Online conversation is moving financial markets. In 2020, the Reddit forum WallStreetBets drove a meteoric rise in the GameStop stock price, forcing halts on trading and causing hedge funds to lose a colossal $8bn. It is evident that now, more than ever, investors are turning to the likes of Twitter and Reddit to explore the impact that social conversation has on public companies. Flight Deck aims to demystify the relationship between this online conversation and market activity so companies can make better-informed decisions. 

With countless online mentions, social media accounts and forums, it’s near impossible for public companies to have a true understanding of the online conversation impacting their company value. Flight Deck will feed tens of millions of data points into an algorithm to work out their true impact into clear insights. Features include:

• Source identification: Companies can identify key opinion leaders, top news sources, influential social authors and ‘loudest’ publications that are driving company mentions
• Sentiment audit: Spot relevant trending terms, hashtags and keywords associated with your company 
• Share of voice benchmarking: Measure mentions, engagement and earned media value vs competitors 
• Audience targeting: Build target audiences based on the following of influential voices that mention companies frequently 
• Social conversation score: Companies can track online mentions against publicly available information on stock trading volume

This data can ultimately help brands lead a conversation, foster shareholder loyalty and protect their brand value. Instead of acting reactively, companies can be at the forefront and manage investor relations proactively, ultimately better informing their strategy and positioning.

Oliver Yonchev, CEO and co-founder of Flight Story says; “Social media is well and truly driving the market. Over the past year, we’ve seen how a single Tweet can both plummet or skyrocket a company's stock. However, social media conversation moves so rapidly it can be challenging for brands to stay at the forefront. This is where Flight Deck comes in. We’ve worked tirelessly to build a world-class platform that picks up on these high-impact incremental mentions so that brands are better positioned to create compelling content, spark investor interest and make better decisions.”

Steven Bartlett, co-founder of Flight Story comments; “Flight Story is aiming to modernise investor relations and develop a unique communication solution. The link between online activity and capital markets has never been closer and being able to quantify our services with Flight Deck is going to be revolutionary to public companies."

The launch of Flight Deck comes in quick succession from the launch of Flight Story Fund; a $100M fund backed by Steven Bartlett to accelerate the next generation of European Unicorns. Flight Deck is part of Flight Story – Steven’s marketing consultancy, and the company’s first SaaS platform. 

Brands interested in using Flight Deck will need to request access to the beta tool via visiting flightdeck.space. Brands will need to get there fast, as there are a limited number of beta seats available. 

The tool is available for FTSE 350 and AIM companies who are looking to understand the increasing velocity and impact of social first investor relations. Initial customers will be provided with a limited free trial of the platform, thereafter, each client will have bespoke pricing depending on their required solution, receiving customised reports.