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Meltwater Earns Official Data Partner Status with Reddit

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social, and consumer intelligence, today announced it has joined Reddit’s Official Data Partner program, a selective designation recognizing industry-leading platforms that help businesses do more with Reddit’s publicly available content. Partners must meet Reddit’s rigorous standards for functionality, data quality, and compliance.

This partnership continues Meltwater’s access to Reddit's enterprise data APIs, allowing customers to unlock insights and signals from authentic sentiment from Reddit that shape consumer culture, preferences, and purchasing decisions, providing more accurate, real-time insights of aggregated consumer intent. Additionally, Meltwater gains the opportunity to collaborate with Reddit on future strategic and growth opportunities together.

With more than 121M daily active users, Reddit is one of the most influential platforms for product research, known for real-world opinions and honest reviews that consumers rely on for discovery and to inform decisions. Meltwater surfaces and enriches public Reddit posts and comments from more than 100K+ communities, transforming large-scale conversation into actionable insight for consumer-led brands. Paired with Meltwater’s AI-driven analytics and listening searches, organizations can uncover emerging trends, understand audience sentiment, strengthen product positioning, and benchmark brand performance with greater speed and confidence.

“Reddit has been a core source of consumer insight within the Meltwater platform for more than a decade, and we’ve seen its influence grow significantly over that time,” said John Box, CEO of Meltwater. “Joining Reddit’s Official Data Partner program is a natural extension of our long-standing relationship and reflects our shared commitment to delivering trusted, high-quality data. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Reddit to continue providing customers with insight into the authentic public conversations shaping consumer behavior.”

“Reddit is the most human place on the internet and home to the most authentic, interest-led conversations,” said Jonathan Flesher, VP of Business Development at Reddit. “By partnering with Meltwater, we’re providing brands with the tools to responsibly tap into those insights, helping them move beyond just listening to really understanding and connecting with our communities in a meaningful way.”

This partnership reinforces Meltwater's ongoing efforts to provide a complete view of brand and market intelligence across news, social, and other channels, ensuring customers have the most accurate picture to drive winning strategies.

For more information, please contact:
Stacy Slayden
Communications Manager
[email protected]

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge needed to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9654266)

Gwyneth Paltrow to Keynote Meltwater Summit 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, is pleased to announce Gwyneth Paltrow – Oscar–winning actress, author and the founder and CEO of goop, a global lifestyle brand – as the headlining keynote speaker at Meltwater Summit 2026, which will be held May 5–6 in New York City.

A defining voice in modern culture and brand–building, Paltrow brings a unique perspective shaped by her ability to spot emerging cultural trends, deeply understand audiences, and create products, content and experiences that shape public conversation. Through this approach, she built goop into a globally–recognized brand rooted in community, authenticity, and relevance.

At Meltwater Summit 2026, Paltrow will take the main stage to explore how curiosity and intentional strategy can fuel meaningful brand evolution. Her keynote will cover how leaders can build communities that feel personal and connected, create content that drives loyalty, identify and act on cultural moments, and scale with purpose – topics that align with this year’s Summit theme, Where Insights Inspire.

Following the success of past events featuring speakers such as Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Reynolds, Trevor Noah, and Bethenny Frankel, Meltwater Summit 2026 enters its fourth year of bringing together the most influential voices in marketing, PR and communications. The event offers attendees an opportunity to learn from industry leaders, exchange ideas, and future–proof their strategies in an increasingly complex media and communications landscape.

In addition to Paltrow, Meltwater Summit 2026 will feature industry–leading brands and influential leaders sharing strategies and tactics that drive measurable success. Sessions will explore the latest trends shaping marketing and communications – from AI agents to insight–driven storytelling – and examining how data can drive the ideas and innovation that move brands forward.

“Gwyneth has an incredible ability to turn creativity, intuition, and data into bold–storytelling that truly connects with her audiences on a deeper level,” said Jenny Force, VP Global Marketing at Meltwater. “As brand leaders navigate constant change, her perspective on culture, community and reinvention is sure to inspire Summit attendees with fresh ideas that spark creative thinking, innovation and lasting impact.”

To learn more about Meltwater Summit 2026 and how to register, visit Meltwater Summit 2026.

