Observed Signal · Jul 15, 2026 · Interview · Source: https://martechseries.com/feed/ · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Pendulum CEO on Social Intelligence for Modern Marketers
In a MarTech Series interview, Mark Listes, CEO of Pendulum Intelligence, explains why brands should move beyond traditional social listening to adopt social intelligence — an AI-driven, context-aware approach that accelerates awareness-to-action. He describes Pendulum as a platform and service that monitors video, audio, and text at scale to surface nuanced, market-specific insights that inform faster ideation, risk detection, influencer selection, and activation. Listes outlines four fundamentals of effective social listening (listen where audiences are, get nuanced, be proactive/predictive, and stay vigilant) and offers five tactical tips for community-focused, language-aware, outcome-driven social programs. He cites external reports (Forbes, Pew) and gives brand examples like KitKat, Dr Pepper, IKEA, McDonald’s, and Vaseline.
Provides vendor perspective and best practices on social intelligence and listening; useful guidance for marketers but not a platform-level technical release or industry-shifting announcement.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Mark Listes is the Chief Executive Officer of Pendulum Intelligence.
- Pendulum is described as an AI-driven social intelligence platform that monitors video, audio, and text at scale.
- The article cites a Forbes report claiming over half of Grok’s traffic is connected to adult content.
- The piece references a Pew Research Center 2025 report stating 95% of U.S. adults aged 18–29 use YouTube, 63% use TikTok, and 33% use X/Twitter.
- Vaseline’s “Vaseline Verified” campaign won a Cannes Lion in 2025; KitKat’s “The KitKat Heist” campaign is cited as a 2026 example of socially native marketing.
Connected Companies & Entities
7 Entities mapped“Mark Listes, CEO at Pendulum Intelligence shares more on why modern marketers should rely more on social intelligence....”
“This interview was published on MarTech Series (MarTech Series interview with Mark Listes, CEO @ Pendulum Intelligence)....”
“Forbes just reported that over half of the traffic for Grok, the AI tool on X/Twitter, is connected to adult content....”
“Pew’s 2025 report shows that 95% of U.S. adults aged 18-29 use YouTube, and 63% use TikTok, while only 33% use X/Twitter....”
“If the 2026 Cannes Lions showed us anything, it’s that marketing is moving toward ‘participation.’ ... IKEA ... are all market-leading examp...”
“Related MarTech link: MarTech Interview with Theresa Pham, Head of Product @ Wayvia....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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