How did you get into social intelligence? What was your career path to your current position?
For most of my career I worked in quantitative fields, i.e. accounting and finance. In 2017 I began working at Mattel in Global Business Insights focusing on toy and entertainment franchises. Social listening metrics were a line item in a spread sheet, a small part of a slide. That changed in 2019 when my manager, inundated with requests, asked me to work on a couple of social listening projects. Within a few months, social intelligence became my full-time role.
What do you think makes you successful in your work?
What makes me successful is having a growth mindset. I welcome challenges, seeing them as opportunities try new things and learn. My analyses, reports, and communication are continuously evolving. I look for the story behind the numbers. My goal is to answer the who, what, where, and why that is driving sentiment and volume of conversation. I view it as a puzzle, a puzzle that can be approached from multiple angles and has more than one right answer. For some that may seem complicated or overwhelming. But for me, solving a puzzle is a rewarding challenge.
I would be remiss to not mention my Manager. He has been a huge advocate of social insights within the company, championing their importance.
What are the key skills that have contributed to your success?
Intertwining qualitative and quantitative data has been essential. They come together to make for a powerful story.
Another key skill is networking within my company. By talking to people across the organization, I learn what problems they are trying to tackle and how social insights can help.
What motivates you in your work? What makes you want to keep working in social intelligence?
Knowing my analysis has meaningful impact, helping people to make decisions and enact change, is a huge motivator.
What makes social data special compared to other data sources?
The social data I use is public and available for anyone to view, assuming the post, tweet, or comment, hasn’t been removed. What makes it special is the way people show up. They have genuine, and for the most part, unfiltered emotions. They want to engage with brands and with other people. It’s fascinating.
What does being a social intelligence evangelist mean in the context of your work?
Being a social intelligence evangelist at Mattel means helping brands, supporting consumers (both loyal and new), advocating for purpose led initiatives.
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