The Data Dog
Data Data everywhere but not many companies know how to get it, use it and leverage it for competitive advantage. Research from board of director surveys all points to one major initiative, how to gain competitive advantage. Although this data is a year old it is the first ever and largest of its kind in the realm of Big Data.
Social media networks and peer groups are creating large data sets that are now enabling companies and organizations to gain competitive advantage and improve performance. These data sets provide important insights into customer behavior, brand reputation, and the overall customer experience. Intelligent early adopter organizations are beginning to monitor and collect this data from propriety and open social media networks. This benchmark survey, perhaps the first of its kind, explores how small, medium and large organizations are leveraging business intelligence tools and platforms to harvest, manage and analyze social media data and what their future plans are to leverage it for business initiatives.
Survey questions 1-22 are primarily technical in nature and have been designed to provide insights into the current status SMN and BI data collection and management, and a preliminary understanding of how organizations are employing BI tools and platforms. Questions 22-33 examine the business initiatives that are motivating the new discipline of social media data collection and what business processes are supported. Questions 34-38 are primarily demographic in nature.
Executive Summary
The monitoring, collection and building of social media data stores is a very new information technology and business discipline that is all about the customer. North America and European countries participated in the survey and the data trended consistently and normally through all questions, with more than 450 respondents completing the survey.
Only 30% of organizations are currently monitoring proprietary social media networks (SMNs), and nearly half indicated that they are monitoring open SMNs. Most importantly, 75% of the overall sample base are not collecting data from proprietary and/or open social media networks. Plans to monitor, collect, stage and analyze SMN data in the next year, 1-2 years and 3-5 years, clearly reflects a nascent or early adopter market, with early majority, late majority and laggards following a classic bell curve in evolution. This represents a great market opportunity for entrenched large enterprise BI vendors, and new Cloud and SaaS vendors to create and deliver products and services, thought leadership and best practices for conducting social media and business intelligence processes and analysis.
- Slightly more than half of the organizations plan to increase SMN monitoring and data collection and analysis in the 1-2 years
- More than half expect to increase investment SMN BI tools in the next 1-2 years.
Executive Summary Continued
- Answers to Questions 9-14 about data volume, type, hosting, storage, and frequency of data movement were somewhat inconclusive because of the early market.
Top Legacy BI Vendors in Use
- IBM
- Oracle
- SAS Institute
- SAP Business Objects
Top New Social Media BI Vendors
- Google
- SAS
- IBM
- Only 15% of organizations plan to invest in Cloud and SaaS based social media tools in the next year, but increases significantly in the next 2-3 years.
- PCs were the primary device employed to view and analyze social media data followed by tablets and smart phones.
Sales/marketing, PR-Communications and customer service are the top business functions employing SMN data monitoring, collection and business intelligence analysis.
Top Business Initiatives Supported
- Brand-Reputation Management
- Marketing Communications
- Customer Service
- Customer Experience Management
- Sales
- CRM
Top Metrics Employed
- Customer Satisfaction
- Overall Buzz
- Brand Experience
- Advertising Campaign Performance
Demographics
- The majority of respondents are information technology professionals.
- The sample base is primarily North American (62%), EMEA (30%) and Germany is the largest EMEA country represented.
- Financial services are the largest industry segment represented.
Question (1.) Monitoring of proprietary or third party built social media networks- Overall 711 respondents, LOB = 105 EMEA=172
Only (30%) of the sample base indicated that they are currently monitoring proprietary SMNs, and nearly 500 respondents (70%) are not monitoring proprietary SMNs. This infers that the majority of companies in the sample base have not built a proprietary social media network or engaged with a third party to create one, in order to interact with customers, partners and suppliers. Responses were similar for LOB respondents, and the overall EMEA sample set.
Question (2.) Monitoring of open online social media communities and networks- 712 respondents overall, LOB =106 and EMEA =173
In contrast more than half of the sample base (52%) are currently monitoring open SMNs and 47% are currently not engaged with SMNs. (72%) of LOB respondents indicated that their organization was monitoring SMNs, while only (27%) were currently not, and in contrast only (47%) of EMEA based respondents were monitoring SMNs and (52%) were not.
This indicates that many companies and organizations understand the importance of social media networks and information flow in open SMNs, as it directly impacts brand perception and potentially demand generation. Social media networks are rapidly becoming the new word of mouth marketing platform in the millennium. LOB respondents are closer to the customers and understand their growing importance, while EMEA respondents are split on the importance of SMNs and are significantly behind North American organizations.
