Has the perception of social intelligence changed within your organisation since you won last year’s SI Insider 50? If so, how?
I think the perception of social intelligence and other research and analytics functions changes to some degree every year at big companies like Disney, and last year was no different! Social media has become such a ubiquitous part our world that anyone in the company might see something on social media one day that sparks their interest in a research question, and that’s where my team frequently steps in and provides value. We help quantify and contextualize beyond a single post, and I’ve seen many people in our organization come to us more frequently to ask us to investigate something they saw online, rather than starting to make assumptions on their own.
What’s the most interesting social listening project you’ve worked on in the last year?
Well without going into too much detail, I am particularly proud of some of the work my team pioneered in the segmentation space. I think using social media data to create consumer profiles and personas is a cutting-edge application of the data, and it has a way of bringing a consumer segmentation to life. Social media posts can allow this type of work to go from boring data points to feeling like real people, and when the consumers feel relatable, it is so much easier for an organization to embrace and do great work with it. I also think expanding our category-level work over the past year has been fascinating. As opposed to only doing research on Disney topics, my team has increased our coverage on a variety of interesting topics such as trends in technology, fashion, sports, books & gaming, and more! This work helps our team and others in the organization understand consumers, and the world as a whole, far better than if we only stayed focused on our own brand.
What do you think makes you successful in your work?
I believe my greatest asset and the reason I am successful in this field is having a fantastic team, in particular my 3 direct reports, Nicole, Diana, and Sarah, they make my job easier every day! I think having a team of people who complement each other’s strengths and differences and genuinely enjoy working together has been the driving force behind the success my team and I have had. As for a personal attribute, I believe being intellectually curious and willing to be a jack-of-all-trades are great skills to have in the social intelligence and general insights space. I enjoy working across multiple businesses and learning about a multitude of different subjects, which makes me a more effective researcher.
What are the key skills that have contributed to your success?
I would say investing the time to find, hire, and train top talent, and leading with integrity have absolutely been important skills for my success. Related to that, relationship building in general is key. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to start in social listening if it weren’t for the person who first gave me a chance and hired me; taking the time to teach me the skills and mentor me to become an analyst. Even now I continue to learn and grow thanks to my network and the larger social intelligence community. I am so grateful to have a leader, friends, and colleagues that I can trust who help continuously expand my skills and knowledge.
What makes social data special compared to other data sources?
Social media as a source changes more rapidly in terms of data collection, format, content, etc. than most others. My team is always trying to stay on top of which platforms are the most popular, how to get data from them properly, and how to analyze it. Social media used to be far more text-based when Facebook was one of the only major players, then it evolved to become more visual with the introduction of platforms like Instagram, and even more recently it’s become video-centric with TikTok. None of those other platforms or formats went away, so it’s our job to try and gather data from all of them and find ways to analyze efficiently while taking into account all the different ways people are communicating. Another reason social data is special is that it is unsolicited, most other research sources involve a prompted question from the company doing the study. Gathering these posts and expressed opinions without any prompting gives us an unfiltered look at the true thoughts and feelings of a consumer. Another important way social media is set apart is its speed to insight. My team can provide critical insights in less than 24 hours when absolutely needed, making it one of the fastest types of research. This can make all the difference when it comes to timely decision making.
What motivates you in your work? What makes you want to keep working in social intelligence?
I am motivated by my fascination with human behavior and passion to understand why people do the things they do. Each day I try to stay curious and keep asking questions in order to seek a deeper understanding of people and be able to empathize with them. What I like in particular about working in social intelligence is that it’s different every day. My team supports a variety of businesses within the Parks, Experiences & Products segment of Disney, which means one day we may be working on a question related to Disneyland, while the next day we might be doing research on #BookTok and the publishing industry, and the day after that we could be diving into Food & Beverage trends. The breadth of subjects we’re able to touch, coupled with the human element keeps things interesting and unexpected.
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