Has the perception of social intelligence changed within your organisation since you won last year’s SI Insider 50? If so, how?
Absolutely! We continue to see growing interest across different parts of the business, particularly operations and merchandising, and have launched some exciting new programs over the last year that are informing real-world business decisions. We’re seeing people think more creatively about how social intelligence can be leveraged and also combined with other existing data sources.
What’s the most interesting social listening project you’ve worked on in the last year?
We launched a new listening initiative that’s informing store level operational change with agility and speed. Given Walmart’s size and scale, the impact and reach of this project is incredible.
What do you think makes you successful in your work?
I have a deep level of expertise with digital/open-source intelligence and can use that to bring a new, unbiased, data informed perspective that others just don’t have access to.
What are the key skills that have contributed to your success?
I find that critical thinking plays a big role in helping me achieve success. I tend to be an active listener and prefer to hear multiple perspectives before jumping to my own conclusions. Social media and other digital platforms happen to be great places to listen, observe and better understand the world around us. Keeping an open mind and continuously seeking new, creative ways to problem solve helps ensure that I always keep a fresh perspective on things as well.
What makes social data special compared to other data sources?
Social data is one of the only sources of both quantitative and qualitative information that is always-on, and moving at the speed of culture and relevance. It’s truly unique and if you can figure out how to capture and interpret it, you’ll no doubt have a competitive advantage in almost any business area you are working in.
What motivates you in your work? What makes you want to keep working in social intelligence?
There’s so much that’s yet to be discovered in this space and always something new to learn. It’s ever evolving and exciting to imagine the innovation possibilities ahead.
Get Social with SILab
