Sorry, internet: Reddit just sold its soul to brand engagement

2025-04-28 05:45:47admin

Last month, someone posted a request on Reddit titled "Mission Impossible."

SEE ALSO: Something insane is happening on Reddit right now

Reddit user aishavoya was on the hunt for a Tonka Hummer truck that would be used as a very special present for their brother and asked if anyone had one of them "in their attics" to "throw it on eBay!" Within a day, hundreds of people responded taking on the quest. It was an incredible moment that is quite common of the so-called front page of the internet.

But what if a brand had stepped in within those first few moments? That sounds like something that would happen on Facebook or Twitter, which are rife with branded content — not on a site like Reddit.

Well, internet, I'm sorry to tell you that brands may soon be swooping more on Reddit. On Thursday, Reddit shared an important business announcement full of jargon you might not like. Reddit has a new "integration with enterprise social platform" Sprinklr.

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So, what exactly does the announcement mean? Sprinklr provides a platform for brands like McDonalds and Marriott to easily identify and respond to their customers.

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"Global companies can now use Sprinklr to listen to what customers are saying, analyze trending topics, and manage Reddit customer care directly through the Sprinklr platform," reads a press release.

Sprinklr is essentially the first platform to have access to "both listening and publishing access" according to the company, meaning its the first time brands will be able see what Reddit users are talking about on the site and be able to respond directly from the social media dashboard.

It's not the first time Redditors have been warned of a potential brand invasion, either. Back in August 2016, Reddit introduced sponsored posts where brands could pay to promote users posts.

"In conversations with many advertisers, we often hear that Redditors have already rallied around brands and products they genuinely like, and advertisers want to know how they can be part of that," read the announcement from the Reddit team.

Of course, brands have been a part of Reddit for awhile. Some brands have been responding to fans and haters on Reddit for years. It's "nothing new," according to a Reddit spokesperson.

Now, brands are getting even more access to Redditors conversations. This is an opening up the floodgates. As Mashable editor Jason Abbruzzese wrote in July, "The best things on the internet don't make any money." Some of those "best things" have died: #RIPVine. Others like SoundCloud and Twitter have struggled.

Thankfully, we still have Reddit. But it's finally time to make some more money.

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