How Social Intelligence

Is Helping Provide Clarity For

The C-Suite Around The Critical
Factors Of
Confidence,
Customers,
Connections &
Cash
The Four Cs
Of Social Media For
The C-Suite
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Social media is becoming the executive equivalent to catching
lightning in a bottle. It has quickly gone from the ultimate focus
group and brand popularity contest to a very serious digital
marketing platform. As it does, it has bubbled up from a quirky,
unpredictable experiment to a measurable customer lab.
As this phenomenon moves to an even more intense level, it
needs the attention of savvy and digitally sophisticated C-level
executives. When it gets that attention, executives will need to
have confdence in their social media campaign plan, metrics
around customer engagement, and connections to automated
technology to consistently analyze and measure their efforts.
Traditional measurement methodology makes the social media
data explosion useless for the C-suite. However, new technology is
helping smart companies understand whats happening on social
media. This new discipline is called social intelligence. According to
Forrester Research, it is the concept of turning social media data into
actionable marketing and business strategy. On a more tactical level,
social intelligence is providing a process and strategy for companies to
evaluate and generate actionable insight about their own brands and
services, as well as their competitors.
Forrester analyst Zach Hofer-Shall urged marketers to take
advantage of social media monitoring tools and listening
platforms: These solutions help speed up the process of tracking
customer actions across the social web and
aim to boil it down to actionable insight, he
said. Marketers trying to do this alone will spend
countless hours digging through spam-flled
search results.
That report from Forrester Research validated
the concept of social intelligence. Originally
called Defning Social Intelligence, Hofer-Shall is working on
an update. As he begins his research he wrote toward the end
of March 2012, Its been two years since our frst public use of
social intelligence, yet I still see many companies monitoring
social media, some listening to customer conversations, and
few beginning to fnd intelligence in the data they collect. As a
result, Im currently working on a report addressing a social data
maturity model.
His original research called out the following specifc advantages to
automating social intelligence measurement:
1. Optimizing marketing and product planning
2. Understanding purchase triggers
3. Assessing the competition
Finding Intelligence In The Social Explosion
Social Intelligence is
the concept of turning
social media data into
actionable marketing and
business strategy.
- As defned by Forrester Research
3
Social data maturity cannot wait for analyst pushes or
anything less than an automated intelligent approach. Youve
undoubtedly seen the staggering social numbers. More than
300 million tweets per day. 800 million Facebook users. Map
it to consumer behavior and the numbers are even more
impressive. A December 2011 report from comScore says social
networking now accounts for 19% of all time spent online, a
major difference from a mere 6% back in March of 2007. This
continual spike in consumer social behavior, as well as the
amount of data generated by almost every purchase and
non-transactional element of daily activity, has created the
concept and reality of big data.
Exactly what is big data? IT analyst site
Wikibon says: Big data is data that is too
large to process using traditional methods.
It originated with web search companies
(that) had the problem of querying very
large distributed aggregations of loosely-
structured data.
Thats what social media has become. It is
simply too big and growing too quickly to process by traditional
methods. A report from global research house Connotate shows
that more than half of companies surveyed have used big data
to better understand either competitors or their own brand (60%
and 52%, respectively). Companies also looked at big data
for marketing-related strategy, such as product and pricing
information (40%), or revenue-generating data services (39%). This
syncs up exactly with the way that social media and its data can
help todays CMO. Social data is a challenge. Social intelligence is
the best way to meet that challenge.

Social networking now
accounts for 19% of all
time spent online, a major
difference from a mere 6%
back in March of 2007.
- comScore December 2011
Turning Big Data Into The Right Data
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Although the potential of social media and big data is becoming
clear to C-suite executives, there is still apprehension around
managing it. A recent IBM survey of 1,700 global CMOs found that
more than 50% of respondents think they are underprepared to
manage the data explosion (59%) and social media (57%).
This data shows a huge gap between the opportunity and the
ability to execute on social data and customer behavior. C-level
executives do not have to be daunted by social media. Almost
50 million messages can be measured in real-time, similar to the
analytics available from retail and Internet traffc behavior. This
real-time nature of gathering and disseminating social intelligence
bridges the gap. It is one of the leading-edge technologies that
can develop the confdence in this new data opportunity and use
it as a key element for executive decision-making.
CASE IN POINT: Large Automobile Manufacturer
Taps Social Sentiment For Purchase Intent
A large automobile manufacturer illustrated the potential for social intelligence
surrounding customers. It used rudimentary tools to see how often people
mentioned their brand in social media conversations, and to detect the sentiment
of these conversations. But the data lacked true intelligence. Leveraging social
media analytics technology, the company was able to drill down into that
sentiment. Why did people feel positively about their brand? Why did they have
negative feelings?
