Newsletter
Events
Plot's Megan Duong Says Tags Don't Tell the Whole Story
She's harnessed AI to sift through millions of social videos to surface deep consumer insights
Some companies only follow consumer conversations in which they’re tagged. That’s so 2016.
These days, every corner of social’s abuzz with chatter and product mentions 24/7/365. That’s especially true for online video. In this hyper-charged environment, tags are certainly helpful. But brands that rely on them exclusively to gauge the ever-shifting marketplace are almost certainly missing out.
Enter Plot, an AI video intelligence platform that helps companies dive deeper.
“Most consumer conversations happen without tagging a brand,” Plot co-founder and CEO Megan Duong tells Muse. “We capture both tagged and untagged video. Then we use AI to turn millions of videos into research, creator discovery, campaign measurement and community insights.”
Duong helped launch Plot four years ago. Earlier, she held key posts at Sweater Story, Gap and Apple.
We spent a few minutes with Megan to learn more about her background, inspirations and Plot’s evolution…
Where did you grow up, where do you live now, and how do the two compare?
I grew up in San Jose, Calif., and now I live in New York City. They’re complete opposites in the best way. San Jose gave me a front row seat on innovation, I grew up surrounded by startups and people building ambitious companies. New York has a different kind of energy. It’s incredibly creative, fashionable and full of people building things across every industry, whether that’s tech, fashion, music, media or food.
Was there an “a-ha” moment in your life that made you realize what you wanted to do?
In college I took a class where we had to come up with a startup idea, build the pitch and present it. I absolutely loved it. We ended up winning the competition. I loved creating ideas, telling stories and marketing them. Looking back, it makes perfect sense that I eventually started a company.
What’s the best career advice you actually followed?
My dad always told me, “Find work you love, otherwise it’ll feel like you’re in jail.” It’s simple, but it’s shaped almost every career decision I’ve made. Building a company is hard enough, so you have to genuinely love what you’re building or it’s impossible to sustain.
What’s a source of inspiration you return to constantly?
My parents and my aunts. They came to America from Vietnam with almost nothing—no English, no money, no network—and built incredible businesses from scratch. I often think about what they had to overcome. It puts everything into perspective. If they could build a life from that starting point, I really don’t have much to complain about! You can always build something from nothing.
What types of businesses should engage Plot?
Any business that actively has a presence on social media and wants to better understand consumer behavior and trends. Our customers range from beauty and retail brands to financial services companies, including Fenty Beauty, Visa, Benefit Cosmetics, Lululemon and Canva.
What’s overrated in marketing right now?
AI-generated influencers and AI UGC. People in tech are far more excited about it than brands are. Marketing is built on trust and authenticity, and it’s hard to build either when the person using your product doesn’t exist. AI is incredible for helping marketers work faster, analyze data and create better ideas. I just don’t think replacing real people with fake ones is where consumer brands are headed. How am I supposed to buy skincare from someone who’s not real? Hard no.
Is there a mentor who helped you navigate the industry?
Dara Treseder. She was my boss at two different companies before becoming CMO at Autodesk, and she had a huge influence on how I think about marketing and being scrappy to build something.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in marketing?
I’d still be building something. I don’t think entrepreneurship is tied to one industry. I genuinely love finding problems, figuring out solutions, and convincing people those solutions should exist. If it wasn’t marketing tech, it’d probably be another company in a completely different space.
You’ve got 2 minutes with the industry… what’s your hot take?
Brands spend a lot of time chasing the next viral moment, when they should be investing in the people who consistently show up for them. I’d rather work with hundreds of smaller creators who genuinely love a brand than put my entire budget behind one celebrity partnership and hope it goes viral. Communities compound. Superfans become repeat customers, creators, advocates and word-of-mouth marketers. That’s a much more durable strategy than betting everything on one big moment.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
