Blog post
June 25, 2019

Design, develop, test. Design, develop, test. Repeat.

Our IT teams spend much of their time talking with clients about new ideas and improving user experience. As such, product development is a huge part of their role.

Computer science is as much art as it is science. With that in mind, at Isentia, we try to keep things as simple as possible. We increase our developers’ productivity by training them to avoid code complexity, write simple code and follow good software engineering practices when implementing a solution to a problem.

The goal is to make Mediaportal, our blue ribbon platform, easy to use for both the everyday user and those who log in more sporadically.

After extensive research we uncovered a few home truths:

The Architecture of Information in Mediaportal needed improvement: Users felt that jumping from one important feature to another took too many steps. At the same time, visual complexity made the menu hard to scan.

More intuitive design was required: Certain core functionalities were not prominent, with some users struggling to navigate to popular tabs.

Mediaportal needed a more responsive design: Client feedback from users logging on via lesser-known browsers or smartphones showed that not all Mediaportal functions were easy to navigate. We know how important it is for clients to access Mediaportal throughout the day across multiple devices. As such, our technology requires constant review to ensure Mediaportal remains a platform that delivers insights and news anywhere, anytime.

As such Mediaportal has undergone an overhaul.

At the core of this project, as always, were the clients. We worked closely with more than 35 of them, collecting hours and hours of interviews and testing dozens of different design variations. We listened carefully to their feedback and ensured it was incorporated into every design. The end result? Our teams designed a platform that is intuitive and can be used to its full potential by everyone – from first-time users to our most regular visitors.

Enterprise applications bring a whole domain of complexities when compared to consumer apps, as they usually involve connecting to one or more legacy systems and include a much greater scope. However, complexity does not mean we have to settle for less in design. Instead, a well-designed enterprise application harnesses a greater positive impact for the business.

For more information on our Mediaportal platform and the service we deliver, visit our services page and connect with us.

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Around the world, we have Hug Your Cat Day, Lucky Penny Day, Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day, Play Your Ukelele Day, Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day and Grilled Cheese Day – just to name a few.

Today is World Product Day, in fact the first ever World Product Day to have been held. 

#WorldProductDay which spans 43 countries and incorporates events in 90 cities, grew out of a Product Tank initiative founded and developed 8 years ago in London by Mind the Product.

WPD is a simple concept that aims to ‘Bring together Product Managers from around the world to raise awareness of, and the appreciation for, the craft of product management.’

Which prompts the question, why do we need a World Product Day?  The answer to which, is the fourth industrial revolution.

The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to drive production which led to greater levels of urbanisation. The Second, much to the delight of Adam Smith, used electricity to create mass production. The Third used electronics and IT to automate production and popularise personal computing. And now, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is radically expanding on the Third, to power the digital revolution that has been accelerating over the last decade.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has created a fusion of technology that has crossed the physical and digital divide to drive the commercialisation of personalisation at scale, VR, AR, AI and, in context, positioned product management at the heart of this fourth wave or industrialisation.

So, there you have it and let us be one of the first to wish you a Happy World Product Day.

Richard Spencer, Chief Product Officer at Isentia

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Blog
Why do we need World Product Day?

#WorldProductDay which spans 43 countries and incorporates events in 90 cities, grew out of a Product Tank initiative founded and developed 8 years ago in London by Mind the Product.

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Take a peek at Isentia's new look Sydney and Melbourne offices

24 October 2018

Media intelligence and insights leader, Isentia (ASX:ISD) opens its doors to a newly refurbished Melbourne office and shares a sneak peak into its Sydney HQ designed for a new and tech savvy workforce.

SYDNEY

Located on Cleveland Street in Surry Hills, the light-filled Sydney HQ enjoys uninterrupted views of Sydney city and Prince Alfred Park. 

Conveniently located, just a few minutes’ walk from Central Train Station, the office is well connected to bus routes and the soon to be completed light rail. Staff also benefit from newly renovated end-of-trip facilities such as showers, lockers and bicycle parking. 

The vibrant area of Surry Hills is home to a range of cafes and restaurants, gyms, yoga studios and (year-round heated) Prince Alfred Park Pool, with open grass area for unwinding or enjoying a quick break outdoors. 

Isentia HQ benefits from an airy and open plan design creating a sense of community. A newly renovated, open plan kitchen and common area isoften used for Friday drinks, birthday celebrations and friendly (competitive) table tennis matches. Breakout areas, huddle spots, and quiet rooms are available in addition to meeting rooms, making a range of work activity possible – with an innovation lab coming soon!

The office renovations form part of Isentia’s transformation as a tech company. Supporting this are a wide range of career opportunities from CX, product design and development, infrastructure and solutions development to media analysts. 