Question (3.) Organizational Plans to Collect and Monitor SMN Data
Overall respondents 647, LOB = 106 EMEA=172
Approximately (60%) of the overall sample base indicated that they had future plans to monitor SMNs and (40%) currently did not. LOB respondents contrasted this significantly where (80%) had future plans to monitor and collect SMN data and only (20%) did not, and EMEA respondents were split (54%) had plans and (45%) did not have future plans.
Again LOB respondents understand the business importance of SMN data significantly more than North American and EMEA based IT professionals. This is an important distinction as LOB professionals and C levels are now intimately involved in the purchase decision making for IT products and services, especially SaaS and Cloud base solutions.
Question (4.) Building Social Media Data Stores from Proprietary SMNs, Overall respondents 646, LOB=106, EMEA= 172
The vast majority of the sample base (75%) is not currently collecting and/or building date stores from propriety SMNs, and only (25%) are and the same data trends for LOB and EMEA. This is consistent with Q1, and reflects that some companies are early adopters of SMN data and collection for specific business initiatives that may provide competitive advantage in their market segments or industries.
Question (5.) Building Social Media Data Stores from Open Online SMNs, Overall Respondents 646, LOB = 106, EMEA= 173
Only (27%) of the overall sample base indicated that they are currently building social media data stores from open online SMNs, while (73%) are not, LOB respondent were slightly higher with (36%) indicating that they are, (64%) are not and EMEA response were very similar to the overall sample base. Again this reflects an early or nascent market that will be driven by the need to know the customer and gain competitive advantage.
Question (6.) Future Plans for Social Media Monitoring, Overall Responses 613, LOB= 107, EMEA=174
Nearly (60%) of respondents indicated that they expect to increase social media monitoring over the next 1-2 years, while (20%) indicated it would be 3-5 years and only (19%) did not expect it to increase at all. One quarter of the sample expect to significantly increase monitoring in the next year. LOB responses are consistent with previous question and more than (75%) of respondents indicated an increase of social media monitoring in the next 1-2 years. EMEA respondents indicated lower increases in the next year at (15%) and (40%) in the next 1-2 years.
Question (7.) Social Media Data Collection and Business Intelligence Use, Overall Respondents 612, LOB=106, EMEA=173
Slightly more than (56%) of the overall sample base expect to increase social media data collection for business intelligence analysis in the next 1-2 years, only (23%) indicated it would be 3-5 years away and (20%) did not expect it to increase.
(73%) of LOB respondents indicated they would begin or increase SMN data collection in the next 1-2 years, nearly (35%) indicated that it would increase significantly in the next year, this again reflects the business priority around SMN data and customer knowledge. EMEA respondents were less likely to significantly increase data collection in the next year (40%) expected increases in the next 1-2 years and (30%) over the next 3-5 years. Targeting LOB professional with turnkey SMN data collection products and services is the opportunity ahead for vendors.
Question (8.) Future Organizational Investment in Business Intelligence Tools and Services Installed In-House, Overall Respondents 609, LOB=106 EMEA=173
Only (15%) of the sample base expects to increase investment in the next year, however, nearly (40%) expect to increase purchasing in the next 1-2 years, and a late majority indicated 3-5 years. Slightly more than (25%) did not expect to increase investment and 107 respondents skipped this question, perhaps indicating that they don’t know. (65%) of LOB respondents indicated they expect to increase investment in the next 1-2 years, and only (46%) of EMEA respondents expect to increase their investment in the next 1-2 years.
Again this reflects the conditions of a nascent market with great opportunity for vendors to create and deliver thought leadership and best practices for conducting social media and business intelligence processes and analysis.
Question (9.) Extraction Transformation and Loading of SMN Data, Overall Respondents 565, LOB=104, EMEA=171
Only (20%) of the sample base is collecting data continuously or on a daily basis, (11%) are collecting data weekly, and/or monthly. More than (60%) of the sample found this question not applicable and probably did not know if or even when data was collected. (33%) of LOB professionals indicated that they were collecting data, continuously, daily, weekly or multiple times during a week. Results were very similar for EMEA respondents, and (64%) found this question not applicable.