The automobile manufacturer tried to convey this idea through its communication
and marketing, but it found more varied ways that customers were expressing it. If
somebody says, I feel like a 15-year-old driving in my car, or Taking my wife out
on a date in this car makes me feel young again, thats the idea the company
wants to promote. Traditional measurement wont produce these results. The
report also shows how the brand can capture something critical, like intention
to purchase. When you look at the range of insights here, you can see why an
understanding that people feel positively about your product isnt enough. Its
much deeper than that.
The C-Suite Connection
A recent IBM survey of
1,700 global CMOs found
that more than 50% of
respondents think they are
underprepared to manage
the data explosion (59%) and
social media (57%).
5
In order to manage, analyze and measure social media and
recent case studies show that this can be done todays C-level
executive needs to focus on four areas:
The Four Cs
1. Confdence: Because social media
cannot be measured with traditional
methods or tools, new processes and
technologies must be embraced in order to
provide the C-suite with the confdence that
the marketing programs and product rollouts they are banking
on are resonating with customers. Without confdence,
experimentation and the chance for ineffciency are greater.
With a comprehensive understanding of consumer opinions,
brand sentiment and competitive set information, confdence
in social media measurement can be reliably developed.
2. Customers: Customer intelligence has
graduated to social intelligence. Smart
C-level executives need to move away from
the chaos of social media data and toward
gleaning customer intelligence in real time.
3. Connections: Measurement connects
to results. The right technology can connect
to better brand awareness, higher sales and
stronger customer relationships. The right
measurement tools can track specifc topics,
graph daily mentions, produce averages, conduct sentiment
analysis and other types of data mining. It should also create
automatic alerts for unusual or increased activity. It should
connect a companys total effort with consumer perception
and behavior.
4. Cash. Revenue. Capital: Call it
what you want, but at the C-level, decisions
are based on revenue.
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C-level executives, as weve seen in the IBM report, lack
confdence in managing big data and social media. Which begs
the issue, how do they become confdent? Two key answers come
up time and time again:
1. Develop brand monitoring
2. Develop insightful decision making
For example, Microsoft recently measured usage and consumer
perception to refne the brand positioning for its Bing search
platform. Despite the expertise inherent in its product and
company, Bing was unable to quickly sort through and make
sense of the information it had collected. It couldnt identify
customer affnity, customer problems or overall sentiment about
the brand. After analyzing one month of online conversations,
Microsoft Bing had insights regarding where online conversations
take place, drivers and behaviors for key segments, and who
infuences the online conversation. Once conversations were
analyzed on both blogs and forums, Microsoft was able to identify
the top 20 forums for each of the two key audience segments.
The analysis yielded a surprising result. The target segments viewed
the online channel as a preferred way to share their thoughts
and experiences rather than to fnd answers to their questions.
For instance, feedback dominated the conversations of those
interested in creative projects, such as cooking, painting or
making videos. On the other hand, those with health concerns
seemed most interested in sharing personal stories. Overall, the
social intelligence gathering generated valuable customer insights
about the brand and helped executives make new decisions for
repositioning it.
The Confidence Quotient
Click to Download
the full Microsoft Bing
Customer Success Story
With a goal of targeting specifc interest groups,
Bing needed a clear understanding of each
groups needs and habits. While the company
actively harnesses social-media channels in its
marketing efforts, it needed a way to better
manage the fow of online conversation.
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Two key elements defned the Bing experience and will also be
critical for C-level executives as they proceed in social media:
Brand monitoring and analysis: The way in
which C-level executives measure their product and service
performance has changed with social media. Brand lift studies are
good at past performance, but dont predict very well. Whether
or not consumers like or follow your brand is also becoming more
suspect as a metric. When the CMO Council asked Facebook
users in Q4 2011 about their expectations after liking a brand
on Facebook, the top expectation (67%) was to be eligible for
exclusive offers. The smart C-level executive will look at new
methods of monitoring the mass or big data generated socially.
New technologies are able to rapidly monitor hundreds of millions
of news and social media posts. Thats a new method and a new
scale. Both are necessary to proceed with confdence.
Decision-making: C-level executives make million dollar
decisions every day and are accountable for them. Social
intelligence can help predict the success of these decisions by
measuring consumer attitude and potential brand affnity. But
you cant do it through current analytics. The executive that has
$20 million riding on a major product launch needs an up-to-the
minute, fact-based pulse of the target consumer. Its available. Its
a confdence essential.
