Social Media in a Corporate Context 2010 - Ben Lloyd, Echo Research

© echo

© echo

Echo ResearchUK 2010 General Election

Ben Lloyd

© echo

Echo’s research aims to link

- Traditional , online and social media profiles of three main parties

- Influence and role media has to play

- Electorate’s use of media as a during the election

- Issues of most importance to them

- Likelihood to vote

© echo

About Echo Research

© echo

Echo has supported 500 world-class clients:

Winner of 70 Industry Awards, including Platinums & Golds for Integrated Research All Echo research complies with the MRS Code of Conduct, ESOMAR, CASRO & ISO 9001:2008

Offices in London, Paris, New York, Singapore

Members ofUN Global Compact

About Echo Research

50 staff + 150 analysts

20-year track record in communication and reputation research globally - media content analysis, stakeholder evaluation and reputation measurement

From Output to OutcomeTHE ORGANISATIONvalues, objectives,strategies

ACTIVITIESmessages sent bythe organisation

OUTPUTmessages receivedby audiencemedia analysismarket research

OUTCOMEAudience choices / behaviorsAdvocacy / 3rd party endorsementRecruitment / retention Brand Equity/Brand ShareRegulationValuation

THE AUDIENCEValues & expectationsDriver Analysis

OUTTAKE / IMPACTaudience perceptionsMarket research

© echo

Publicity-based Research

© echo© echo

Echo shows IT plays major role in corporate ‘green’ initiatives

Thought LeadershipEcho Chambers (London, NY,

Paris), Annual Echo Summit

White Papers (Web 2.0, Communications Research Wiki)

Published articles & Books: The Application of Best Practices in Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation Systems” Public Relations Journal Volume 1 Number 1 October 2007

“Exploring the Comparative Communications Effectiveness of Advertising and Public Relations: A Replication and Extension of Prior Experiments” Public Relations Journal

Global CSR series –2010 with UNGC & IBLF

© echo

Echo : 17 years of tracking Elections

1993: analysed Prime Minister John Major’s image in the media

1994: Worked for Independent Electoral Commission to track the first democratic elections in South Africa

Tracked the 1997, 2001 & 2005 General Elections in the UK

2007: Monitored social media vs traditional media during Presidential Elections in France

2009: Supported the Business for Diplomatic Action in assessing the US image abroad ahead of Obama victory

2010: Integrated survey of electoral opinion and influence combined with media and social media coverage.

© echo

2010 UK General

Election

© echo

2010 UK General Election

The Obama effect

Leaders’ debates

The rise and rise of social media

Voter apathy

The recession

MPs’ expenses

Changing political landscape – UKiP, BNP etc

© echo

© echo

184,396 Tweets

9.4 million

4.1 million29 per second

142,795 Tweets

27 per second

© echo

...what happened next

LibDems leap up in the polls

Blip or something more long term....?

“I agree with Nick” / #itsnickcleggsfault

Hung parliament / King maker

Print press go on the offensive against Nick Clegg – reactive rather than proactive

A test of Cameron’s credentials

Damage limitation for Brown

...change of tack for the second debate

© echo

The Research

© echo

METHODOLOGY

Media

Tracked and analysed 1.4 million items of press, radio and TV coverage

Social Media

Over 61,000 social media comments from 6 April 2010

Electorate

Then we examined current impact through our nationwide telephone survey of representative sample of electorate among 1024 UK adults conducted 16 to 18 April

Objective

To consider likely outcomes by integrating the studies

© echo

Top Level Results

© echo

© echoSource: Echo Sonar News and Social Media Coverage 6th - 26th April 2010

___ ___ ___

Conservatives dominate news and social media

----- Social Media Online News

ITV Debate

SKYDebate

Manifesto launches

Conservatives lead in setting agenda

© echo Source: Echo Sonar News and Social Media Coverage 6th - 26th April 2010

BUT Conservatives attract most polarised coverage

Labour has least support in media, LibDems have least criticism, Conservatives have highest of both

Source: Echo Sonar News and Social Media 6th - 26th April 2010

TV leads all sources of influenceQ: Which of the following sources of information do you refer to on the General Election, the candidates and issues?

Echo Research Poll, Base 1024 adults nationwide 18 April 2010

Respondents

TV also tops list of most trusted sourcesQ: Which of these sources do you trust the most for providing reliable information?

Echo Research Poll, Base 1024 adults nationwide 18 April 2010

BUT Labour Leader least favoured on TV

Source: Echo Sonar News and Social Media 6th - 26th April 2010

The Case for Social Media

© echo

© echo

Online shows greatest increase as source for Election information

Rapid growth of social media as a source of information points to its increasing importance

Voters Reporting Increase in Usage

% R

esp

on

den

ts A

nsw

eri

ng

It’s The Economy, Stupid – Social Media best reflection of voter concerns

© echoSource: Echo Sonar News and Social Media 6th - 26th April 2010

% SOV

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Transportation

Environment

Security

Immigration

Education

Health

Economy

© echo

Conservatives have Edge in Shaping Social Media Agenda

The Conservatives have dominant share of voice in UK social media, with over half of the issues included in the analysis being attributed to that party.