For more information, please contact:
Stacy Slayden
Communications Manager
[email protected] 

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge needed to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9642952)

New report from Meltwater and We. Communications reveals 90% of PR teams are integrating generative AI into their workflows

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social, and consumer intelligence, in partnership with We. Communications, released its first annual State of PR Report, based on insights from more than 1,100 PR and communications professionals worldwide. The report highlights how PR teams are navigating rising expectations, evolving measurement demands, and using AI as a strategic advantage – while increasingly positioning themselves as strategic drivers of business value.

Key takeaways from the report:

  • AI is officially mainstream: Over 90% of PR teams have already integrated generative AI into their workflows for tasks like drafting press releases, optimizing content, and brainstorming, but only 13% say it’s highly integrated.
  • AI can supercharge teams and reduce time–sinks: Teams reported reactive work, content creation, and measurement/reporting as their biggest time sinks. Conversely, they named identifying rising trends and issues and summarization of media coverage, as the areas AI can have the biggest impact on their efforts, illustrating the efficiencies that can be gained with greater AI integration.
  • PR measurement is entering its next era: While foundational metrics such as reach and media volume are still widely used, there is growing momentum toward outcome–based measurement tied to business KPIs. More than one–third of PR professionals say aligning metrics to business goals is now a top priority. With insufficient resources and proving ROI cited as the top two challenges PR teams are facing, it’s key that evolving measurement is key.
  • Budgets are flat, but expectations are higher: More than half of respondents expect little or no change in PR investment for 2026, despite increased demand for strategic impact.
  • Leadership buy–in is key: Nearly 40% of PR pros report that company leadership has a limited understanding of their PR team’s work, despite 36% saying that PR budget is dependent on CEOs, underscoring the critical need to prove ROI to earn a seat at the table.
  • LinkedIn dominates as the PR pro platform of choice: 62% of PR professionals said LinkedIn was the most valuable platform for their work, with Facebook and Instagram as the next most popular at 10% each.

“The world of PR is defined by constant change, yet our research shows that core challenges, specifically proving ROI and fighting a persistent lack of resources, remain front and center,” said John Box, CEO of Meltwater. “What’s different now is that AI–powered tools are giving teams concrete ways to improve operational efficiency, gain the insight needed to measure brand performance and ensure the PR function achieves recognition and investment it deserves.”

Melissa Waggener Zorkin, Global CEO of We. Communications, says the report also points to the need for a pivotal shift in how communicators measure success, as AI solutions can now link communications activity to reputation outcomes and enterprise value. “PR pros do a great job measuring activity, but we’re seeing a missed opportunity when it comes to measuring impact. We now have sophisticated AI solutions that connect communications to reputation and business value in clear, quantifiable ways, giving communicators the data they need to show organization leaders how their work drives real results.”

For more insights, read the full State of PR Report here.

For more information, please contact:
Stacy Slayden
Communications Manager
[email protected]

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge needed to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About We. Communications
We. is a global communications agency helping brands navigate an ever–changing world. We’ve spent decades at the intersection of technology and humanity, translating new innovations into meaningful experiences that connect with people. As change accelerates and expectations evolve, we use our expertise to help brands communicate through complexity to drive connection, understanding and progress. We offer a range of solutions with this in mind, across diverse industries, audiences and stakeholders. 


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9625485)

Meltwater Achieves SOC 2 Type II Certification, Reinforcing Commitment to Data Security and Trust

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social, and consumer intelligence, has achieved SOC 2 Type II certification, underscoring the company's commitment to maintaining the highest standards for data security.

The certification confirms that Meltwater’s systems and processes are designed and operating effectively to protect customer data and support enterprise–grade security requirements.

“At Meltwater, trust, safety and security are foundational,” said Aditya Jami, Chief Technology Officer at Meltwater. “Achieving SOC 2 Type II certification reflects the rigor of our security practices and our ongoing investment in protecting customer data across our global platform.”

SOC 2 Type II certification assesses an organization’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy, validating not only their design but their effectiveness over time. For Meltwater customers across industries, the certification provides assurance that Meltwater meets stringent security and compliance expectations.

This milestone builds on Meltwater’s ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and ISO 42001 certifications and the company’s broader approach to responsible data stewardship, which includes continuous monitoring, internal controls, and regular third–party assessments to adapt to evolving security and regulatory requirements. With growing concerns surrounding data privacy and security, these certifications are a testament to Meltwater's proactive approach in addressing these challenges.

For more information about Meltwater’s security and compliance practices, visit Meltwater’s Trust Center.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
[email protected]

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge needed to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9621968)

Meltwater Earns Three Comparably Awards for Leadership, Culture and Compensation

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social, and consumer intelligence, has been recognized with three Comparably Awards underscoring the company’s continued commitment to building a strong culture, investing in leadership, and creating an environment where employees can do their best work.

