Fans Still Positive On Teams, Hockey Overall
OTTAWA, Ontario – February 13, 2013 – MediaMiser today announced the release of a Twitter-based social media analysis which shows an overall negative sentiment towards the National Hockey League (NHL) despite positive fan reaction to the return of hockey and individual team brands.
MediaMiser analyzed a selection of more than 1.5 million tweets mentioning the NHL lockout from September to January and reached the following conclusions:
- In October 2012, Twitter sentiment toward the league and its players was 14 per cent positive and 21 per cent negative.
- On January 6th, when a tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement was announced, positive fan sentiment increased to 30 percent and Twitter volume on these topics jumped by 145 percent, demonstrating an overall positive reaction to the end of the lockout.
- On January 9th, Commissioner Gary Bettman publicly apologized to fans and sponsors. Instead of rising, positive sentiment actually decreased to 14 percent with a very minimal spike in volume.
- Deeper analysis comparing city-by-city overall sentiment shows fans are still dedicated to their individual teams but have not forgiven the league for the work stoppage. For example, Toronto’s overall sentiment was 22 percent positive and 33 percent negative but when the Maple Leafs were mentioned sentiment peaked at 55 percent positive and only 4 percent negative.
“Using data from an unfiltered medium like Twitter allows us to effectively gauge the evolution of consumer sentiment towards ideas or brands during critical time periods,” said Jim Donnelly, director of content at MediaMiser. “In this case, the data clearly showed that while fans remain loyal to hockey and their favourite teams, their feelings about the NHL have actually worsened.”
These conclusions are supported by a Level5 Strategy Group study using their proprietary tool BrandMap™, which quantifies the intangible, emotional, and rational drivers behind consumers’ brand purchase decisions.
“The game may be back, but Canadians feel even more negative than they did half-way through the lockout,” said David Kincaid, managing partner and CEO of LEVEL5. “Intuitively, you’d think the opposite would occur – that they’d be happy to have their sport back. Clearly, damage has been done.”
With the advent of robust monitoring and analysis tools like MediaMiser, brands should measure the impact of programs and messages within social media channels and make adjustments based on customer feedback. In this case, analysis clearly shows the NHL’s messages were not well received and there is significant work required on brand reputation.
About MediaMiser
MediaMiser is a leading provider of media monitoring and analysis software and professional services for organizations of all sizes. Through innovative web-based and mobile solutions, MediaMiser reduces the time and effort it takes to gather, analyze and distribute valuable business intelligence extracted from traditional and social media sources. For organizations that prefer to outsource, MediaMiser also provides detailed analysis reports and daily media briefings through an expert client services team. agilitypr.wpengine.com
About LEVEL5 Strategy Group
LEVEL5 Strategy Group is a consultancy that drives profitable growth for clients through the power of their brands. Led by former executives of some of the world’s foremost branded businesses, the LEVEL5 team holds a unique belief that your brand is your business system™. A brand is not just a marketing tool but a management tool and asset the all-encompassing DNA that unites the entire organization, from Human Resources to Operations to Sales & Marketing to create competitive advantage. For more information about LEVEL5, please visit www.level5strategy.com.
For more information:
Jim Donnelly
Director of content
613.232.7797 x 117
jdonnelly@mediamiser.com