Relative Insight is a language-analysis company that looks at how brands and consumers use language to communicate and the most effective ways of doing so.

Founded in 2012 by James Walkerdine and Phil Greenwood, it was spun out of Lancaster University and stems from more than 10 years of research. Ben Hookway (pictured) joined as CEO in the same year.

The tool was initially used in criminal cases, to identify paedophiles online, for example. It claims to deliver “hard data on the language a brand is using to describe itself and how consumers perceive that language and speak about the brand in response”.

It can analyse advertising and website copy, social media and content on forums. One fashion brand discovered the language it was using in its advertising was too generic and Relative Insight helped a holiday company identify the most effective ways of describing holiday accommodation, resulting in a 256% rise in revenue.