By Nishel Fernando, Daily Mirror
The public relations landscape is undergoing a massive transformation, shifting from traditional reactive media monitoring to proactive, real-time strategic advisory. As digital footprints expand and conversations happen at lightning speed across multiple platforms, brands are increasingly vulnerable to shifting public sentiments. Organizations can no longer wait for a monthly report to understand how their audience feels about a new product, an unfolding crisis, or a macroeconomic shift. To navigate this complex environment, leading companies are turning to social intelligence.
Mark&Comm recently introduced Talkwalker to the Sri Lankan market, equipping businesses with the digital tools to listen, analyze, and act on these fast-paced online conversations. Beyond merely extracting data, the platform provides a foundation for human analysis, allowing strategic advisors to interpret online sentiments and protect corporate reputations before issues escalate. Mirror Business recently sat down with Anjalie Munasinghe, Manager PR & Social Intelligence at Mark&Comm to explore the mechanics of social listening, how clients can measure its return on investment, and why reputation is fast becoming an organization’s most valuable asset.
The below are excerpts of the discussion:
Q Social intelligence has become a popular term. What does it actually mean?
Every day, thousands of conversations happen online; people share opinions, review products, and react to brands in real time. Social intelligence helps organizations understand those conversations and identify what matters. It is not just about counting mentions or likes. It is about understanding why people are talking, their underlying feelings, and emerging trends to guide strategic decisions. Basically, it is about listening before speaking.
Q Why is it becoming increasingly important for businesses?
News travels faster than before, and public opinion can change within hours. Organizations can no longer rely on delayed reports or wait until a crisis escalates. By understanding conversations as they happen, businesses can identify risks earlier, respond more effectively, and discover missed opportunities. The global social listening industry is now worth over US$10 billion and continues to grow rapidly, making it a fundamental business capability rather than just a passing trend.
Q Has the role of public relations evolved alongside this trend?
Absolutely. The biggest change is our shift from being reactive to highly proactive. Instead of relying solely on post-campaign reports, we now monitor real-time conversations, anticipate potential issues, and provide strategic advice before they evolve into larger challenges.
Q Mark&Comm has introduced Talkwalker to the Sri Lankan market. What makes it different?
Talkwalker allows us to monitor conversations across news outlets, social media, forums, and other online sources simultaneously. Locally, it is highly capable of extracting data in Sinhala, Tamil, and Singlish. However, the real value lies in what we do with that information. We analyze patterns, measure sentiment, benchmark competitors, and turn data into practical recommendations. Technology provides the intelligence, but our team’s expertise transforms it into a meaningful strategy.
QHow can corporations get their hands on this intelligence, and is there an opportunity to experience it first?
Corporates can access this through Mark&Comm as a fully managed service. Clients do not need to operate the enterprise platform themselves; we handle the real-time monitoring, data extraction, and strategic analysis. We also offer a seven-day trial period, giving potential clients the opportunity to see exactly what the tool can do and understand if it provides specific, actionable insights before making a long-term commitment.
Q Can you give us a real-time example of how social intelligence helps a business?
We recently worked with an organization facing online allegations related to an environmental issue. While the conversation was not widespread, our monitoring detected it gaining traction among advocacy groups and independent media. We identified what was driving the discussion, the key amplifiers, and the reputational risks. Based on these insights, we advised the client to align their internal and legal teams and prepare a holding statement. The real value was not just tracking the noise, but identifying the emerging risk early and giving leadership the context needed to make informed decisions before the situation became a crisis.
Q If a corporation invested in social listening, how could they measure the ROI?
ROI is measured through strategic growth driven by our insights. When a corporate campaign goes live, we gauge where the audience stood beforehand, analyze their real-time reactions, and formulate a communication strategy based on those emotions. Seeing tangible positive growth in brand equity and public sentiment from that tailored communication is the direct return on investment.
Q Does this play an important role during a crisis?
Very much so. The biggest challenge during a crisis is understanding what is actually happening. Social intelligence allows organizations to monitor a situation’s evolution, identify main concerns, and assess whether public sentiment is improving or deteriorating. This enables communications teams to make informed decisions rather than reacting based on assumptions. Research shows organizations with mature social listening capabilities respond to crises more than four times faster than those relying on traditional monitoring.
Q Everyone is talking about AI. How does it fit into communications?
AI is incredibly valuable for processing large amounts of information quickly, but it does not replace experience or judgment. PR is built on relationships, trust, and understanding context. Technology highlights what is happening, but people determine what it means and how best to respond. AI is an enabler that strengthens our work, but the human element remains irreplaceable.
Q Are Sri Lankan businesses ready for this, and which industries benefit the most?
I believe they are increasingly aware of its value. Today, customer opinions across digital platforms influence purchasing decisions, investor confidence, and brand trust. Building that trust requires understanding stakeholder sentiments and responding meaningfully. Many leading local and global organizations have already integrated social intelligence into their decision-making processes for a competitive advantage. Any organization with a public reputation benefits, and we see strong interest across banking, insurance, retail, hospitality, tourism, FMCG, and manufacturing.
Q There are many PR agencies today. What differentiates Mark&Comm?
Our strength lies in combining strategic communications with data-driven intelligence. We do not just tell clients what is being said about them; we help them understand why it matters, the potential impact, and how they should respond.
Q Where do you see communications heading over the next five years?
Communications professionals will move beyond managing monthly content calendars to becoming trusted strategic advisors. We will play a much bigger role in helping leadership understand stakeholder expectations, anticipate risks, and make informed business decisions. Research suggests over 60 percent of a company’s market value is linked to its reputation. Communication is no longer just about visibility; it is about protecting trust, strengthening reputation, and delivering strategic value.
This was an exclusive interview with Daily Mirror. You can read more here: https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-news/Listening-before-speaking-How-Social-Intelligence-is-redefining-Public-Relations/273-348134