National media, including radio and TV, by comparison presents a significantly more balanced perspective with each party having stronger voice.

Share of Voice in Social Media

Share of Voice in National Media

Source: Echo Sonar News and Social Media 6th - 26th April 2010

© echo

Facebook support for LibDems outstrips othersWith so many young and undecided voters, will this be the UK’s Facebook election?

Facebook friends

Parties

Labour 31,379

Conservatives 70,588

Liberal Democrats 70,873

Leaders

Gordon Brown N/A

David Cameron 31,511

Nick Clegg 47,803

© echo

So where does this leave us?

© echo

Is TV losing elections for Labour?

Labour is third party of choice: 20% Cons, 20% LibDem, 19% Labour balance being ‘other party’ or undecided

TV is most trusted and influential medium where Labour is rapidly losing ground

37% say that television is more important than the last election, especially among the 18-24 year olds

47% of the electorate are turning to the internet for their sources of information and 48% say that it is more important than in the last Elections in 2005

More men turn to online content than women.

© echo

Two-Horse Race Becomes Three Q: If the General Election were tomorrow, which party would you vote for?

Echo Research Poll, Base 1024 adults nationwide 18 April 2010

% Respondents

What is the role of social media?

Issues gaining greatest prominence on social media are more closely aligned with national sentiments than those in mainstream media

Social media ranks particularly highly among the young 18-24 year olds (42%), and more among males than females (23% vs. 16%)

To date, Conservatives appear to have a closer understanding of mood of the country and seem to be shaping election agenda…but not the most favourable profile

With up to a quarter undecided/no preference stated, getting people to vote via social media could hold key to election victory.

© echo

So who wins?Leaders’ debates have reinforced the importance and trustworthiness of TV in an election campaign

Social media is being used like never before – Facebook and Twitter are good barometers of sentiment and key issues among the electorate

Voters will turn to web content and social media as a source of information – and that cannot be ignored

BUT – trust levels are low... so what is it’s role? Sharing content, motivating and galvanising opinion due to its two-way dialogue?

Social media is a key element to a successful campaign – but perhaps not the game-changer – yet

Where’s the value – parties finding out more about electorate or electorate finding out more about the parties?

...and what happens after the election?

© echo

© echo

“Nick Clegg donned the Obama change mantle - and stole the U.K.'s first televised campaign debate. There’s a new kid on the political block in Britain after today’s debate.”

thedailybeast.com16/4/10 “While many can agree that Nick

Clegg performed well. My question is this. Does he have the charisma, the authority and the personality to lead Great Britain? Would he look like Mr ordinary along side Barack Obama?”bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/

16/4/10

“It was interesting to see Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg was the leader featuring highest in the twitter trending topics. It was also interesting to see “I agree with Nick” as a trending topic – not because everyone on twitter did agree with Nick, but because Gordon said the phrase a number of times.”

blog.myspace.com/marcnobbs16/4/10

...if the Liberal Democrats are -- as they appear to be - on the edge of serious political power, it will be worth taking a closer look at what some of them actually believe. http://corner.nationalreview.com 22/4

Gordon Brown (Prime Minister) and Cameron tended to hear a keyword or phrase and then launch into an obviously prepared speech on the topic. http://technorati.com/ 20/4

“While the stunned Conservative and Labour leaders no doubt hope this spike in popularity will fade in the coming weeks, the Lib Dems’ policies may well prove in tune with top priority popular issues”

nakedcapitalism.com 19/4/10

“Nick Clegg I think benefits from being the new kid on the block and with novelty comes curiosity. But also with novelty will come now increased scrutiny.”

guardian.co.uk/politics/blog19/4/10

Right now, on Twitter, there's a mad parody movement to blame everything in the world on Nick Clegg... Let’s see if that explodes anyone’s brainswww.indecisionforever.com 23/4

The even bigger story is that Labour comes third but Gordon Brown still clings to the Premiership. And I'm not talking football. If that happened I can foresee marches on Downing Street. And I'll happily be at the front! iaindale.blogspot.com/ 24/4

Metrics : good starting point but....

© echo

© echoThe Times, Peter Brook

© echoThe Times, Morten Morland

© echo

“The even bigger story is that Labour comes third but Gordon Brown still clings to the Premiership. And I'm not talking football. If that happened I can foresee marches on Downing Street. And I'll happily be at the front!” iaindale.blogspot.com/ 24/4

© echo

“It was interesting to see Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg was the leader featuring highest in the twitter trending topics. It was also interesting to see “I agree with Nick” as a trending topic – not because everyone on twitter did agree with Nick, but because Gordon said the phrase a number of times.”

blog.myspace.com/marcnobbs

16/4/10

© echo

“Right now, on Twitter, there's a mad parody movement to blame everything in the world on Nick Clegg... Let’s see if that explodes anyone’s brains”

www.indecisionforever.com 23/4