Based entirely on anonymous employee feedback, Meltwater received recognition in the following categories:

  • Best CEOs
  • Best Company Culture
  • Best Company Compensation

“We’re proud to have our commitment to people, leadership, and total rewards recognized by Comparably,” said Peyton O’Connor, Chief People Officer at Meltwater. “This honor reflects the work we do every day to build a collaborative, inclusive culture. That effort starts at the top with our CEO, John Box, whose commitment to transparency, respect, and accountability helps create an environment where employees are not only supported, but inspired to grow, contribute, and thrive.”

These awards reflect Meltwater’s commitment to providing a workplace culture grounded in collaboration, trust, and shared values. By investing in career growth, Meltwater’s leadership ensures that every team member has the resources and support needed to perform meaningful work.

With a presence in 50 locations across 25 countries, Meltwater's global culture is rooted in the belief that when the right people are in the right environment, great things happen. Regardless of location, the company is dedicated to providing employees with opportunities to make an impact, learn daily, and receive the support needed to advance their careers.

In total this year, Meltwater has received 13 Comparably awards including Best Career Growth, Best Leadership Teams, Best Engineering Teams, Best HR Teams, Best Product & Design Teams, Best Sales Teams, Happiest Employees, Best Company Perks & Benefits, and Best Company Work–Life Balance. Meltwater remains committed to supporting employee well–being and engagement, recognizing their critical role in the company’s long–term success.

Comparably Awards are determined by sentiment feedback from current employees who anonymously rate their employers on Comparably.com. The data for these awards was collected over the past 12 months, ensuring an accurate representation of employee experiences.

For more information, please contact:
Stacy Slayden
[email protected]

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social, and consumer intelligence. By analyzing approximately 1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9605022)

Meltwater Named a Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Influencer Marketing Platforms for SMB Companies 2025-2026

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social, and influencer intelligence, has been recognized as a Leader in the new IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Influencer Management for SMB Companies 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment (doc #US52967425, November 2025). The recognition follows Meltwater’s recent recognition as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Influencer Marketing Platforms for Large Enterprises 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment (doc #US53601825, November 2025). Meltwater is the only vendor named a Leader across both reports.

We believe being recognized in these reports solidifies Meltwater as the industry’s most comprehensive influencer management solution, built to support organizations of every size with precision discovery, intelligent workflows, measurable ROI, and global scale.

“We believe being named a Leader in both the enterprise and SMB IDC MarketScape categories underscores a simple truth: Meltwater is setting the standard for influencer marketing globally,” said Chris Hackney, Chief Product Officer at Meltwater. “In a discovery landscape increasingly shaped by AI answer engines, creators, and social signals, brands deserve solutions that are accurate, predictive, and trustworthy. Meltwater’s integrated suite empowers marketing teams everywhere, from fast–growing SMBs to the world’s largest brands, to build creator programs that are measurable, authentic, and scalable.”

Meltwater’s Strengths Highlighted in the IDC MarketScape for Influencer Marketing for SMB Companies

Meltwater was recognized for the following strengths in the IDC MarketScape for Influencer Marketing for SMB Companies:

  • “High–precision creator discovery”
  • “End–to–end campaign management and reporting”
  • “Proprietary True Reach scoring system to measure creators' authentic audience size and influence levels”
  • “Built in CRM functionality to manage influencers”

The IDC MarketScape for Influencer Marketing for SMB Companies notes that “Meltwater emphasizes systematic, AI–driven influencer strategies backed by comprehensive social listening capabilities that enable brands to monitor influencer content sentiment, track brand mentions, and integrate creator campaigns with broader media intelligence and reputation management initiatives,” and that the company is a partner–of–choice for “needs that span from global to local in nature.”

The IDC MarketScape for Influencer Marketing for Large Enterprises highlights the shifts and key trends in the Influencer Marketing Landscape today, noting that AI “underpins creator identification, campaign optimization, and performance modeling” and “enables faster, more informed decision–making.”

The Meltwater platform is purpose–built to address these shifts — offering advanced analytics, sentiment tracking, attribution modeling, and AI–driven insights that help brands adapt quickly and confidently.

