Tonte Bo Douglas is the founder of The Redditrepreneur, a platform helping brands understand what online communities say about them. He publishes research at blog.theredditrepreneur.com & runs Community Intelligence Audits at theredditrepreneur.com.
Community Intelligence
For years, people have added one word to the end of their Google searches: Reddit. Not because Google’s search engine wasn’t working. Because people were looking for something websites often couldn’t provide. Real experiences. Honest opinions. Peer recommendations. Now Google is bringing those community perspectives directly into
Every week, Community Intelligence Weekly explores the biggest developments shaping how online communities influence brands, marketing, commerce and consumer behaviour. This week’s edition highlighted three stories that point towards the same conclusion: Communities are no longer simply places where people gather. They’re becoming infrastructure for discovery, trust and
Community Intelligence
For years, we’ve talked about the future of search as though it would be defined by better algorithms. Faster answers. Smarter AI. More relevant results. But I think we’re asking the wrong question. The future of search isn’t just changing because of technology. It’s changing because
Community Intelligence
The internet has never produced more conversations. Every minute, millions of people ask questions, recommend products, debate ideas and share experiences across Reddit, forums, Facebook Groups, Discord servers and countless niche communities. It’s clear that organisations know these conversations matter. The challenge is knowing what to do with them.
Community Intelligence
Every major technology shift leaves behind clues. Not in press releases. Not in keynote presentations. But in the decisions the biggest technology companies quietly make. Meta’s latest AI search announcement is one of those clues. On the surface, it’s another product update. Meta is expanding AI powered search
Community Intelligence
Last week, Reddit expanded what it's calling its "Community Intelligence" ad strategy: announcing new Shopping List Ads and a free form ad generator at Cannes Lions, just a year after first unveiling the concept in June 2025. Reddit's COO Jen Wong put it simply:
Frameworks
Why some communities naturally pull people in. Every successful community has an invisible force. It attracts people. It keeps them engaged. It gives them a reason to return. It encourages them to contribute. And over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to leave. I call this force Community Gravity. Community Gravity
Concepts
For years, we have been told that we live in an Attention Economy. An economy where the most valuable resource is attention and the winners are those who can capture it. For a long time, that was true. But something is changing. Artificial intelligence is making information abundant. Words, images,
Case Studies
TikTok Shop is usually described as an ecommerce feature. But a better way to understand it is this: TikTok Shop turns community trust into sales, at scale. In other words, it’s Community Commerce. The shift (in plain English) For a long time, most buying influence came from: * big celebrities
Case Studies
Apple remains one of the most successful companies in history. Its products continue to sell in enormous numbers. Its ecosystem remains one of the strongest in technology. Its customers remain among the most loyal in the world. Yet analysis of conversations across Reddit, YouTube comments, forums, social media discussions and
Reports
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest football tournament in the world. Community Intelligence suggests it is something larger. For one month, the World Cup transforms how millions of people gather, communicate, argue, celebrate and identify themselves. It temporarily rearranges loyalties. It expands communities beyond their usual boundaries. It creates
Reports
A Community Intelligence Analysis Of FOMO, Shared Experience And Cross-Border Event Mobilisation Every year thousands of events compete for attention. Most attract local audiences. Some attract tourists. A small number evolve into something bigger. They become community events. Fête de la Musique is one of them. Originally created in