Initially manual, based on the physical reading of newspapers and magazines and the listening and recording of radio and television programs, the monitoring of corporate image and exposure in the media has progressed over the last two decades, driven by the widespread use of new technologies. The measurement of actions implemented by corporate communication spaces to promote brands and products has also acquired, over time, sophisticated evaluation methods that generate large volumes of data in real time.
Today, with the spread of LLMs (Large Language Models), a type of artificial intelligence (AI) used to understand and generate texts, proctoring has become increasingly personalized and automated, with deeper reading in real time. Although the tools are relatively the same as a few years ago, the scale and speed of data interpretation is much greater today.
“We have moved from a manual era to increasingly automated monitoring systems. The big change came with the digitization of clipping (which brings together the main news of the day) and the integration with databases, which allowed us to increase the volume and speed of analysis,” explains Fernanda Dantas, director of digital intelligence and data at CDN, one of the many agencies that offer these services on the market. She emphasizes that technology has always been a part of the job, and as new tools have emerged, they have been integrated. “The difference has never been in the software, but in the look. It is the analyst who interprets the context, the irony, the trends and the nuances of the (media) coverage. Things that no tool can replace,” he says.
To monitor, analyze media mentions of companies, measure with greater speed and agility, qualify this exposure and translate this information and data into strategic value, CDN created the Media Exposure Quality Index (IQEM) 22 years ago, which recently underwent a major reformulation. According to Dantas, the tool has acquired new sources of real-time data and measurement of communication strategies. As a result, the index has become more robust and also allows for an effective combination of artificial and human intelligence.
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For Marcelo Tokarski, CEO of Nexus, FSB Holding’s research and data intelligence company, before AI, technology was a data processor and today it is also an information producer. “With the advent of LLMs, monitoring has become increasingly personalized and automated, with in-depth reading of content, creation of metrics and classifications,” he says. Gradually integrated into the work, AI is now used from start to finish of the process, from capture to analysis, but the human perspective remains central,” emphasizes Dantas, from the CDN.
“We are moving from the age of Internet search to the age of AI inquiry. In this context, companies and brands need to know precisely what AI is saying about them, because, ultimately, it is reputation,” says the CEO of Nexus. With this in mind, the data intelligence branch of FSB Holding joined iaLab and created vox.ia, a tool that maps the presence of a product, brand or company in the responses given by generative AI, translating the diagnosis into practical recommendations.
Whatever the methods, systems or tools, the truth is that image and reputation have become strategic assets. In other words, monitoring the exposure of companies and brands, as well as its effects, is fundamental in any communication strategy. CDN’s Dantas likens surveillance to the practice of measuring a person’s temperature. “It doesn’t prevent the problem, but it allows us to act before it turns into a crisis. Measurement also provides the basis for strategic decisions and helps align communication and business,” he says.
Sergio Pedroso, director of communications at Zendesk in Latin America, considers that exposing companies in the media is one of the ways to build a reputation. Thus, the monitoring service becomes essential when we understand that communication can and must play an important role in the company. “Creating a positive reputation and maintaining it over time affects business results in different areas,” says the leader of the global technology company that offers AI-based solutions.
Vale believes that, in today’s instant information scenario, reputation management is no longer “the frame of the image” but has become “the screen itself”. Leandro Modé, director of communications and branding for the mining company, says he likes this metaphor because it demonstrates the driving role that communication plays in energizing, engaging and protecting the brand. For him, measuring communication results transcends reputational prejudices. According to him, it is a value management instrument that guides strategic decisions, validates brand investments and anticipates reputational risks.
“We use the tools available on the market to monitor the effectiveness of our actions in a strategic and targeted way, such as monitoring the company’s positivity in press releases or in vehicles with greater scope and relevance for the company,” explains the manager. He and Pedroso also say that companies with good reputations tend to attract the best talent in the market. “Vale is among the three most sought-after companies to work for in Brazil. We depend on public opinion to guarantee social permission to operate. And we believe in open communication to obtain this legitimate approval from the community on a daily basis,” says Modé.
For the Zendesk leader, monitoring is particularly important in situations such as crisis management. When a negative event, real or not, becomes public and the company needs to provide clarification, monitoring must be immediate and constant so that the negative impact is as small as possible.
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