In May, we saw the welcome return of the in-person AMEC Summit. There were also acquisitions for Onclusive and Unicepta, and questions to answer for social media listening providers.
Onclusive makes first acquisition
Onclusive has acquired Critical Mention for an undisclosed sum. This is Onclusive’s first major acquisition following its formation in January of this year, following the acquisition and merger of Kantar’s reputation intelligence business, PRgloo and the legacy Onclusive business by STG. The deal adds more than 3,000 customers to the Onclusive portfolio. Financing was provided by Stellus Capital Management.
Unicepta acquires AI start-up
Cologne-based Unicepta, has acquired Giance Technologies for an undisclosed sum. Giance provides am AI powered solution for the detection of events and themes from online content. It is expected that Unicpeta will use its new technology to helps its clients identify operational risks and incidents, including ESG criteria and and compliance.
AMEC Summit in Vienna
The AMEC Summit took place in-person, and in Vienna, last week. Hosted by Observer, Austria’s media intelligence powerhouse, the summit explored current thinking in PR measurement. The Summit concluded with the announcement that Aseem Sood, CEO of India’s Impact Research & Measurement, has been appointed the Chair of the association. Aseem succeeds Richard Bagnall, from Carma, who led the association for three consecutive terms.
Marketing technology continues to grow
It’s been a couple of years since Chiefmartec released its marketing technology landscape, and its return is certainly very welcome. In 2022, the landscape includes some 9,932 solutions, up by 24% since 2020. The Advertising and Promotion category, which includes PR tech, has grown by 16%. This report is always worth a look.
Questions for Social Listening
The police response to the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas has raised a number of questions. Among them was the use of a social listening tool, Social Sentinel, to monitor for threats of suicide and school shootings. The efficacy of the technology is under the spotlight, as are its privacy violations. Meanwhile, the New Zealand government is under attack after spending $NZD 235k on social media listening reports. The 100-odd reports from OMD, using Brandwatch data, were commissioned during the pandemic. The reports have been described by some as “ethically questionable”, and the tone of media reporting on the topic is almost entirely negative. I blow this whistle every once in awhile. Social listening companies do need to do more to address the increasingly negative media perceptions of their offerings.
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