A Simple Definition
A topic universe is the set of topics of conversation (think, associations) that consumers bring up when discussing a particular subject (the topic that centers the universe).
Think of it as a map of meanings—all the language people naturally use when they talk about a topic, and all the ideas that surround it.
For example, if you're researching “natural deodorant,” the topic universe might include not just "natural ingredients" and "body odor," but also ideas like "clean beauty," "sensitive skin," "trust in brands," "toxicity concerns," and more. These are all concepts that show up organically when consumers talk about natural deodorant, and together they form its topic universe.
How It's Built
Topic universes are created by analyzing massive volumes of natural consumer conversations. These include long-form discussions on forums, product reviews, blogs, and other rich sources of cultural dialogue.
Lux’s virtual anthropologist uses advanced natural language processing to:
- Identify the core topic (e.g., natural deodorant).
- Track all the related ideas people bring up when talking about it.
- Quantify and map those associations into a structured network.
This network becomes the topic universe.