Today We Come Together
Most entrepreneurs that you talk to will categorize M&A events as bittersweet. Today is not that. For me, today is only sweet.
I am thrilled to announce that today Insightpool has merged with TrendKite and Union Metrics; two organizations that share our vision for the future of social and earned media. In my entire career, I have never been more excited about the path forward. Not just because this is a great result for our shareholders; it is because the mission we are undertaking together is now even bigger than I ever thought possible. Together, with our shared vision, we are creating the market leader in earned media.
You might be wondering how this all fits together. Let me start by saying the obvious: the spectrum of influence has changed. Celebrities and experts don’t hold a monopoly on influence like years before. Today, everyone’s an influencer at something at some point in time. In fact, according to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know. And, despite the “fake-news” crisis in politics, according to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer study, trust in Journalism actually increased year over year. Insightpool has captured that sphere of influence and created the largest compliant influencer database on the planet with more than 700 million unique influencers. In this new world of influence, brands can only do so much advertising and publishing before it is exhausted and falls on deaf ears tanking conversions and spiking lead costs. This is why the most successful marketers are already placing influencer marketing and earned media at the heart of their marketing mix.
New Age of Digital Marketing
Despite all this, influencer marketing today is incomplete. How do you find and leverage the most impactful content for influencers to share? How do you track the business impact of influencers who are sharing content? Starting today our combined customers will know the impact of their earned media and influencer marketing. It is no longer just about inciting behavior after an influencer is engaged; it’s tracking everything that happened thereafter with real measurement and a known ROI. Today is the day that Earned Media gets their long deserved seat at the table with the CMO.
The Road Ahead
I want to personally thank all of the people that have been part of the Swimteam. From our customers, shareholders, vendors, thought leaders and everyone else who made our company who we are today. But our story is not over; the way I look at it, you now have even more to root for. The Swimteam is now combining our forces with more than 250 people who share our vision. We’re staying here in Atlanta with plans to rapidly expand both here and at TrendKite’s headquarters in Austin. Not only do our missions and financial goals align perfectly, but so did our cultures. I am so happy to be joining Erik and Matt as well as Hayes and Jenn to bring to bear what the entire industry has been looking for. Welcome to the era of earned media!
Devon Wijesinghe
CEO, Insightpool
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