Tubular Labs 2018

By William Barnett, Adam Markovitz
2018 | Case No. SM304 | Length 14 pgs.
Tubular Labs cofounders Allison Stern and Rob Gabel had jumped into the video analytics space, taking on the challenge of figuring out what data could be tracked, what companies would need, and the best ways to market their consulting services. By 2018, Tubular’s technology pulled data from billions of videos on dozens of platforms—including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram—and captured information about creators, audiences, and viewer engagement. Clients could then organize those data and gather insights about their own content or the larger social video landscape. The market for social media analytics was projected to grow to $9.54 billion by 2022—presenting a huge opportunity for a company that could remain nimble, and figure out what companies and advertisers needed to take advantage of the fast-moving online video market. Tubular had more than 200 enterprise customers in 2018—but audience needs and data acquisition were moving as fast as the social video market itself.

Learning Objective

Students will discuss and explore the rapid trajectory in software and solutions to meet client needs in an uncharted sector—one that was evolving in tandem with shifts in consulting services and SaaS pricing. This presents an opportunity to look at how Tubular defined how traditional consulting work factored into the company’s overall mission, and revenues.
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