Isentia Reception in Sydney
Isentia HQ Kitchen includes group tables, ping pong and modern kitchen facilities

MELBOURNE

Last week the team presented a completely redesigned Melbourne office, now housing more than 70 desks for local analysts, sales, client service and editorial team members as well as new glass offices and meeting spaces that encourage natural light to flow to every corner. 

While Sydney will remain Isentia's headquarters, the decision to update the Melbourne office was an easy one says John Bissinella, Head of Client Solutions. "It was important we update the look and feel of our Melbourne office to keep pace with the speed and innovation of our tech. We deliver Australia’s fastest, most comprehensive and reliable media monitoring, intelligence and insights service – it was time for our workspace to be reflective of this.”

We’re excited to share this space with our valued clients who value the rigour with which our insights and intelligence services are delivered, and appreciate hearing from the people who work to deliver their service 365 days of the year.

With a new kitchen and breakout spaces, renovated bathrooms (including showers and change facilities for commuters), as well as improved lighting, flooring and desk layouts, the office promotes greater collaboration between teams and encourages a more flexible work environment.

Melbourne Isentia new look refurbishment

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Media Release
Inside Isentia’s Sydney HQ and their newly renovated Melbourne office

Isentia (ASX:ISD) opens its doors to a newly refurbished Melbourne office and shares a sneak peak into its Sydney HQ designed for a new and tech savvy workforce.

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As communications professionals look toward 2026 planning sessions, one question dominates the conversation - How can we use AI in a safe, scalable, and sustainable way?

Behind this question often lies the hope for an "AI easy button"—a one-click solution for complex measurement challenges. However, as discussed in our recent APAC webinar, the real opportunity lies not in automating old metrics, but in architecting a smarter era of measurement.

Hosted by Russ Horell, Isentia’s Chief Revenue Officer for APAC, the session featured deep dives from two industry leaders who've contributed immensely to research and planning: Ngaire Crawford (Director of Insights, ANZ) and Prashant Saxena (VP of Research and Insights, SEA). Together, they unpacked the transition from using insights and converting them into strategic, measurable storytelling.

Here are the key takeaways from the discussion.

1. From experimentation to transparency

If 2024 and 2025 were the years of "playing in the sandbox," 2026 is set to be the year of transparency.

Ngaire Crawford emphasized that while AI is incredible at summarising data and recognising patterns, it does not automatically generate insight. As we integrate these tools, the focus must shift to methodological integrity—understanding the source data, the structure, and the limitations of the models we use.

"Models are really good pattern finders. But they don't necessarily set what good looks like, or understand the consequences of being wrong. And the antidote to that is always going to be good design." – Ngaire Crawford

2. "More data, better insight" is the misconception

A major misconception remains that feeding AI endless amounts of data will naturally result in better answers. In reality, without the right framework, more data often just creates more noise.

Prashant Saxena warns against the "sameness" that AI can generate. If everyone uses the same models on the same big data sets without specific objectives, they will get similar, generic answers. The role of the insights professional is evolving from descriptive reporting to strategic storytelling—using judgment to break through the "echo chamber" of AI validation.

3. Kill, keep, create: redefining our metrics

The panelists played a game of "keep, kill, create" to determine the future of measurement metrics.

  • Kill: The panel was unanimous in moving away from vanity metrics. Ngaire called for the end of Cumulative Reach, noting it is a biased metric that offers no context. Prashant agreed, suggesting that AVEs (Advertising Value Equivalents) need to be finally left behind.
  • Keep: Share of Voice remains useful as a foundational benchmark (a "census" of market presence), provided it is redefined to measure the share of a specific idea or perception rather than just volume
  • Create: The future lies in Authenticity Metrics. Prashant argued that while reputation is a downstream outcome, authenticity is the upstream outcome that drives it.

"Authenticity is more upstream, as reputation and trust are more downstream... That's an authentic ritual on a day-to-day basis, which leads to reputation." – Prashant Saxena

4. The "home field advantage" for communicators

Despite the technical buzz surrounding AI, the panel argued that communications professionals hold a distinct advantage. "Prompt engineering" is, at its core, a language and communication skill.

The future doesn't necessarily belong to the most technical users, but to the most articulate—those who can clearly define an outcome, ask the right questions, and deconstruct language to get the best result from a model.

Trust your judgment

As we move into 2026, the advice from our experts is to not let AI replace your strategic point of view.

  • Have an opinion: Don't wait for metrics to be imposed on you. Go into conversations knowing what you want to measure and why.
  • Pause before you prompt: As Prashant advised, "Paper before a chatbot.". Define your strategy and objectives on paper, using your human experience and judgment, before turning to AI to execute the work.