“As discovery shifts toward AI–generated answers and creator–led influence, brands need a unified, intelligent system that connects influencer activity with real business outcomes,” said Aditya Jami, Chief Technology Officer at Meltwater. “Our investment in AI, data quality, and global infrastructure ensures our customers can scale with precision and act with intention.”

For more information about Meltwater’s influencer marketing solution, visit meltwater.com.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
[email protected]

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge needed to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About IDC MarketScape

IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360–degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9595805)

Meltwater Named a Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Influencer Marketing Platforms for Large Enterprises 2025-2026 Vendor Assessment

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social, and consumer intelligence, has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Influencer Marketing Platforms for Large Enterprises 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment (doc #US53601825, November 2025).

The IDC MarketScape evaluated vendors for capabilities, strategic vision, customer experience, scalability, and sustained innovation.

“We believe being named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape underscores Meltwater’s commitment to empowering global brands with best–in–class influencer marketing tools,” said Chris Hackney, Chief Product Officer at Meltwater. “Enterprises today demand platforms that not only manage authentic influencer relationships at scale but also deliver actionable insights, ROI measurement, and agility to respond to market trends and optimize campaigns in real time.”

According to the IDC MarketScape, Meltwater was recognized for the following strengths:

  • Creator Reach Score: “Proprietary True Reach scoring system that accurately measures creators' authentic audience size and influence levels by analyzing engagement quality, audience authenticity, and genuine reach rather than follower counts alone.”
  • Suite Integration: “Comprehensive integration with Meltwater's social listening and media intelligence capabilities, enabling brands to monitor influencer campaign performance alongside broader brand sentiment and competitive intelligence.”
  • Relationship Management: “Enterprise–grade CRM functionality providing centralized management for conversations, content collaboration, timelines, and global payments in nearly 100 countries with local currency support.”

Meltwater's future influencer marketing enhancements include new AI Discovery and AI Outreach functionality, which represents the next step toward autonomous influencer campaign management. These AI tools enhance personalization, speed, and strategy by automating influencer search, vetting, and outreach, delivering faster launches, scalable workflows, and data–driven recommendations that help brands identify the right creators and optimize performance.

“Our influencer marketing roadmap is focused on bringing the power of generative and agentic AI directly into the hands of marketers,” said Eytan Avigdor, Senior Director of Meltwater’s Influencer Marketing Product. “We’re building the next generation of influencer marketing, one where AI accelerates execution and helps brands make smarter, more strategic decisions at scale.”

Meltwater’s influencer marketing solution tightly integrates with its broader media intelligence, social listening, and analytics suite. This interoperability enables brands to monitor campaign impact across earned, owned, and paid channels, delivering unified insight across all marketing touchpoints.

For more information about Meltwater’s influencer marketing solution, visit Meltwater.com.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
Corporate Communications Director
[email protected]

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge needed to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About IDC MarketScape:
IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360–degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9577239)

Tres Thompson joins Meltwater as Chief Financial Officer

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a leading global provider of media, social, and consumer intelligence, today announced the appointment of Tres Thompson as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With over 35 years of experience in accounting, finance, and operational leadership within both privately held and publicly traded technology companies, Thompson brings a wealth of expertise to the Meltwater Executive Team.

Most recently, Thompson served as CFO of HighRadius, a global SaaS company specializing in AI solutions for the office of the CFO. Prior to that, he held the position of CFO at Velsera, a health technology company, and was CFO and COO at Symplr, a SaaS platform serving the healthcare industry. Tres brings significant experience leading high–growth, private–equity backed organizations to successful exits, as well as M&A and integration expertise, to his new role at Meltwater. 

“I’m excited to join Meltwater at such a dynamic moment in the company’s growth journey,” said Tres Thompson, CFO of Meltwater. “The products, the people and the history of profitable growth create incredible opportunities to continue to scale, drive operational excellence and create long–term value.”

“Tres brings deep financial and operational experience that will be instrumental as we continue to drive sustainable growth at Meltwater,” said John Box, CEO of Meltwater. “His track record and history of results at high–growth, global SaaS organizations make him a strong addition to our leadership team.”

Thompson will lead Meltwater’s global central operations and finance organizations, overseeing financial strategy, operations, and investor relations as the company continues to strengthen its position as a leader in AI–powered media and social intelligence.

For more information, please contact:

Kelly Costello  
Corporate Communications Director  
[email protected] 

About Meltwater

Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social, consumer, and sales intelligence. By analyzing approximately 1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com. 


