Companies using big data to mine social media for positive impacts

Big data has been touted as a super-solution for business processes. It can help marketers improve the effectiveness of their campaigns, since they can make personalized offers that are more likely to inspire responses. Decision makers can use analytics to ensure products are being launched at the right times in the correct markets, and customer service representatives can compile feedback to identify areas that require the most immediate attention.

However, big data can also be used on a larger scale to create a positive impact, according to The Energy Collective. The source cites a study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, which found that Twitter was receiving data about the cholera outbreak in Haiti that occurred after the earthquake in 2010 with equal or greater accuracy and speed as official records.

It's been suggested that when analysts have access to vast amounts of medical records that have been checked for data quality, they can pinpoint origins of infections and predict the spread before it occurs in order to minimize impacts.

These preemptive efforts go beyond healthcare, the media outlet adds. A study by Virginia Tech's Pamplin School of Business has started to mine data about vehicles from social media posts, public discussion forums, product reviews, etc. and use them to detect insight about vehicle defects.