Question (10.) Average Volume of Social Media Data Moved, Overall Respondents 559, LOB=103 EMEA=170
Overall nearly (80%) of the respondents did not know how much data was actually being moved, again reinforcing the nascent nature of this market. Data sizes of 99MB, 100-499MB and 1GB-9.9GB received the most responses and only 3 organizations were moving data in the 50GB to 100GB range. We are in the very early stages of this market and because of the newness of this business process; this data is not reflective of future storage and data collection needs. Nor does it mean that collecting 1GB or 1TB is sufficient to understand social media data trends and perform analysis on SMN data. Responses for LOB and EMEA respondents are consistent with overall findings.
Question (11.) SMN Data Collection Hosting and Analysis Platforms, Overall Responses 554, LOB=105 EMEA=174
The important insight here is that (68%) of the sample base indicated that they don’t know how SMN data is hosted and/or found this question not applicable. Nearly (20%) of the overall sample base is hosting SMN data on an internal data mart, or data warehouse. Only (5%) of respondents are currently employing cloud based platforms with only (1%) using an external cloud database. The findings are consistent with LOB respondents, however, there was a slight increase in use of cloud based database and/or third party. EMEA based findings are consistent with North America.
Question (12.) Percentage of SMN Data, Structured vs. Unstructured, Overall Responses 554, LOB=105, EMEA=174
Three quarters of the sample base (77%) responded that the question was not applicable or they did not know whether the SMN data collected was unstructured or structured. This is not surprising and consistent with other responses, indicating that SMN data collection and analysis is a very new business intelligence practice. Of those that responded (6%) indicated the data was 50-50 structured to unstructured, (10%) also indicated the data was mostly unstructured. These results were also consistent with LOB and EMEA based respondents.
Question (13.) Current SMN Data Storage Requirements, Overall Responses 544, LOB=104, EMEA=174
Nearly all of the respondents indicated that did not know what the current SMN data storage requirements were for hosting in their organization. This is consistent with LOB and EMEA respondents and again reflects the nascent market for Social Media Analytics. This is a great opportunity for storage vendors, cloud based solutions and traditional BI platform vendors.
Question (14.) Legacy Business Intelligence and Analytic Platforms in Use to Perform Analysis on SMN Data, Overall Responses 544, LOB=107 EMEA=172
Legacy BI Vendors In Use (Overall Responses)
IBM (12%)
Oracle (11%)
SAS (8%)
SAP Business Objects (8%)
Legacy BI Vendors In Use (LOB)
Oracle (9%)
SAS (6%)
IBM (5%)
SAP Business Objects (4%)
Legacy BI Vendors In Use (EMEA)
IBM (15%)
SAS (13%)
Oracle (9%)
SAP Business Objects (9%)
Nearly (75%) of the overall sample base indicated that they did not know which legacy vendor platform was in use, or that the question was not applicable. This is consistent with LOB and EMEA responses, however, LOB respondents ranked Oracle as the number one vendor in use.
Net/Net: IBM, SAS, Oracle and SAP are the entrenched BI platform market leaders with the largest market share. IBMs ranking is not surprising considering that the majority of respondents were from the SHARE consortium. There is no clear market leader in this space and SAP’s low ranking in EMEA is somewhat surprising, but their low ranking with LOB is not. Informatica, Information Builders and Microstrategy would appear to be losing market share according to this data set.
Question (15.) New Social Media Business Intelligence Tools In Use, Overall Responses 511, LOB=106, EMEA=165
Nearly (70%) of the overall sample base selected none of the above, this dropped to (60%) for LOB professionals, and EMEA results were consistent with the overall data set. Evolve 24, Netbase, Radian 6, Kapow and Symomos were relatively unknown to respondents, reflecting that these companies need to do a better job in marketing communications and drive thought leadership in this area.
Top New Social Media BI Vendors
- Google
- SAS
- IBM
Google was the overall leader with (16%), but climbed to (30%) according to LOB professionals, and dropped to (12%) in EMEA. Approximately (6%) of the sample base selected other, and Radian 6 garnered nearly (5%) just behind SAS at (6%) as indicated by LOB professionals. The Radian 6 increase is most likely the result of the tremendous success of SalesForce.com with LOB professionals, however, only one EMEA respondent indicated they were using the product.