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9572473)

Meltwater 2025 Year-End Product Release Delivers Smarter Media Intelligence with New AI Innovations

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social, and consumer intelligence, today announced its 2025 Year–End Product Release, introducing new AI tools designed to provide PR and Marketing professionals with enhanced clarity, agility, and control over their narratives in an increasingly complex media landscape.

According to Digital 2026, more than 1 billion people now use standalone generative AI tools every month. News, social media, and now AI content have collided to create a new media landscape changing how people find information, form opinions and make decisions. With large language models (LLMs) redefining how audiences discover and evaluate brands, there’s a new challenge for brand managers to protect their reputation and stay ahead of the story.

Meltwater's latest release helps marketers, communicators and brand managers take back control, giving them a clear picture of what’s being said about their brand. These new tools give teams consolidated reporting across paid, earned and owned media, transparency into how LLMs are representing their brands, insights from video content at scale, and smart AI teammates. Together, these features surface sharper, strategic, and relevant insights, empowering organizations with the tools to act on emerging narratives in real–time, and the intelligence to shape the narrative proactively.

Key features of the 2025 Year–End Release are designed to provide customers with a unified experience, comprehensive content, enhanced analytics and AI platforms and workflows:

  • Unified Dashboards: A connected reporting experience that measures paid, earned, and owned media efforts collectively, providing a global view of performance across channels, and reducing the time spent stitching together analyses from different tools.
  • GenAI Lens: The industry’s first–ever LLM–monitoring capability that enables brands to monitor how they, their products and competitors are discussed across leading LLMs. It captures responses, providing transparency into the narratives being formed and the sources of information utilized by these models.
  • Content Expansion: Meltwater’s partnership with Dow Jones provides access to premium business coverage from the Wall Street Journal, The Globe & Mail, Barron’s, MarketWatch, IBD, The FN, Private Equity News, and Dow Jones Newswires, so customers can stay ahead of the market. Additionally, increased YouTube coverage offers enhanced subscription targeting, deeper engagement metrics, expanded historical data, and broader comment coverage.
  • Predictive Analytics: With pattern recognition technology, Meltwater’s Explore product can now forecast whether a spike in mentions will grow or fade, so you can act on opportunities early, neutralize risks, and invest resources with confidence.
  • Smarter AI Assistants: Meltwater’s recently launched AI teammate, Mira, provides a customized AI experience based on a brand’s preferences, goals and unique context for more relevant, strategic insights and recommendations, all within a streamlined workflow powered by Mira Projects and Mira Canvas, giving you greater control, confidence, and personalization.
  • Modern Research and Outreach: Klear AI enhancements make influencer discovery and outreach easier using natural language search and personalized, on–brand outreach tailored to each campaign and influencer. Plus, with enhanced profiles in Media Relations, one AI–generated view of coverage and social presence replaces fragmented bios and research.

“The digital landscape is changing at lightning speed, with LLM–generated content changing how people discover brands and form opinions. Meltwater’s newest releases are built exactly for this moment to equip brand leaders with tools to cut through the noise, understand what drives perception and confidently shape the conversation in real–time,” said Chris Hackney, Chief Product Officer at Meltwater.

“Together, these new AI–driven capabilities redefine media intelligence for the era of generative content. Brand leaders can now see the full picture across paid, owned, and earned while understanding how their brands appear within major LLMs through GenAI Lens. Paired with predictive analytics and our agentic teammate Mira, we're giving brands the clarity, speed, and governance to see around corners and shape their narrative with confidence,” said Aditya Jami, Chief Technology Officer at Meltwater.

These product launches reflect Meltwater’s continued commitment to innovation that delivers measurable impact for its customers. With a relentless focus on quality, value, and service, every advancement brought to market is created to help customers succeed today and stay ahead of tomorrow’s opportunities. To learn more about this year’s product release, visit Meltwater.com.

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9550562)

Digital 2026: Internet users pass 6 billion, social media users become a ‘supermajority’, and AI use tops 1 billion

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence and We Are Social, the socially–led creative agency, have released Digital 2026, their latest annual report on social media and digital trends worldwide.

Digital 2026 reveals major milestones in internet and social media adoption, with more than two–thirds of the world's total population now using social media. The report also points to a significant evolution in online behaviour, as the battle for attention intensifies on established platforms.

