LONDON — Technology communications agency Missive has launched a planning and analytics solution, White Space Signals, to help clients identify gaps in conversations that can inform their communications strategies.

The service, developed in partnership with analytics consultancy Independent Marketing Sciences (IMS) – founded by former Weber Shandwick global analytics MD Alex Vass in 2020 – uses new data science techniques to identify and understand the topics and conversations relevant to a brand.

Using a blend of social and news analytics, text-based analysis software and custom algorithms, White Space Signals will provide Missive with cluster maps of news and social conversations, social transactions and sentiment analysis, as well as analysing how brands and their competitors perform within the conversations.

The tool will enable Missive to develop communications strategies for clients based on qualitative data that pinpoints where they could have more of a voice in conversations relevant to their business goals, as well engaging key journalists, influencers and key stakeholders.

Missive CEO Giles Peddy – who joined the agency as CEO from Lewis in 2020 – said: “White Space Signals builds on our relentless focus and investment into planning, insights and analytics over the last 12 months, and brings us to the cutting edge of insights and analysis, coupling innovative algorithms with human intuition to pinpoint exactly where clients can own the conversation.”

The new service reflects rising demand for data driven insights to help inform comms strategy; according to a new report from Deloitte, 58% of corporate affairs leaders see data and insights as their number-one competency to strengthen.

Vass said: “Analytics and insights are moving to the core of the very best marketing and communications strategies and are improving rapidly with developments in AI and data science.”

Recent client wins for Missive include becoming Virgin Media O2's retained B2B agency.