Social interactions shift and create sentiment in
real-time. Data is generated at an astonishing
rate in real-time. Twitter currently generates 300
million messages a day. Facebook numbers in
excess of 800 million users, at least half of which
log on each and every day and often multiple
times per day. Those same users interact with
over 900 million pieces of content: pages,
groups, events and more. Every day, over 250 million photos are
uploaded. Traditional measurement methods will not capture the
big data element of social media.
Drilling Down For Deeper Confidence
The executive that has $20
million riding on a major
product launch needs an
up-to-the minute, fact-
based pulse of the target
consumer. Its available. Its
a confdence essential.
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Putting Customer
Intelligence To Work
Before social media, customer intelligence was the term used
for the limited amount of information generated by purchase
behavior and surveys. Now its part of big data. An intelligent
approach to big data is stepping up your ability to collect and
act on the right data. Enter social intelligence.
Social intelligence, the information that can lead to insight on the
C-suite, is a relatively new concept. But it is essential to learn. A
Pitney Bowes-sponsored survey from November 2011 showed only
15% of those responding said social media would encourage their
loyalty to a company. However, it concluded:
These fndings will give decision-makers pause for thought, the
report stated. Businesses can be forgiven for getting swept away
by the hype of surrounding social media and wanting to invest
in such activity as soon as possible. ... But results show that those
businesses tempted to lead with such techniques will quickly fnd
themselves out of step with customer thinking.

Connections To Conversions
The ability to generate and measure social
intelligence connects to results. Traditional
analytics, including semantic search and
keyword monitoring, will not connect effciently
to social data. It will not manage big data. New
social measurement technology will translate
the sarcasm or irrelevant semantics that can
pollute social media results. It can provide
a scalable, repeatable approach as social
media spins into a new orbit of growth.
Early success stories and use cases have
shown that gathering and implementing social
intelligence will happen in three phases:
Phase One: Audit and assess. Traditional buzz marketing
measurement tools will not achieve the depth of sentiment
needed to make intelligent branding decisions. A realistic
assessment of what a brand has for social data, and what
it doesnt have, must precede any measurement initiative.
Analyzing statistical patterns used to express opinions delivers
insight beyond a simple positive or negative. Real time market
research delivers this immediately. The timing of current social
media measurement should also drive new measurement. The
speed of analytics and the depth of consumer insights are the
most relevant metrics in social intelligence measurement.
Businesses can be forgiven
for getting swept away by
the hype of surrounding
social media and wanting to
invest in such activity as soon
as possible. ... But results
show that those businesses
tempted to lead with such
techniques will quickly fnd
themselves out of step with
customer thinking.
- Pitney Bowes 2011 Survey
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Phase Two: Identify sources and outputs. After assessing the
current state of social media intelligence, brands will need to assess
technology platforms. Going beyond the ability to automate
social intelligence, the elements that need to be considered in this
phase are features, functionality and benefts. Features from the frst
generation of buzz measurement tools should be improved upon
in favor of newer platforms with more robust analysis capabilities.
Examples:
The volume of social media mentions is generally not as
impactful as the meaning of the conversation.
Keyword counting should be replaced by statistical analysis.
Language limitations should be considered when global
analysis is desired.
Accuracy of the social media analysis should be high enough
to support strategic business decision-making.
A truly futuristic, intelligent platform dashboard should graph daily
mentions, produce averages, conduct sentiment analysis and
measure progress against campaign goals. It should also identify
whats driving negative sentiment to keep track of issue resolution
or escalation.
Phase Three: Act on insights. All the analysis and intelligence
available is useless without a change in business practices.
Just as Bing reached out to more conversations, brands
need to put learnings into action. It should inform marketing
campaign strategy and messaging. It could change entire
media approaches. It could change an approach to customer
segmentation. But the ever-changing social media world should
generate enough insight about the most infuential individuals
regarding your brand, category or topic to rapidly create a
smarter company thats more aligned with its customer.
Click to Download
the Webinar How to Move from Social
Monitoring to Social Intelligence
Uncover key challenges marketers face in today s rapidly
evolving social media marketplace, including:
Business challenges that can stem from frst-generation
social media monitoring practices
Weaknesses of only measuring in reactive what-
happened? mode
Differences between basic brand monitoring and true
Social Intelligence practices
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Converting Intelligence
Into Cash
A recent study found that when consumers were exposed to
social media in addition to other online ad formats or marketing
channels, such as search, email and display, the average revenue
per order was more than double the order size compared to the
average of all digital channels.