A social media ‘supermajority’

According to Digital 2026, global social media user identities now stand at 5.66 billion, equivalent to 68.7 percent of the global population. This figure represents a ‘supermajority’, with social media users outnumbering non–users two to one. The global total increased by 4.8 percent over the past year, thanks to the addition of 259 million new user identities.

The battle for attention

While user numbers continue to climb, how people spend their time is changing. The typical internet user spends more than 2.5 hours per day on social and video platforms, with ‘filling spare time’ now ranking as the second–biggest motivation for using social media, behind ‘keeping in touch with friends and family’.

When it comes to which platforms are winning this battle for attention, Similarweb data shows YouTube has the largest number of active app users, almost 50 percent more than fifth–placed TikTok. However, the typical TikTok user spends an average of 1 hour and 37 minutes per day using the platform’s Android app, significantly more than any other social platform.

Social media now the top channel for brand discovery

Digital 2026 highlights fundamental differences in how different generations discover brands, with social media ads now the dominant channel for younger consumers.

The report finds that for internet users aged 16 to 34, social media ads are the number one source of brand discovery, with 34.2 percent of 16 to 24–year–olds and 32.1 percent of 25 to 34–year–olds using them to learn about new products and services. Social media ads also rank a strong second behind search engines for those aged 35 to 44, underlining a clear generational divide where older audiences still rely on more traditional channels.

AI adoption surges past 1 billion

Digital 2026 provides compelling evidence that more than 1 billion people now use standalone generative AI tools every month. OpenAI’s CEO reported that ChatGPT alone had 800 million weekly users in early October 2025. This rapid adoption is reshaping online behaviours, particularly search, with GWI data showing a steady decline in the number of people who use a conventional search engine each month.

Digital ad spend continues to climb

Marketers are on track to spend US$1.16 trillion on advertising in 2025, with digital channels accounting for nearly three–quarters (74.4 percent) of that total. Social media advertising continues to enjoy strong growth, with global spend projected to increase by 13.6 percent year–on–year to reach US$277 billion in 2025.

Digital 2026 is a 700–page report covering data from across the entire online ecosystem. Other key social media highlights include:

  • Social media ads are now the number one source of brand discovery for internet users aged 16 to 34, ahead of search engines and TV ads.
  • Women aged 16 to 24 now spend an average of 3 hours and 40 minutes per day on social and video platforms, the most of any demographic.
  • The typical social media user now uses an average of 6.75 different social platforms each month.

And from the wider digital ecosystem:

  • Online retail advertising is surging, with marketers on track to spend a combined US$204 billion on ads on these platforms in 2025.
  • Streaming services now account for more than half (50.4 percent) of all time spent watching TV content globally.
  • The number of people using a conventional search engine each month has seen a steady decline, with only 80 percent of online adults now using one.
  • Globally, YouTube’s advertising formats on connected TVs now reach more than four in ten of its users each month.
  • Nearly half of the world’s online adults say that they are excited about the potential of artificial intelligence.
  • There are 5.78 billion unique mobile users globally, equating to 70.1% of the world’s population

“We’re seeing a profound shift in how people discover brands, with more people turning to social media and AI platforms than ever before. Among younger audiences, social media ads now carry more weight than traditional search in shaping awareness and perception, while the rise of GenAI, now used by more than a billion people each month, is transforming how people find and trust information. For marketers and communicators, this is an exciting opportunity to build strategies that connect with audiences in new ways and meet them where they are today,” said Alexandra Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater.

Toby Southgate, Global Group CEO at We Are Social said: “This year's report confirms the game keeps changing, creating both huge opportunities and a new challenge for marketers. A 'supermajority' of the world is now active on social media – this is where brands win or lose. That means we have moved from a race for reach to a battle for relevance. Success in this new landscape will be defined by a deep, cultural understanding of platforms and behaviours, and the ability to earn attention with ideas that are truly worth talking about.”

Read the full report now: https://www.meltwater.com/en/global–digital–trends

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About We Are Social
We are a global socially–led creative agency, with unrivalled social media and influencer marketing expertise. With 1,200 people in four continents, we deliver a global perspective to our clients in a time when social media is shaping culture.We make ideas worth talking about. We understand social behaviours within online communities, cultures and subcultures, spanning the social and gaming landscape. We build influencer partnerships with impact.

We work with the world’s biggest brands, including adidas, Samsung, Google and Amazon, to reach the right people in a strategic, relevant and effective way.

We Are Social is part of Plus Company.

To learn more, visit www.wearesocial.com

For more information, please contact:
Stacy Slayden
[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9545716)