Lochte More Social than Phelps, Attensity Study Shows
Summer Olympics buzz: who wins social media attention? (Photo: Attensity Analyze)
Social analytic and engagement platform Attensity released the results of a global analytics audit on public reactions in social media for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The company identified and analyzed over 197,000 comments about the Olympics posted on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, news sites, forums, videos and other social sources.
In a date range spanning from June 23 to July 23, Attensity Analyze found that over 98% of social media users felt positively about the games. Among the top athletes mentioned by the users, Ryan Lochte scored more mentions than Michael Phelps, but only after June 25 when Lochte won the men’s 400-meter individual medley final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha. Previous to this event, Phelps was ahead of Lochte, with 96 percent positive sentiment.
According to a press release by Attensity, Lochte’s popularity was boosted by his loyal fanbase dubbed “The Lochte Nation,” whose giddy comments contrasted with those on Phelps’s perceived overexposure and past marijuana usage.
“With the worldwide buzz over the Olympics reaching a fever pitch as we approach the opening ceremony televised tonight in the U.S., we decided to use Attensity’s social analytics solutions to find out the sentiment expressed on social networks toward the games and the key athletes,” said Michelle de Haaff, vice president of strategy and corporate development at Attensity. “We were amazed by the volume of conversations centered around Phelps and Lochte and the insights into the respective popularity of the two swimmers.”
The 2012 Olympics Social Media Analysis by Attensity features 19 pages of insights into the U.S. audience and the Olympics, and is available for free download via Attensity official website.
