Datarank

High-Level Overview

DataRank is a social analytics company that specializes in transforming social media data and online conversations into actionable marketing insights. Its platform helps marketers and brands perform consumer and shopper insights, brand health monitoring, competitive analysis, and social campaign tracking. DataRank serves primarily enterprise clients, including Fortune 100 companies, enabling them to optimize marketing strategies by understanding consumer sentiment and social media impact. After demonstrating strong growth, including a 150% increase in customer base over a year, DataRank was acquired by SimplyMeasured, a Seattle-based social media analytics firm, to expand the combined offering for marketers from research to ROI attribution[1][3][5].

Origin Story

Founded in October 2011 by University of Arkansas graduates Ryan Frazier (CEO), Britt Cagnina, Chuong Nguyen, and Kenny Cason, DataRank emerged from Fayetteville, Arkansas. The company graduated from the Y Combinator accelerator in 2013 and raised $1.4–1.6 million in seed funding led by New Road Ventures and FundersClub. DataRank developed its own proprietary search language, Fizzle, to improve social data filtering beyond traditional Boolean methods. The founders built the company with a focus on leveraging social data for brand insights, gaining early traction with notable clients like ConAgra Foods and Clorox. Acquisition by SimplyMeasured in 2015 was seen as a strategic fit aligned with DataRank’s mission and culture[1][3][4][5].

Core Differentiators

• Proprietary Technology: Developed Fizzle, a fast, scalable searching language that enhances social data filtering accuracy and relevance beyond standard Boolean search.
• Focused Product Offering: Provides comprehensive social analytics tools for brand health, consumer insights, competitive analysis, and campaign tracking.
• Enterprise Clientele: Trusted by Fortune 100 companies for actionable social insights that drive marketing decisions.
• Local Presence with Strategic Partnership: Maintains headquarters and majority of staff in Fayetteville, Arkansas, while integrating with SimplyMeasured’s broader social analytics ecosystem.
• Strong Growth and Market Fit: Demonstrated rapid customer base growth and complementary capabilities to SimplyMeasured’s social attribution and ROI tools[1][3][5].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

DataRank capitalized on the growing trend of leveraging social media data for marketing intelligence during a period when brands increasingly sought to quantify social ROI and consumer sentiment. The timing of its acquisition by SimplyMeasured in 2015 coincided with a market shift toward integrated social analytics platforms that combine data collection, influencer identification, and campaign measurement. This consolidation helped marketers access end-to-end solutions, reflecting broader market forces favoring data-driven marketing and the rise of social media as a critical channel for brand engagement. DataRank’s innovation in search technology and focus on actionable insights contributed to advancing the social analytics ecosystem[1][3][4].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Post-acquisition, DataRank’s integration into SimplyMeasured positioned it to influence the future of marketing analytics by expanding the scope from social listening to comprehensive campaign measurement and ROI attribution. Trends such as increasing demand for real-time social insights, AI-driven analytics, and cross-platform measurement will likely shape its evolution. As social media continues to dominate marketing strategies, companies like DataRank (under SimplyMeasured) are poised to deepen their impact by enabling marketers to connect social data directly to business outcomes, driving smarter investment in social campaigns and innovation in analytics technology[1][3].