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How Can AI Help Me Discover Trending Topics or Brand Opportunities?

Updated over a month ago

BrandMentions AI features help you move from reactive monitoring to proactive trendspotting. Instead of noticing a trend when it is already everywhere, AI can surface it early, show you what drives it, and point you to the best opportunities for your brand.

With the right setup, you can use AI in BrandMentions to:

  • Detect trending topics as they start to grow

  • Spot new needs and pain points in your audience

  • Find gaps in the market and competitor “white space”

  • Turn insights into concrete campaigns, content, or product ideas

1. Detecting spikes and anomalies in your data


The AI Analysis feature can automatically detect:

  • Sudden spikes in mentions

  • Unusual changes in sentiment

  • Anomalies in your Mentions or Analytics charts
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How to use it

  1. Open your Mentions feed or an Analytics chart.

  2. Run AI Analysis or click any AI insight icon, if available.

  3. Read the summary to see what caused the spike and which topics or sources are driving it.

  4. Click through to view mentions and confirm the pattern.

2. Surfacing key themes and topics of conversation

AI Analysis reads your mentions and highlights:

  • The main themes people talk about

  • Related topics that keep appearing together

  • Changes in which topics are growing or fading over time

How to use it

  • Run AI Analysis on your Mentions feed for a chosen time period.

  • Review the list of main topics and themes.

  • Compare themes across weeks or months to see what is gaining momentum.

3. Analyzing the questions your audience is asking

The BrandMentions AI Assistant can help you analyze the questions and concerns that appear in your mentions.

How to use it

  1. Open the AI Assistant.

  2. Ask a focused question about audience questions or doubts.

  3. Use follow up prompts, such as:

    • "Give me examples."

    • "Group these questions into 3 main themes."

4. Discovering unmet needs and pain points

By combining sentiment, emotion, and topic analysis, AI can show:

  • Which features or processes trigger negative mentions

  • Where frustration, confusion, or disappointment are highest

  • Where customers feel delighted, surprised, or impressed

How to use it

  • Run AI Analysis on filtered mentions, for example:

    • Only negative sentiment

    • Only a specific product or feature

    • Only a particular region or channel
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  • Ask the AI Assistant:

    • "What are the main pain points customers mention about our product?"

    • "What improvements are people asking for most often?"

5. Identifying market “white space” through competitor analysis


By looking at mentions about your competitors, AI can help you find:

  • Needs that competitors do not meet well

  • Topics where customers are disappointed or underserved

  • Strengths that your brand can match or counter

  • Gaps in messaging or positioning you can fill

How to use it

  1. Set up projects or keywords that track your main competitors.
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  2. Run AI Analysis or use the AI Assistant with questions like:

    • "What are the main complaints about competitor X?"

    • "What do people like most about competitor Y?"

    • "Where are customers of competitor Z dissatisfied?"

  3. Look for patterns where your brand can differentiate or improve.

By combining BrandMentions AI features with your own expertise, you can turn raw conversations into early signals of trending topics and brand opportunities, and act on them before everyone else does.

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