Explore Cutting-Edge Social Media Analytics
The Adam Brown Social Media Command Center (ABSMCC) provides cutting-edge technology to explore and analyze social media’s reach, sentiment, and effects. ABSMCC uses the deep analytical power of Sprinklr technology which is the same leading technology used by Fortune 100 companies world-wide.
The ABSMCC was established with a generous gift from Adam Brown (‘94) and was supported in the early years by funding from Charlie Tombras (‘64), president and CEO of The Tombras Group. In 2023, ABSMCC became a CCI Innovation Lab.
Using the Latest Tech to Understand Social Media
The Adam Brown Social Media Command Center (ABSMCC) is located in 460 Communication and Information Building in the Circle Park area of campus. The ABSMCC provides the College of Communication and Information faculty, staff and students free access to Spinklr, the same leading technology that Fortune 100 companies worldwide use to publish, engage and analyze their social media marketing activities.
Supporting some of the world’s most trusted brands like Microsoft, Comcast, and Capital One, Sprinklr is the industry standard for social analytics and brand listening. Sprinklr uses powerful AI technology to scan digital sources (e.g. blogs, news, forums, reviews) for query, opening doors for deep insight and research opportunities. The platform has access to all mainstream social networking sites including: X (full access), Reddit (full access), YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, and Tik Tok. Additionally, there is access to other online platforms like forums, Disqus, RSS feeds, popular press news sources, Quora, web articles, WordPress, brand reviews, blogs/websites, and more.
Sprinklr’s search features allow the ABSMCC access to over 350 million online data sources. Sprinklr allows UT faculty, students, and staff with an exciting opportunity to examine both direct engagement with—and indirect conversations about—any brand, organization, topic, or event of interest. We can analyze these conversations to better understand key topics, what outside influences are inspiring those conversations, and what characteristics lead to higher levels of audience engagement.
Sprinklr conducts various analyses, including the volume of posts, sentiment analysis, emotion, topics of brand conversations, audience affinities, geographic analyses, and more. Historical search features and trends forecasting enables Sprinklr users to gain meaningful insight, and hands-on experience in the world of social media management, brand management, public relations, advertising, and so much more.
Hours of Operation
- Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Reserve the ABSMCC
ABSMCC is a CCI space and approval of reservations is done by the dean’s office. CCI students, faculty, and staff are given priority for use.
How to Reserve
ABSMCC uses 25Live, the campus-wide room scheduling system, for reserving rooms. 25Live requires NetID login and pages open in a new browser tab/window.
Request a reservation in ABSMCC
Questions? Email us!
Email ccismcc@utk.edu
Our Story
The Adam Brown Social Media Command Center is powered by Sprinklr technology and operated through a fund established for the college by Adam Brown, an alumnus of the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Brown’s gift is part of the College of Communication and Information’s $15 million “Investing in the Journey to the Top 25” fundraising campaign.
Additional funding for the Adam Brown Social Media Command Center is provided through the Tombras Social Media Analytics Fund, which was established by Charlie Tombras, president and CEO of The Tombras Group and a 1964 UT advertising graduate.
The Adam Brown Social Media Command Center is located in Room 460 of the Communication and Information Building.
Our Team
Assistant Professor Matthew Pittman
Director, Adam Brown Social Media Command Center
Assistant Professor, Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations
Pittman has studied social media his entire career, publishing more than a dozen articles in advertising, communication, and marketing journals using various digital methods to analyze social media data.
His work has been published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Interactive Advertising, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Computers in Human Behavior, and others which can all be found on Google Scholar.
Pittman is also a social media consultant with experience advising non-profits, retail, education, and medical groups. He is creative, curious, and most importantly committed to the functions of the ABSMCC in its purpose to serve students, staff, and faculty in the College of Communication and Information and beyond.
Carla White, M.A.
Graduate Associate, Adam Brown Social Media Command Center
Carla is a doctoral student, instructor, and graduate fellow in the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations.
Her research centers primarily on public relations surrounding new and emergent technology. Her latest work entitled, Imagining the thoughtful home: Google Nest and logics of domestic recording, was recently published in Critical Studies in Media Communication. Additional areas of interest include health and sport communication.
Minjeong Kim, M.A.
Minjeong Kim is a doctoral student and graduate teaching associate in the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations. As a researcher, she specializes in studying how consumers respond to brand advocacy campaigns through hashtag activism and consumerism. Additionally, she investigates the
impact of new technology, especially Web 3 and NFTs, on consumer behavior by exploring the psychological consequences.
Aman Misra, M.A.
Aman is a doctoral student, instructor, and graduate fellow in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media.
His research interests lie at the intersection of disability, sport, and journalism.
He is also interested in examining portrayals of sport and nationalism from a historical perspective.
Rohit Gunti, M.S.
Rohit Gunti is from Hyderabad, India, earned a bachelor’s from his hometown and a masters’s degree from th University at Albany – State University of New York. He has continued his journey in academics as a first-year Ph.D. student. Gunti’s research focuses on the evaluation of AI-based IR systems, demonstrating a deep understanding of this emerging AI technology. In addition, his interests are in cooking and hiking, allowing him to recharge inspiration outside of my research.
Muslimah Yusuff
Muslimah is a master’s student specializing in advertising at the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations.
With a background in strategy and planning, her research interests lie at the intersection of understanding consumer behavior and leveraging new and emerging technology for brand-building efforts.
Community Engagement & Visitors to ABSMCC
Scripps Social Media Summit
In May 2017, Dr. Courtney Childers, along with three CCI students were invited to share social media expertise at the Scripps Networks Social Media Retreat in Knoxville, TN. Dr. Childers’ presentation discussed the Adam Brown Social Media Command Center and how CCI is infusing Salesforce Social Studio into curriculum. The students participated in focus groups and share opinions on social media platform use and best practices.
Moxley-Carmichael
In April 2017, the team from Moxley-Carmichael visited the ABSMCC to see the new space and interact with Salesforce Social Studio. Alan Carmichael (BS/JEM ‘69) is the president of Moxley-Carmichael and current Board of Visitors members for the College of Communication and Information.
Social Media team from ESPN College GameDay
In September 2016, Katie Hughes (Associate Editor, Social Media, ESPN) and Nick Rago (Producer, ESPN) stopped by to visit the ABSMCC prior to the Florida vs. Tennessee football game. ESPN College GameDay selected the University of Tennessee as its location to broadcast from during the second weekend in September. From this visit, Dr. Childers and two students from the ADVT/PBRL Social Media course were selected to go back stage during the College GameDay broadcast. It was a unique experience and one the students will never forget.