Net/Net: This data reflects an almost “pre-early adopter market”
As the early majority begin selecting and implementing SMN BI tools in the next 1-2 years, late majority over the next 3-5 years and laggards beyond that if they survive. If Google could penetrate the enterprise they would have an excellent chance of achieving commanding market share beyond SMB. However, the existing enterprise legacy vendors would appear to have the upper hand in the enterprise if they can provide the thought leadership, tools, products, services and best practices for leveraging SMN data to facilitate business initiatives around the customer.
Question (16.) Use of Third Party Services, APIs, and BI Tools to Analyze SMN data streams, Overall Responses 524, LOB=106, EMEA=171
The majority of the sample base indicated that they are not using third party BI tools (50%) and (38%) did not know. Only (12%) indicated that they are using third party tools, and this was consistent with EMEA responses. However, interestingly (23%) of LOB professionals indicated that they were employing third party tools, LOB as we know are now buying IT products and services in many companies without the involvement of IT departments.
Question (17.) Planned Investment in Cloud and Software as a Service based Social Media Tools, Overall Responses 521, LOB=107, EMEA=174
Only (15%) of the sample base plans to invest in Cloud based solutions in the next year, in contrast more than (50%) who plan to invest in the next 2-3 years. Approximately (30%) had no plans to invest and this was consistent with LOB and EMEA responses, although (20%) of LOB professionals indicated they plan to invest in the next year. This data is consistent with characteristics of an early-early adopter market, and I suspect that those who stated not at all are large enterprise IT staff.
Question (18.) Use of In-Memory Computing, Overall Responses 520, LOB=107, EMEA=174
Only (10%) of the sample base is currently employing In-Memory databases and/or appliances to analyze SMN data. (91%) indicated that they are not and this data was consistent with LOB and EMEA responses.
In-Memory computing is a relatively new technology in the business intelligence market; however, its ability to execute real time data mining and analysis could enable new and innovative analytic processes that will provide competitive advantage.
Question (19.) Current In-Memory Products In Use, Overall Responses 36, LOB=7, EMEA=12
IBM’s Netezza (20 responses) and SAP Hana (12) are the top two In-Memory computing platforms in current use according to a small sample size and few respondents. HP’s Vertica is relatively unknown to LOB and in EMEA, however it garnered (8) responses in the overall small sample set.
In-Memory computing and analysis of SMN data in real time would appear to be a perfect marriage and could deliver significant competitive advantage to those companies with CRM, SCRM and customer experience management business initiatives. IBM, SAP and HP need to provide thought leadership on the business value of In-Memory computing and real time business as it relates to SMNs and data.
Question (20.) Is the Collection, and Management of SMN data into existing BI Platforms a Challenge to Your Organization, Overall Responses 492, LOB=106, EMEA=173
The majority of respondents indicated that collection, integration and management of SMN data into existing BI platforms was not a challenge to the organization. Only (16%) overall, (21%) LOB and (12%) EMEA indicated it is a challenge to the organization.
Net/Net: In many ways this data “does not compute” so to speak as many organizations are in currently their infancy when it comes to monitoring, collecting, building data stores and analyzing SMN data according to previous answers. Social Media Network data is in many ways the biggest data on the planet and it is growing everyday, in my view it is too early to tell what the challenges will be in this discipline.
Question (21.) Use of a Third Party Social Media Business Intelligence Integration Platform or System, Overall Responses 496, LOB= 107, EMEA=173
The majority of respondents indicated that they currently do not use a third party system or platform, only (12%) indicated they did and (18%) don’t know. This remains consistent for LOB, however, (40%) of EMEA respondents don’t know if they use a third party system. Again responses to this question reflect data consistent with a nascent or early adopter market.
Question (22.) Devices Used to View and Analyze Social Media Data, Overall Responses 420, LOB=95, EMEA=136
Social media data viewing and analysis is primarily conducted on a PC (79%), although a tablet or IPad garnered (24%) followed closely by smart phone. (87%) of LOB professionals use a PC, (35%) use a smart phone followed by (30%) who use a tablet and EMEA responses are very similar to overall sample results.
Net/Net: Crunching of social media data is most likely done on the PC and viewing on smart phones and tablets. Vendors need to create semantic layers and easy to use interfaces on mobile devices for future data viewing and analysis.
