Social Media Analysis Provides Insight into 2010 Toronto Mayoral Election

Posted by Patrick Gladney on June 18, 2010

0 comments | 2180 reads

In October 2010 Toronto will be electing a new mayor. As the campaign heats up, so too does the conversations in social media. And because Toronto is one of the most engaged and active social media cities in the world, we can safely assume that social media will play an increasingly prominent role in the campaign leading up to the election.

Listening to and analyzing these discussions offers some amazing insights into the election. It offers a perspective of who’s winning the “word of mouth war”, how the electorate feels about the major candidates and what issues stimulate discussion.

Looking at blogs, Twitter, message boards and other forms of social media, Northstar Social Currency performed an analysis of the online discussions mentioning any of the top six candidates during the past six weeks. We measured the volume and sentiment of the discussion in addition to detailed content analysis to understand what people are actually talking about.

It is interesting to compare this analysis with the most recent polling data. News of Rob Ford’s ascension to the top of the polls is mirrored by the fact that he’s talked about more than any other candidate, including George Smitherman. But not all the talk is positive. His controversial actions and stance on issues is polarizing the discussion – generating both more positive and negative discussion than any other candidate.

We’ll spend more time analyzing and interpreting the results over the next few days, but in the meantime, here is the report summarizing the findings.

Patrick Gladney

Patrick Gladney is the leader and chief development officer for Social Currency, Northstar Research Partners social media measurement and monitoring business. A seasoned communications and business strategist, he believes in the transformational power and potential of the social web, including its ability to uncover unique insights that can positively impact marketing and product strategy.

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