In this episode, Tom Griffiths is joined by Michalis Michael, Founder of Listening 247, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping digital advertising and market research for small and medium-sized businesses.

Michalis explains how Listening 247 differs from traditional ad creation tools. Rather than relying on human prompts or generic AI inputs, the platform uses real customer conversations from social media to generate advertising ideas. By analysing millions of posts and comments across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit, Listening 247’s proprietary AI models identify sentiment, topics, and brand signals, which are then transformed into data-driven ad concepts grounded in what customers are actually saying.

The discussion brings this approach to life through a real client example from the health and wellness sector. Michalis explains how the platform can generate hundreds of advertising ideas in a single refresh cycle, dramatically increasing creative output while combining market research and ideation into one continuous process. While the product is still in beta, early results show clear efficiency and cost benefits, with the longer-term goal of proving that customer-led ads outperform intuition-based campaigns.

Michalis also shares his background, from aerospace engineering to a 20-year career in global market research, and how that experience shaped the evolution of Listening 247. The business has recently completed its seed funding round and is now preparing for a wider rollout, including an upcoming launch as a Shopify app—opening access to millions of online merchants.

The conversation also touches on the realities of startup growth, including managing cash flow, operating as a remote-first global team, and navigating funding decisions. Michalis explains how the company balances legacy revenue from its social listening product with investment in its new advertising platform.

The episode concludes with a look ahead to future growth plans, including further fundraising, platform expansion, and a forthcoming book on AI-powered insights—highlighting how customer-driven data may define the future of marketing and advertising.

Contact Michalis here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michalisamichael