So much information, so little time, hence the need for information analysis tools. This week Caroline Page, director of agency Chilli Communications, reviews the tool Quick Search from Talkwalker

Tool name and maker: Quick Search by Talkwalker

What this tool does: Collects unlimited information from news sites, blogs, all social media and then provides a wide variety of analysis.

Price as reviewed: £500 per month per user.

The test: Analyse two key talking points of the day: Stephen Hawking’s death and the reaction to Rex Tillerson’s dismissal.

What we asked this tool to do: Where to start?! The large amount of data this tool holds over a 13-month period means that the different perspectives from which these two stories could be analysed, and the ways in which they could be analysed, are endless.

From months to minutes to now – the fractal style analysis from the very big to the very small was fascinating.  Whether by age, gender, country, influencer, sentiment, time or interests and occupations of those leading the discussions, the story behind the story quickly emerged.  

How it performed: Brilliantly. Most importantly, it is fast, insightful and the platform’s good visual analytics enable you to get a quick understanding of the bigger picture, from which you can dig down as much or as little as you like.

Speed plus the unlimited data it holds is, I think, what gives this tool the advantage over its competitors. Getting in their first with your angle/information on a breaking story or current trend is often what gives one PR firm the advantage over another, so in that respect this is a powerful tool.

Quick Search can be used for a wide variety of analytics, can inform prospects, uncover trends, monitor response to a story or brand, and can be used for content creation and research.

Likes: £500 per month isn’t cheap, but it’s not bad value for what Quick Search achieves. What excited me most is the power it gives to medium and smaller agencies like my own to be able to compete, in terms of analytical insights, with the big hitters of the PR world. 

I liked the versatility it offers too; not just regarding variety of ways one topic can be examined, but the number of ways in which Quick Search can be used.

The fact that it can search pictures is a plus. So, for example, a brand doesn’t need to feature in text for you to see how it’s being used by customers which, in turn, can spark ideas for new campaigns.

Dislikes: Although user-friendly, to fully appreciate the full capability of Quick Search you do need training. Some of the functions that excited me the most I’m not sure I would have found on my own.

Where information can be broken down – eg, by country or by age group - it would be good to highlight that they may not always be what they seem. For example, English-speaking countries will obviously dominate geographical results for an English search term. Any results regarding age demographic should be treated with caution too as they will obviously be influenced by the average age of users of those social media platforms searched.

Star rating (out of five): 

Written by Caroline Page, director of agency Chilli Communication