{"id":29030,"date":"2023-01-19T16:55:47","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T00:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/?p=29030"},"modified":"2023-01-19T16:56:47","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T00:56:47","slug":"the-business-of-business-intelligence-an-interview-with-joe-territo-of-ensembleiq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/the-business-of-business-intelligence-an-interview-with-joe-territo-of-ensembleiq\/","title":{"rendered":"The Business of Business Intelligence: An Interview with Joe Territo of EnsembleIQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Joe Territo, Executive Vice President of Content and Communications for EnsembleIQ, started as a reporter, an early career which then led to years of helping a traditional news media outfit grow into a digital media company. After that, it was a pointed interest in business intelligence \u2013 and seeking new challenges \u2013 that led him (in the pre-COVID days of 2019) to EnsembleIQ and to its CEO, Jennifer Litterick. Once there, he expanded beyond his original focus on pure content strategy to a broader mandate that included PR and marketing oversight, enabling him to have a more cohesive impact on the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE MISSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Territo says EnsembleIQ exists to deliver true business intelligence and connections to the communities it serves in the retail, healthcare, and hospitality industries throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company does this most especially through a team of expert editors who are constantly researching, analyzing and delivering insights about those industries, to inform intelligent business decisions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CULTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EnsembleIQ offers a highly collaborative and supportive culture, put in place to support what is now a team of mostly remote employees. Candidates who join the company very quickly grasp how this camaraderie occurs in a remote setting. The approach is purpose-driven, flowing from a clear vision by the company to help customers connect with the industries they serve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This all happens thanks to a robust people team process<\/em>, which had to lean into exceptional dynamism when the aforementioned pandemic hit our shores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had to move to a mostly remote work plan, but we were intent on keeping our commitment to supporting employee collaboration,\u201d Territo told us. \u201cA lot of my colleagues have familiarity with different ways of communicating digitally, which sounds simple but using those tools in the right way takes some training and learning-by-doing. When the pandemic started, there was a huge, necessary shift in how we interacted with each other. We shifted to a model where whenever possible, people meet through Google Meet, and do it face-to-face on camera. We didn\u2019t want to shift collaboration into the world of emails alone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EnsembleIQ provided training on the use of Google Suite, and that meant imparting essential knowledge about using the right tool for the right situation. \u201cIn other words,\u201d Territo says, \u201cUse chat for simple answers to simple questions, and face-to-face Google Meets for other stuff rather than phone calls or e-mails. We make sure the larger teams have monthly all team Google Meets for sharing best practices. And we hold quarterly Google Meets just for leaders to connect socially.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cool part is that it soon became clear to Territo that some collaboration is in fact much easier in the virtual world than in the face-to-face real world. There\u2019s no need to schedule a physical meeting in physical reality, for instance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just become so accepted that people can spend time with each other virtually on-the-fly,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt actually sounds counter-intuitive, but it\u2019s turned out to be true. We’re interacting with each other more and with a greater comfort level in this virtual environment, then we may have been in a physical environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DELIVERING TO A MODERN AUDIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Territo reminds us of the importance of effectively visualized reportage in today\u2019s marketplace. EnsembleIQ editors have access to a fabulous database of imagery that can make otherwise dry text instantly attractive. On top of digital articles, the company is also relying on more podcasts and video programs than they ever did pre-COVID. Wherever and however people consume their media, Territo wants to make sure that those options are an available means for the dissemination of business intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And business intelligence<\/em>, rather than simple business news<\/em>, is what EnsembleIQ seeks to deliver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe get down to \u2018Here’s what it means for your business,\u2019 right?\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to simply report that a merger happened. Instead, we want to tell you how that news is likely to impact your business. Or what you might learn from it to affect your business in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of this focus, EnsembleIQ has recently launched a new paid subscription product called Retail Leader Pro, which pairs an editor with a professional analyst who came from an analysis firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CAREER GROWTH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEditors who are focused on career growth and opportunities to nurture and expand their own skill set, or excited to gain expertise communicating across new formats, can really up their game in that regard at EnsembleIQ,\u201d Territo says. \u201cBut they\u2019ll also get opportunities to dig a little deeper, spend a little bit more time on understanding an event that occurs, in order to deliver to their audience something that’s uniquely theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EnsembleIQ regularly provides editors with training in new technologies and tactics to drive audience growth and engagement. This includes virtual meetings when the training materials are presented, and then making recordings of those meetings and training documents available on-demand as a long-term reference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EnsembleIQ has provided its editors training over the last three years in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n