Durrants said that its search for a social media monitoring partner had seen it test a number of firms’ offerings over the course of a “rigorous trial period”, during which Brandwatch impressed the most.

Jeremy Thompson, managing director at Durrants, said: “We were blown away by their relevant and timely coverage, strong account management and technical support and user friendly services. It really was a case of liking the company so much we wanted to invest in it.”

The Durrants investment will allow Brandwatch to expand its offering in the US and launch its services in Russia and China, the firm said.

In addition, Brandwatch’s services will be used by Durrants’ sister company Metrica in its media analysis and evaluation offerings.

Giles Palmer (pictured), Brandwatch CEO, said: “We operate in a competitive space and I’m very proud that we were able to beat off stiff competition from several North American providers and managed to impress Durrants so much they wanted to invest in the company. The investment comes at an explosive time in the social media monitoring market and will help us push our product to the very top of the global pile.”