By combining the speed of AI with the nuance of human strategy, communicators can finally build the sophisticated measurement systems they have always wanted.


Interested in viewing the whole recording? Watch our webinar here.

Alternatively, contact our team to learn more insights into meaningful measurement, KPIs and communicating using the right dataset.

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Blog
Key takeaways from the Future of Measurement webinar

Our recent webinar explores what the future of measurement in 2026 looks like and what brands must do to scale in this AI era.

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The media landscape is accelerating. In an era where influence is ephemeral and every angle demands instant comprehension, PR and communications professionals require more than generic technology—they need intelligence engineered for their specific challenges.

Isentia is proud to introduce Lumina, a groundbreaking suite of intelligent AI tools. Lumina has been trained from the ground up on the complex workflows and realities of modern communications and public affairs. It is explicitly designed to shift professionals from passive media monitoring back into the role of strategic leaders and pacesetters. 

“The PR, Comms and Public Affairs sectors have been experimenting with AI, but most tools have not been built with their real challenges in mind.” said Joanna Arnold, CEO of Pulsar Group

“Lumina is different; it is the first intelligence suite designed around how narratives actually form today, combining human credibility signals with machine-level analysis. It helps teams understand how stories evolve, filter out noise and respond with context and confidence to crises and opportunities.”

Setting a new standard for PR intelligence

Lumina is centered on empowering, not replacing, the human element of communications strategy. This suite is purpose-built to help PR, Comms, and Public Affairs professionals significantly improve productivity, enhance message clarity, and facilitate early risk detection.

Lumina enables communicators to:

  • Understand & Interpret: Move beyond basic alerts to strategically map the trajectory and spread of narrative evolution.
  • Focus & Personalise: Achieve the clarity necessary to execute strategic action before critical moments pass.
  • Execute & Monitor: Rapidly deploy strategy firmly rooted in real-time, actionable insight.

Get a demo today: Stories & Perspectives module

We are launching the Lumina suite by making our first module immediately available: Stories & Perspectives.

In the current fragmented, multi-channel media environment, communications professionals need to be able to instantly perceive not just how a story is growing, but also how it is being perceived across different stakeholder groups.

Stories & Perspectives organizes raw media mentions into clustered, cohesive Stories, and the Perspectives that exist within each, reflecting distinct media, audience, and public affairs angles. This unique functionality allows users to:

  • Rise above the noise: Instantly identify which high-level topics are gaining momentum or fading from attention.
  • Get to the detail, fast: Uncover the influential voices, niche communities, and specific channels actively shaping the narrative.
  • Catch the pivot point: Precisely identify the moment a story shifts—from a strategic opportunity to a reputation risk—or when a new key opinion former begins guiding the conversation.

"Media isn’t a stream of mentions," said Kyle Lindsay, Head of Product at Pulsar Group. "But rather a living system of stories shaped by competing perspectives. When you can see those structures clearly, you gain the ability to understand issues as they form, anticipate how they’ll evolve, and act with precision. That’s what we mean when we talk about AI built for communicators, and that's what an off-the-shelf LLM can't give you."

The Lumina Roadmap: AI tools for the future of comms

The launch of Stories & Perspectives is the first release of many. Over the upcoming months, we will systematically roll out the full Lumina roadmap, introducing a comprehensive set of AI tools engineered to handle every phase of the communications lifecycle.

The full Lumina suite will soon incorporate:

  • Curated media summaries: AI-driven daily summaries customized specifically to the priorities of senior leadership, highlighting only the most relevant stories.
  • Reputation analysis: Advanced measurement tracking how critical themes like ethics, innovation, and leadership are statistically shaping corporate perception.
  • Press release & media relations assistant: Tools designed to accelerate content creation and craft hyper-focused, personalized pitches that reach the precise contacts faster.
  • Predictive intelligence layer: Technology engineered to track and anticipate story momentum and strategic change before the window of opportunity closes.
  • Intelligent agents: Background agents continuously scanning all media channels for emerging key spokespeople and previously undetected reputation risks.
  • Enhanced audio, broadcast & crisis detection: Complete, real-time oversight of all channels—including audio and broadcast—enabling rapid context building and optimal crisis response delivery.


Want to harness the power of Lumina AI for your PR, Comms, or Public Affairs team? .

Complete the form below to register your interest.

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Blog
Announcing Lumina: The purpose-built AI suite for PR, Comms, and Public Affairs

An intelligent suite of AI tools trained on the language, workflows, and realities of modern public relations and communications.

Ready to get started?

Get in touch or request a demo.