January 25, 2023

The Impact of New Media on Traditional Sources

Some have decried social media as the “death of journalism,” but this isn’t a new complaint. In fact, the downfall of “traditional journalism” has been a point of contention since the emergence of television first threatened newspaper readership in the 1950s. The truth is that new platforms have forced traditional media to adapt and evolve—often for the better. It’s no surprise...

January 19, 2023

Best Practices for a Modern PR Campaign: Research the Brand

A PR campaign is like the most magnificent tree you’ve ever seen, and if it’s done correctly, you can build a whole content forest. But you need a solid foundation from which the tree (the brand) can grow. That comes from a thorough understanding of a brand’s history and current place in the market at the roots of the tree. That means you must put your investigative reporter’s cap on and make...

January 19, 2023

Consequences of Sharing Misinformation

Podcasts, blogs and social media sites make it easy for anyone to share their thoughts—who among us hasn’t sent a hastily-typed missive into the ether for our friends and followers to enjoy? But sharing misinformation on the web, intentionally or not, can have real legal consequences. In the last blog in this series, we discussed how Serial’s Koenig and True Crime Diary’s McNamara are excellent...

January 11, 2023

Get to the Bottom of a Story: How to do Research for Investigative Journalism

Sometimes, they are stories that win Pulitzer Prizes. Sometimes, they are stories that become blockbuster movies. And occasionally, the fruits of investigative journalism are both. Take Woodward and Bernstein’s Watergate reporting for The Washington Post , for example. It earned the paper the 1973 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service and inspired “ All the President’s Men .” Likewise, investigative...

January 09, 2023

What is New Media? The Real Life Impacts of Digital Media

The introduction of the internet and, later, smartphones has fueled the rise of a new type of digital media, ranging from blogs and comment boards to vlogs, podcasts, social media influencers, and beyond. And as each of these emerging channels began to gain influence on consumers, they’ve almost universally been met with intense skepticism. Are they a flash in the pan? Do they have a negative impact on society...

January 05, 2023

3 Big Research Challenges Financial Professionals Must Tackle to Earn Trust & Meet Strategic Goals

To say that the economy has been unpredictable the last few years is an understatement. With rising and falling inflation--and rising and falling stocks--no one really knows what the future holds for 2023. Top economists continue to make predictions about the state of the global economy, but there hasn't really been a consensus. If the big banks are finding this challenging, imagine how hard it is for individual...

December 28, 2022

How Misinformation Spreads on Social Media—And How to Combat

Unless you’re making an active effort to disconnect from the 24/7 news cycle then chances are you’ve heard about Elon Musk’s recent Twitter acquisition and his subsequent moves to shake up the company, which has had a major impact in how some people are getting and distributing news. Twitter has been the social media platform of choice for journalists and reporters to “tweet out” and track...

November 16, 2022

The Impact of ESG Ratings and Where to Find Them

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings have been used by academic researchers for years to understand the social and environmental impact of companies. In recent years, however, these ratings have become more important to the companies themselves. A company's ESG rating is now often used by investors to assess risk and potential return . Because of this, many companies are now incorporating ESG factors...

November 08, 2022

Why ESG Deserves a Prominent Place in Your PR Strategy & Useful Tips for Tapping the Intel that Can Put It There

Gone are the days where public sentiment relies on your product alone. In fact, research has shown that many investors and customers care about a company's stance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) stances as much as what their business does. And, in the field of PR, that means you need to add ESG research to your normal media monitoring and communications strategy. In our recent presentation at the...

November 08, 2022

Cracking the Competitive Intelligence Code: How Third-Party Data Helps Manufacturers Gain a Market Advantage

What’s your strategy for uncovering intelligence that can give you an edge in the market? We’ve all experienced the transformative power of data and algorithms when using Google, streaming with Netflix, or shopping on Amazon. But futurist and technology thought leader Bernard Marr points out that organizations that interact directly with consumers have a data advantage—mountains of consumer-generated...

November 07, 2022

How to Run a Political Campaign that Delivers Results

Running an effective political campaign (i.e., one that results in your candidate’s victory) takes equal parts in-depth knowledge and fast responsiveness to ever-changing conditions in the news cycle and on the ground. Whether you’re a political consultant, a volunteer researcher, or a full-time campaign manager, you need to understand what’s being said about your candidate and their opposition at...

November 07, 2022

3 Ways that Timely, Third-Party Data Helps Manufacturers Identify Supply Chain Red Flags Faster

Supply chain risk is not a new phenomenon, but it has certainly intensified. As the pandemic began its global spread in early 2020, 94% of Fortune 1000 companies reported supply chain disruptions . Today, global supply chains continue to flounder, earning a spot on the 2022 Davos Agenda and in the minds of procurement and supply chain leaders worldwide. Improving visibility into potential supply chain risk is a must,...