Question (23.) Business Functions of the Organization Using BI Tools to Analyze Social Media Data, Overall Responses 366, LOB=92, EMEA=125
Top Three Business Functions
- Sales and marketing
- PR & Communications
- Customer Service
This is not surprising considering that social media networks are now the new word of mouth marketing platforms of the millennium. This is consistent across LOB and EMEA respondents and sales and marketing is more pronounced for LOB professionals. A significant number of IT professionals are also using BI tools to analyze SMN data in (36%) of overall organizations; it is not clear exactly what they are doing.
Social media has become a new channel of influence for many experts and thought leaders, and PR-communications professionals are following and identifying influencers in social media networks.
Customer service is of growing importance to many organizations, and SMNs are rapidly becoming the voice of the customer, both happy and unhappy. Many companies are now following any tweets related their name products and services in an effort to improve customer service and protect brand reputation.
Question (24.) Business Initiatives Supported Through Analysis of SMN Data, Overall Responses 382, LOB=94 EMEA=121
Top Business Initiatives
- Brand-Reputation Management
- Marketing Communications
- Customer Service
- Customer Experience Management
- Sales
- CRM
Brand-reputation management (46%), and customer service (44%) were the number one and three business initiatives supported closely followed by marketing communications (45%). Customers are king in the SMN world and this is reflected in this data set as customer experience management and CRM related business processes are now being supported by a significant number of organizations.
The data set trends very closely for LOB and EMEA based respondents, although LOB responses for brand, customer service and marketing communications were slightly higher.
Fewer organizations overall are using SMN data collection and analysis for competitive intelligence, identifying influencers, product testing and price testing. However, LOB respondents also indicated that they are using SMN data analysis to support identification of influencers and competitive analysis.
Question (25.) Brand & Reputation Monitoring of SMNs, Overall Responses 465, LOB=107 EMEA=168
Approximately (62%) of the sample base are not currently monitoring brand reputation in social media channels, this drops to (50%) for LOB professionals and increases to (71%) for EMEA respondents. Nearly one third of the overall sample base indicated that they are employing in-house IT systems to monitor social media channels and only (12%) overall are using third party systems. (17%) of LOB professionals indicated that they are using a third party service.
The results for EMEA are consistent with the overall sample base but a slightly lower use of In-house IT systems is indicated, and (70%) of the EMEA organizations are not monitoring brand reputation. This reflects that a smaller number of EMEA organizations are monitoring brand reputation.
Net/Net: Organizations are slowly recognizing the power of social media networks and the speed of information flow along with the importance of word of mouth marketing in this environment. There would appear to be a great opportunity here for entrenched enterprise BI vendors and cloud-based BI SaaS solutions.
Question (26.) Metrics Employed in Measuring SMN Monitoring, Overall Responses 452, LOB=104, EMEA=158
Top Metrics Employed
- Customer Satisfaction
- Overall Buzz
- Brand Experience
- Advertising Campaign Performance
Nearly half of the overall sample base indicated none of the above for this question, which is consistent with the overall data indicating that this is an early adopter market. Influencer identification ranked fifth in overall importance followed by net sentiment analysis and Geo-tracking. These findings are consistent for LOB professionals and EMEA based respondents.
Question (27.) Organizational Plans to Leverage Social Media Metrics Into Business Processes, Overall Responses 459, LOB=107 EMEA=167
One quarter of the overall sample base has plans to leverage social media data collection and analysis into business processes, while nearly on third indicated they are giving preliminary consideration to this. Almost half of overall respondents indicated that they have no plans to leverage social media into business processes.
(35%) of LOB professionals indicated that they have plans and (32%) are giving preliminary consideration. Responses from EMEA are consistent and (20%) indicated yes, (60%) had no plans and (22%) are giving preliminary consideration to leveraging social media.
Question (28.) Monitoring of SMNs Changing Business Process, Overall Respondents 455, LOB=105, EMEA=167
The majority of the overall sample base indicated SMN monitoring and data collection has not changed business processes, MBOs and KPIs in business units. One quarter of the sample base indicated that preliminary consideration is being given to this and only (105) of the sample indicated that SMN data collection and analysis was changing business processes and measurement of them. This is consistent with LOB professionals and EMEA based respondents. Again this reflects an early adopter nascent market that is ripe for innovation, products, services and best practices by industry.
Question (29.) Customer Engagement Through Social Media Channels, Overall Responses 458, LOB=106 EMEA=169
One third of the overall sample base indicated that they are actively engaging with customer through SMN channels and the remainder (68%) indicated that they are not. This trend is also consistent with EMEA based respondents. However, LOB professionals contrasted this significantly as (50%) indicated that they were engaging and (50%) were currently not engaging customers directly.