How will a company act smarter as a result of social intelligence?
By executing a social intelligence program,
companies will understand the following things
about their customers, marketing and positioning.
It will monitor and manage
reputation, crisis management and
consumer sentiment.
It will add more data to pre- and post-
campaign tracking efforts.
It will understand the effect or lack
thereof from brand positioning.
It will more effectively track and
make changes for product and
service satisfaction.
It will make fact-based and consumer-sentiment-based
decisions around pricing.
It will generate more data around best practices for
new product introductions.
It will quickly produce deep insight into market trends.
It will provide better competitive intelligence.
When consumers were
exposed to social media
in addition to other online
ad formats or marketing
channels, such as search,
email and display, the
average revenue per
order was more than
double the order size
compared to the average
of all digital channels.
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For C-level executives, social media takes the conversation
with the customer and turns it into a near real-time focus group.
Marketers have always spent money to support that conversation,
but all too often it has been a monologue. In fact, thats where TV
advertising started: by talking to and not with the customer.
Social intelligence informs important business questions and
reveals actionable answers about your brand, consumers,
messaging and competition. The ROI for such insight is so valuable
that it is actually hard to calculate. Bottom line: Social media can
inform multi-million dollar decisions.
The right social media measurement model
informs those million dollar decisions. It will
analyze social media conversations to answer
important business questions and reveal
actionable insights about your brand, your
consumers and your competition. The current
state-of-the-art in social media analysis tools
give brands the ability to learn from both the
context and the tone of those conversations.
Cashing In On Million Dollar Decisions
The right social media
measurement model will
analyze social media
conversations to answer
important business
questions and reveal
actionable insights about
your brand, your consumers
and your competition.
Click to View an Overview Video
from Crimson Hexagon
Achieving Social Intelligence:
Best-in-Class Social Media Analysis with the
Crimson Hexagon ForSight Platform
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Confdence, customers, connections and cash. Without those four elements, C-level executives dont
have a business. With them, they have the essentials for managing big data and the biggest drive
behind it: social media. And its not slowing down for any executive to catch up with it. As YouTube co-
founder Chad Hurley recently predicted: Social media will be the main engine of discovery, giving us
the ability to fnd the signal within the noise. As peoples networks and interactions expand, massive data
sets will generate predictive models that will know what you want before you look for it.
Those brands that are applying social intelligence models to gauge consumer opinions, purchase
sentiment and competitive analysis are able to confdently support their million dollar decisions around
marketing campaigns, product rollouts and pricing models.
Without the ability to monitor and act on social intelligence, companies are operating at a competitive
disadvantage. Trying to analyze real-time interactions and conversations with traditional analytics only provides part
of the story but fails to sort out what can be a chaotic and complex sea of data.
The reality is, deeper social intelligence can translate to better strategic decision making, predictable revenue streams
and stronger customer relationships, as well as better alignment. By tracking specifc topics, brand mentions, and
conducting sentiment analysis and other types of deep data mining, leading edge brands will have more informed
C-suites, as well as better alignment across all stakeholders.
Conclusion: Clarity For The C-Suite
Social media will be the
main engine of discovery,
giving us the ability to fnd
the signal within the noise.
As peoples networks and
interactions expand, massive
data sets will generate
predictive models that will
know what you want before
you look for it.
- Chad Hurley, Co-founder, YouTube
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Company Overview
Crimson Hexagon, founded in 2007, offers a best-in-class
social media intelligence solution. Crimson Hexagons
proprietary algorithm, developed at Harvard University,
combines human judgment with computer scalability to
analyze unsolicited consumer opinions expressed through
social media. Crimson Hexagon joined Twitter, Google,
Foursquare, Microsoft, Zynga, Netfix, Tumblr, Stockwits
and Conaco Productions as being named one of Fast
Companys 10 Most Innovative Web Companies.
Content Coverage
Historical content dating back to May 2008
Collecting ~450 million conversations per day;
more than 140 billion conversations stored to date
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Blogs, Forums,
Comments and News
License to full Twitter Firehose since July 2010
Analytical Capabilities
Primary drivers of opinion and key topics of
conversation over time
Share of voice, trends and net sentiment for
comparison and benchmarking
Most infuential and most prolifc authors; Tweets by
state and country
Exploration features: Word Cloud, Word Cluster,
Topic Wheel and Verbatim Post List
Key Differentiators
Recognizes nuance in conversation (e.g. passion,
nostalgia, sarcasm)
Language-agnostic (including character-based
languages like Japanese)
Margin of error +/- 3%, supported by validation
studies
Output Examples
About