November 04, 2022

3 Facts About the History of #GivingTuesday that Will Have You Changing Your Donor Research Strategy

This November 29 th isn’t just GivingTuesday. It’s the 10 th anniversary of a visionary organization that began life as the brainchild of the 92 nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City. GivingTuesday co-founder Henry Timms told Time that the #GivingTuesday hashtag was launched to celebrate giving, noting, “After the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday...

November 02, 2022

What to Expect When Adding Due Diligence to Your Donor Research Workflow

We’ve all seen the evidence on the nightly news and in social media feeds. When a person closely associated with a charitable organization becomes the subject of a scandal, the organization’s reputation can be tarnished too. And this isn't just people who work with your organization. The players that can impact your reputation include: High-value donors Prospective board members Corporate sponsors...

October 25, 2022

Disruption has become the new normal–supply chain intelligence from data and technology is the solution

Recent years have been characterized by supply chain disruption–from Covid-19 to the Suez blockage to the invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, companies who fail to identify and manage illegal or unethical activity in their supply chain face increasing regulatory, reputational, financial and strategic risks. In this blog, we look at some of these risks, and show how smart use of data and technology can give companies...

October 19, 2022

4 Causes of Misinformation that Block Business Success

Whether you’re conducting research to capture business intelligence, to support SWOT analyses, or to understand emerging risks, you need to see the whole picture. And that’s not something you can do with only a fraction of the facts, especially when some facts are questionable. Misinformation can hurt companies’ business decisions, customer perceptions and investor trust. In fact, the European Union...

October 12, 2022

Fundraising Newsflash: Better Prospect Research Starts with Broader Source Selection

During our recent webinar with APRA on moving your mission forward, we shared some trends that can help you connect with more donors . What about connecting with the RIGHT donors? Ones that have an affinity with your mission and will be inspired to become regular donors or volunteers instead of simply seasonal givers. As useful as public records* are (and we’d be the first to admit it), they aren’t the only...

September 30, 2022

Four Key Trends in Risk and Compliance in 2022

The landscape of risk and compliance is always changing. In the last few months alone, there have been developments in global regulations for anti-bribery and corruption and due diligence, and major enforcement actions against companies who have allegedly failed to comply. There have also been significant changes to national and supranational sanctions regimes, and louder calls for companies to demonstrate their ESG impact...

September 27, 2022

3 Must-Know Trends & 1 Prospect Research Tip for Moving your Mission Forward this Giving Season

With the start of Giving Season just around the corner, we’ve pulled together some tips on trends and prospect research tricks to help you make the most of this year’s giving season and move your mission forward. After all, as Classy.org reports , non-profits acquire 10X more donors on Giving Tuesday compared to an average day and 30% of annual donations come in between Giving Tuesday and New Year’s...

September 27, 2022

How AI, Machine Learning & Big Data Can Help Shape Your Bank’s Compliance Strategy

Which financial institutions are most likely to thrive and lead in the future? The smart money says it will be the ones that swiftly, successfully adopt and master new technologies. One perfect place this theory is playing out: the increasingly complex regulatory compliance landscape. While some banks persist in trying to keep up via laborious manual processes, others are getting a leg up by leveraging big data and advanced...

September 15, 2022

How Banks are Using AI & Big Data to Sidestep Financial Crime Exposure

Today's financial institutions have it tough. Compliance requirements are becoming almost impossibly rigorous. Data is growing exponentially, both in terms of sheer volume and number of sources. Financial crime is on the rise and is so hard to combat, it often seems like fighting a multi-headed beast with a ball-point pen. Consider the stress for financial institutions still relying on manual processes to identify...

September 01, 2022

3 Ways Political Organizations and Fundraisers Benefit from Intuitive, Efficient Research

The success of a political campaign hinges on having access to the right information at the right time. But political research is costly. And to make the most of it, campaign managers and their teams need more than a large quantity of information on potential donors and the political opposition; they also need relevant information as quickly as possible. That’s because political decision-making is all about timing...

July 15, 2022

Why Data Visualizations Help You Discover Meaningful Insights from Data, Faster

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” This saying has survived the test of time for a reason. Images were, after all, the first way that people preserved their experiences for future generations. Neanderthals created the earliest cave paintings approximately 64,000 years ago. But the evolution of humans and technology hasn’t reduced the importance of visuals to tell a story. If anything, the ongoing...

July 11, 2022

The ESG Risk Series: Why ESG Risk Should be Top of Your Due Diligence Agenda

Regulators increasingly require corporates and financial services firms to incorporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks into their due diligence and reputational risk management processes. ESG also brings opportunity: asset managers and investment banks have enjoyed significant returns by moving assets into sustainable funds, while companies who are transparent about their ESG commitments have been profitable...

June 30, 2022

Three Best Practices to Celebrate Social Media Day the Right Way

Back in 2010, Mashable —the go-to source for social media news­ and insights—named June 30 Social Media Day. The idea was simple: an annual day to acknowledge social media’s impact on global communication and to bring the world together to celebrate it. In the decade-plus since, social media has become an increasingly major part of everyday life, impacting not just how consumers interact with each...