LOB professionals are generally closer to the customer than IT; therefore I would be cautious about the extrapolation of the data from this question, (from mostly IT professionals) it may not reflect an accurate view of the overall market. However the data has trended very consistently from the beginning reflecting and early market, even with LOB professionals.
Question (30.) Employment of BI Platforms to Respond to Brand Crisis, Overall Respondents 456, LOB=106, EMEA=167
The majority of the sample base indicated that they do not employ social media business intelligence platforms in responding to a brand crisis and only (25%) indicated that they currently do. The results for LOB professionals was slightly higher at (33%) indicating that they leverage Social Media BI platforms to respond, and EMEA based responses were very similar to the overall sample base.
Net/Net: Many organizations are not taking social media seriously and are not prepared to deal with a crisis in social media channels were the only barrier limiting information flow is time zone.
Question (31.) The Impact of Social Media Data Collection on Customer Engagement, Overall Respondents 450, LOB=106 EMEA=171
Only (7%) of the overall sample base indicated that social media data collection had significantly changed customer engagement models and (32%) indicated that it had changed customer engagement slightly. Nearly (62%) of the overall respondents indicated that social media monitoring and data collection had no impact on customer engagement in their organization. This is consistent with EMEA responses and LOB professional responses were higher than overall with (11%) indicating there was significant change and (37%) indicated there was a slight change in customer engagement.
Many organizations still do not realize the power of social media networks and don’t know how to engage customers and influencers in the social media space. There is great opportunity to grow market share, enhance brand and customer service through social media engagement.
Question (32.) Organizational Concern About International Data Security Laws, Overall Responses 453, LOB=106, EMEA=172
Only half of the overall sample base is concerned about international data security laws, (24%) indicated they are not and (23%) don’t know. This is consistent with EMEA responses and LOB professionals. International data security laws vary by region and country and are probably not well known, especially in organizations that are not global.
Question (33.) Integration of Social Media Metrics Into Business Processes, Overall Responses 300, LOB=79, EMEA=105
Top Business Processes Leveraging Social Media Data
- Understanding Customers
- Enhance the Customer Experience
- Innovation of Services
- Innovation of Product and Service Delivery
- Implementation of Social CRM
These findings are consistent with LOB professionals and EMEA based respondents, as organizations are leveraging social media monitoring, collection and analysis to better understand customer needs and requirements. Some organizations are taking the next steps and practicing Social CRM and innovating customer service, product and other services. Social media data and business intelligence tools enable organizations to profiling and understand customers in social media networks.
Question (34.) Primary Job Title
The majority of the sample base consists of information technology professionals, including 19 CIOs, however, 262 respondents skipped this question probably because of survey length. Respondents began to drop off after the first five questions, but remained consistent at or around 450 throughout the survey.
Sample Base
- 296 IT Professionals
- 107 LOB-CEO-Marketing- Sales Professionals
- 51 Other
Question (35-36.) Organization Size and Revenue
The sample base includes and a good range of small, medium and large organizations, with 123 organizations of >10,000 employees.
- 165 Small Organizations: 1-500 Employees
- 126 Medium Organizations: 500-5000 Employees
- 162 Large Organizations 5000 or more Employees
Revenues ranged from <$50M (23%) to >$5B (13%), with the majority of the sample base ranging from $50M-$5B.
Question (37.) Industries
Financial services, including Insurance represented the largest industry segment of the sample base at (29%), followed by High Technology at (14%). A broad spectrum of industries is represented in the sample base, although natural resources, process manufacturing, life sciences, engineering and construction and chemicals have light to no representation.
Question (38.) Geographic Representation
The vast majority of the sample base is North American organizations (62%), Germany represented the largest sample from EMEA and approximately (8%) of the sample is from ROW.
- (62%) North America
- (30%) EMEA
- (8%) Rest of World
Summary
Technology is one of the few weapons that companies have at their disposal to gain competitive advantage and you can see clearly in this research how many companies last year had no clue about how to leverage social media. If we conducted the same research again this year I don’t think we would see much change in the data sets for several reasons. One IT departments are too disconnected from the business guys and social media and BI are not easy to implement. Until next time I wish you great selling and marketing in this millennium. (This blog and research was originally published on Sandhill.com in 2012)