Reddit just dropped something big. And no, it’s not a new meme. It’s Reddit Community Intelligence, a new AI-powered suite to help brands listen in, decode and join in on the conversation.
Also Read | Own: A New Social App Wants to Tokenize the Creator Economy
Announced at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, the launch is more than just an anniversary gift (Reddit turns 20 this year). It’s a clear signal that Reddit is doubling down on its position as the internet’s most human platform and one of the last true forums where people speak freely, passionately, and (sometimes brutally) honestly about the things they love, hate, and buy.
So what’s actually new?
Reddit Community Intelligence debuts with two alpha-stage tools, each designed to translate Reddit-speak into real brand value:
1. Reddit Insights
Think of this as social listening, leveled up. This AI tool digs into Reddit’s billions of posts, threads, and comments to surface real-time sentiment, trends, and perceptions around any topic, from sneaker drops to skincare routines. The Paris-based agency Publicis Groupe is already getting first dibs, using it for campaign planning, cultural decoding, and product strategy.
“The new Reddit Insights tool has revolutionized how we understand and present brand sentiment, delivering authentic, real-time insights from Reddit that go beyond mentions to reveal what people genuinely love or want improved,” said Joel Lunenfeld, US CEO at Publicis Media Exchange.
2. Conversation Summary Add-Ons
This one’s extra spicy. Imagine running an ad for your electric SUV, and just below it, a bite-sized, AI-generated summary of what Redditors actually think after driving it. Not only does it humanize the ad, it boosts performance: Reddit says early tests showed a 19% lift in click-through rates when paired with these summaries.
And because it links directly to real Reddit threads, curious consumers can go straight to the source. No filters. No fluff. Just real talk.
And that matters because trust is the new currency. And Reddit is uniquely positioned to offer it. It’s not just another feed or discovery algorithm, it’s where culture gets debated, dissected, and born in real-time. And for marketers? That’s gold.
Reddit’s new AI tools will let marketers read the room and join in the conversation with grace. Whether you’re launching a product or chasing cultural relevance, this might just be your best bet at being part of the internet’s most passionate conversations because “Reddit is the most human place on the internet… one of the last places where brands can build authentic, trusted, and engaged relationships with customers.”