2011 - The Online Conversations that consumed Consumers

@staceyrumble

The internet is now a viable vehicle for consumers worldwide (almost regardless of their economic status) to voice their opinions to their friends and networks and with enough support, to the entire world.

Africa is the biggest emerging market for mobile phone connectivity and with internet capability, more and more people are joining (and starting their own) conversations about their environment and daily life every day.

What we want to know is what are people talking about and why? What can be learnt from this vast sea of social data? At a glance, take a look at some of the most noteworthy topics of 2011 thus far.

December – Present: The “Arab Spring” 

The biggest conversation topic online this year was undoubtedly the revolutions of North Africa and the Middle East. The world watched breathlessly as men and women took a stand against autocracy, which admittedly was less about social media and more about their coming together and actually facing up to their oppressors.

However, social networks played a vast role in their achievement, providing a platform for people of similar minds to not only realise their common belief but to organise amongst themselves how action would take place.

Secondly, with enough following, the sheer volume of these conversations reached an instantly global audience, making the offending authorities accountable to even more eyes.

While having been the subject of great criticism for spawning an ‘anti-social’ generation, social networks are often positively cited as the means to organise social gatherings and these achievements are proof of this.

February: South African State of the Nation Address

Jacob Zuma addressed the South African public for the annual State of the Nation and surprisingly received a vastly improved viewership – with online conversation generating 6 130 mentions.

So-called “Shock Jock” Gareth Cliff’s drinking game idea inspired a vast population of South Africans, not only to listen to Pres. Zuma’s address but to engage with the concept online and interact with their networks. 

To say that the large majority of viewers actually registered the content of the speech with any real consequence might be pushing the envelope but on some level, this was perhaps the first time in a long time that the South African public ‘pushed up their glasses’ and became involved in politics at all.

While 46% of mentions focused specifically on the drinking game, most conversation was in reference to the speech itself as viewers engaged with its subject matter. Much of this can likely be attributed to the hype surrounding the event.

Even if only temporarily and whether by questionable means or not, the drinking game solved a problem of political apathy. Showing that with the right incentive, anyone will take part in an interesting conversation.
 
January: Worldwide love for Nelson Mandela

When former South African Pres. Mandela was admitted to hospital, the world feared the worst. Evident by the gargantuan amount of online support pledged to a global hero and icon, with over 8 tweets a second (and that’s just Twitter) popping up all over the world in praise of Tata Mandela.

With such focus and so much conversation, the world is genuinely concerned about the loss of an icon and is willing to take part in a global conversation – even if they are all saying the same thing – to show their respect and wish them well. 

October: and for Steve Jobs too 

Steve Jobs’ passing was no exception, with thousands of users not only tweeting and posting about his technology, business and leadership legacies but honouring those contributions with unique graphics, thoughtful odes and touching obituaries – many of which garnering viral status as even more people had the opportunity to see and come across them and ultimately share them again.

Admittedly, there is a narcissistic element to taking part in an online conversation – to be seen as being a thought leader within online topics such as these, in an effort to gain more online credibility within our respective networks and eventually even to those users who we have yet to influence. 

Perhaps on some level, it is the satisfaction of our basic needs for both recognition and socialisation that keeps these conversations going. Is there a better way to keep us talking than to making us feel heard?

So, why should I be listening?

When compared to traditional methods of consumer/societal/social research, hundreds of millions of non-incentivised and publicly available posts and tweets are effectively the unadulterated and un-moderated entries of consumers’ opinions of the world they experience.

As internet connectivity penetrates even the furthest corners of countries in the earliest stages of development, the extent of this content is no longer just a pool of the top 20% but an ocean of valuable information from people of all walks of life – the previously inaccessible 80%.

Understanding what we’re talking about online, why we’re talking and what our collective sentiment towards these topics holds such value for anyone looking to understand consumers, nations and societies as a whole. 

These conversations are already happening, with more and more people taking part every day, if we’re not involved we risk falling behind. Moreover, if we decide to continue without listening, we accept remaining deaf to the world around us.

We’re a race bent on progress and that we can only achieve with learning from our collective insight. For the first time, now we can learn from everyone.