Analyzing the Olympics
Attensity has released an analysis of the top social media conversations regarding the 2012 Summer Olympics, which ended with a closing ceremony Sunday in London.
Using Attensity Analyze, its social analytics application, Attensity identified and analyzed hundreds of thousands of comments about the Olympics, which were posted on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, news sites, forums, videos and other social and online sources. According to the company, social media users showed an overwhelming 98 percent positive sentiment toward the Olympics.
Among the other findings Attensity reported are the following:
- Sentiment toward American swimmer Michael Phelps, which had been fairly negative compared to Ryan Lochte in an earlier analysis, reversed as Phelps performed well in his final races. Phelps and Lochte remained neck and neck in social volume until Phelps edged him out during the races.
- While Gabby Douglas won the all-around gold at the final gymnastics event, her teammate McKayla Maroney garnered more social media buzz. She had been heavily favored to win a gold and then made a facial expression when accepting the silver medal, which became the subject of an Internet meme.
“With an unprecedented number of star athletes, the 2012 Summer Olympics has been a topic perfectly fit for Attensity’s social analytics solutions,” says Michelle de Haaff, VP of strategy and corporate development at Attensity. “The sentiment expressed on social networks toward the games has continued to thrill and surprise us, as we moved from analysis of the key swimmers to gymnasts.”
The full report is available for free download.