notice

Social media is a maturing market, demanding the attention of not just the tech media but also massive organizations synonymous with the corporate world – enter Big Blue.

IBM’s very public partnership with Twitter and investment in social data and analytics is a landmark event in our world. It shows, point blank, that big business is sitting up and taking notice of just how revolutionary and vital social media intelligence really is.

In a conversation with CIO’s Matt Kapko this fall, we discussed the implications of this arrangement and the value of data-driven business insights. With IBM taking the lead in such a confident way, other brands are sure to follow in the coming months and years.

Beyond the business world, social data is mainstreaming with the general public. Private citizens can view their Twitter Analytics and see how engaging their posts are. Reporters include social data to illustrate the spread of breaking news, and highlight key instigating Tweets and social posts and comments.

Brands are even changing their vernacular (have you used “bae” recently?) thanks to the rise of the millenials and new terminology that’s penetrated our consciousness strictly because of social media.

The worlds of media, tech, and business are changing at an incredible pace.

Social media plays a huge part in that. Which is why it’s more important now than ever for Brandwatch and all the players in the social media industry to join forces to establish codes of conduct, make their voices heard on key issues affecting social data, and provide expert advice to the media, businesses, and the public.

Pushing forward, always

This is an innovative time in social data, and the team at Brandwatch is constantly changing things up and working on new technologies to disrupt the marketplace and make our data better, faster, and most importantly, better for business.

We recently acquired PeerIndex, an amazing social influencer mapping firm, and our joint team of developers are hunkered down tinkering with ways to incorporate cool new influencer data and functionality within the Brandwatch platform.

It’s worth mentioning again, I’m so bloody excited to be a part of this world.

I am also honored to be joining BBI as a board observer, along with some incredible folks from Twitter, IBM, and Netbase. It’s amazing to be part of BBI’s endeavor to bring together reps from companies like Brandwatch within the social media ecosystem to collectively address key challenges we’re all facing. Our collaborations can make a real impact and elevate our industry into the business stratosphere.

For more details on Brandwatch’s founding membership with BBI, read the full press release.