Netnography is part of social media research and is a qualitative survey method that involves intensive observation and analysis of online discussions, user reviews, comments and digital traces in social networks, forums, blogs and other online platforms.

The method was originally used to investigate the behaviour, opinions and interactions of people in online communities. In the context of market research, netnography enables a deeper understanding of the wishes, needs and perceptions of (potential) customers and consumers.

GIM NetListener™ is a research solution for comprehensively analysing brand presence and brand perception in social media.

The solution is based on proven ethnographic research methods, which we use to systematically analyse and qualitatively map consumers' social media content. We use AI-supported social listening, keyword tools and software to analyse social media platforms.

To achieve the best possible result, we analyse social media content on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Tik Tok & Co. in a four-stage process.

1) Pre-analysis & conception: During the bidding process, we gain an overview of the data situation (sources). The number of sources identified forms the basis for assessing the project potential.

2) Source identification: In a second step, we check the identified sources for content quality and extract relevant sections using crawling tools.

3) Systematic coding: The content is then systematically coded by our research team. We are continuously developing our coding system.

4) Analysis & interpretation: The final step involves the qualitative analysis and interpretation of the social media content to answer your specific research questions. We present the results to you in a comprehensive report.

Social media research (netnography) is a cost-effective and unbiased way of capturing a wide range of opinions from (potential) customers or consumers on social media. The discussions about products in posts, comments or videos not only serve as a valuable source of new perspectives, but also provide important questions for future projects.