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Bluefin Labs The Acquisition by Twitter Case Solution

Solution Id Length Case Author Case Publisher
2346 1475 Words (6 Pages) John Deighton, Leora Kornfeld Harvard Business School : 513091
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The case is based on the acquisition of Bluefin labs by Twitter and provokes discussion about what value Bluefin brings for Twitter and the future prospects of both companies. Bluefin was co-founded by Michael Fleischman in 2008 to monitor social TV- the activity of posting on social media while watching television. The company wanted to gain the opportunity of measuring not only media consumption but audience engagement as well. Unlike the traditional data sources, Bluefin gathered real-time data. Most of the data came from the third largest social media platform Twitter. Twitter had 200 million active users from all around the world and was a key real-time conversation platform about TV programs. Before being acquired by Twitter, Bluefin served TV networks and media buyers but now after becoming a part of Twitter, the company looks forward to generating more insight on social TV for the whole television ecosystem.

Following questions are answered in this case study solution:

  1. Do you ever tweet, text, or email while watching television? If so, why? What motivates people to participate in social TV?

  2. Dave Poltrack refers to Bluefin Labs’ data as a deep dive and SocialGuide’s as a more summary picture. What features of data collection and analysis make Bluefin Labs a deep dive? What are the pros and cons of Bluefin’s “deep dive” data for its clients

  3. Why did Twitter buy Bluefin Labs? Was it wise for Twitter to shut down sales of Bluefin’s product suite? What do you advise Twitter to do with Bluefin’s capabilities?

  4. Whether you do or not, it seems 40 million Americans do. Are their conversations representative of TV viewers? If not, are the data valuable to TV networks? Are they valuable to media buyers? To brand marketers?

Case Study Questions Answers

1. Do you ever tweet, text, or email while watching television? If so, why? What motivates people to participate in social TV?

I do tweet, text, or email while watching television. It allows me to be a part of a unique online community that shares my interest in a specific show or event. Sharing the victory of my favorite team while watching sports or sharing reactions to an unexpected turn of events in my favorite show provides an additional form of entertainment and a sense of belonging to a community where people with similar interests exist. Texting family and friends while watching TV makes me feel like watching TV with friends or family right next to me no matter how far away they live. 

Similar to my experience, the motivation in people to participate in social TV comes from the need for belonging. Sharing opinions, thoughts, and theories while watching TV shows allow people to connect with a larger group that shares a common interest in a show. Tweets, texts, and emails allow people to be a part of a global conversation and express the thoughts that spark in their minds while watching TV shows, events, or sports. When people receive replies or retweets on their tweets, it makes them feel important, heard, validated, and a part of a community. People are also motivated to participate in social TV because of fear of missing out. There is a constant urge and curiosity to know what other people think or how they are reacting to the show you are watching as well. People want to know what different opinions and theories people have about the shows they are passionate about. Many people enjoy both texting their friends and family and tweeting to engage with strangers while watching TV. It is a way of enjoying TV with your friends and instantly sharing opinions and reactions, even when you cannot be physically present together. 

2. Dave Poltrack refers to Bluefin Labs’ data as a deep dive and SocialGuide’s as a more summary picture. What features of data collection and analysis make Bluefin Labs a deep dive? What are the pros and cons of Bluefin’s “deep dive” data for its clients?

Dave Poltrack refers to Bluefin Lab’s data as a deep dive because of the extensive amount of information the company collected and the deep underlying insights the analysis of such extensive data provided.

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