Mariska Hargitay’s portrayal of Detective Olivia Benson in Law & Order: SVU was the buzz winner for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Edie Falco as Jackie in Nurse Jackie and Louis C.K. as Louie in the show Louie generated the most buzz of their categories, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, respectively. Each delivered a performance that generated the most buzz of all their categories’ nominees.

Interestingly, nominees who play the titular character, i.e. “Nurse Jackie,” “Dexter” and “Louie,” are mentioned more frequently in buzz. Louis C.K. garnered the second most buzz among all nominees in the lead acting categories, benefitting from his personal use of social media (especially Twitter) to discuss the show.

The ability of the Emmy’s to generate buzz is also undeniable. While all of the category winners dominated buzz conversations both during the season and following the nominations, most nominees saw considerable increases following the nominations. Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) and Mireille Enos (The Killing), for example, received more buzz mentions following their nominations in July that in the entire ten months prior.

Other findings include:

• Comedy nominees tend to generate more buzz than those in drama series, on average.
• Actress nominees tend to garner a more even share of buzz, whereas the male nominees were dominated by a couple lead characters.
• The Lead Actress in a Drama category had the least buzz overall, while Lead Actor in a Drama had the most.

And an oft-discussed quarterback can lead (or follow) his team to buzz dominance as well. Half of the top 10 quarterbacks by N-Score were on the top 10 teams with the most buzz; however, there are a number of players and teams where no connection appears. Tony Romo garnered slightly higher than the median quarterback buzz (1.8%) while the Dallas Cowboys were one of the most buzzed about teams with 5.8 percent of all online buzz mentions. Incidentally, the Cowboys also had the most unique visitors to their website on average.

High awareness of a player—as captured through the N-Score—can also be indicative of a player’s buzz. For players like the Eagles’ Michael Vick and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger, their awareness and buzz are both high—yet their N-Score, which takes into account traits such as likeability, down-to-earth and talented—reflects negative public reaction to their activity off the field (13 and 16, respectively). Besides Matt Hasselbeck, all of the top 10 quarterbacks by N-Score received high online buzz.

Players with lesser awareness can also become buzz generators online. Alex Smith and Mark Sanchez, who were nationally known by just four and 16 percent of the population, respectively, had a tremendous amount of player buzz—higher than three percent of all quarterback buzz. Sanchez may benefit from his association with the Jets, the NFL’s most buzzed about team.

“Buzz for the NFL has ramped up this summer as the lockout-shortened off season created a flurry of trades and free agent signings that gave fans plenty to talk about. We’re closely watching to see how all of this excitement in August translates to TV ratings in September. Roughly 18 million Americans tuned in to nationally broadcast NFL games, on average, during the 2010-2011 season,” said Stephen Master, Vice President, Sports for Nielsen.

Masters continued, “It will be interesting to see how fans respond to controversial players, such as Michael Vick, this season. His strong performance on the field was rewarded with a $100 million contract, but he’s still a polarizing figure nationally with a higher than average number of Americans expressing dislike for him, according to the N-Score.”

More consumers in the U.S. are online talking about fresh and unprocessed foods when it comes to healthy eating, and a vocal segment of health enthusiasts are setting trends on the next wave of hot ingredients and spices.

To better understand these emerging trends in nutrition, Nielsen has been analyzing online consumer conversations about food and health and wellness since 2003. Our analysis highlights discussion trends among mainstream consumers and also quantifies buzz among health enthusiasts, a passionate and informed consumer segment that Nielsen monitors across 400+ social networks, key blogs and forums. Listening to what health enthusiasts care about helps us to see what’s next.

As we look at what consumers buy and how they talk about products, we’re able to quantify the online buzz around products and ingredients, as well as product label claims like low fat or high fiber.

One key trend we’ve observed is that health enthusiasts are expanding their palate with fresh citrus fruits and flavors.

• Kumquat buzz among health conscious consumers and search activity* in Q4 2010 were up significantly in part due to inclusion in recipes.
• Satsuma – a seedless fruit of Japanese origin – is on the rise with health enthusiasts touting high levels of vitamin C and fiber. Beyond health, Satsuma oranges promise a “beauty from within” benefit and are used in skin care peels.

*Google Insights

Comparing Health Enthusiasts with the Mainstream

Key observations from online conversations:

• Fresh and unprocessed foods generate the highest volume of all online claim conversation across the mainstream audience.
• Presence of fiber is on the rise with mainstream consumers – up 14% in Q4.
• Preservative-free offerings should be watched closely given increasing mainstream interest (+8%)
• Carb presence and sugar-free offerings are leading topics in terms of total volume for both segments.
• Gluten-free interest is on the rise among Health Enthusiasts
• Mainstream consumers are conscious of sodium offerings likely as a result of recent news on sodium content and manufacturers introduced reduced-sodium offerings.
• Low- and no-sodium offerings are on the rise among health enthusiasts.

To determine the finalists and winner, Nielsen leveraged three research studies to incorporate awareness levels and perceptions across media types. The studies included:

• A custom survey of nearly 7,000 consumers’ cross-media awareness and perceptions of environmental messages by automotive brand
• Response data from 2.5 million viewers of national television advertising collected by Nielsen’s ad effectiveness measurements service, focusing on green automotive ads
• Measuring social media “buzz” sentiment within green-related discussion threads

The results showed that consumers have definite high awareness of environmentally friendly ad campaigns, with eight in 10 consumers in the cross-media awareness survey reporting seeing “green” auto ads recently. Also notable is the generally positive nature of discussion surrounding green topics for auto brands in consumer-generated media (CGM). Less than 1 percent of discussion was negative on average. This is also reflected in the number of consumers who said green ads shift their opinion of the brand, with two-thirds saying their opinion was more positive after seeing these ads.

“We have seen a heightened awareness among consumers for environmental initiatives in the auto sector,” said Lois Miller, President of Nielsen Automotive. “The key benefit is that with this awareness is also a more positive view of the brand and ultimately, this can help auto manufacturers reach consumers that may not have considered their brand before.”

Buzz about Greek yogurt suggests something of a triple threat. The category appeals to consumers to satisfy three core needs: health, convenience and taste. In online conversations, consumers focus more on the health benefits (using attributes like “fresh” and “better”) and the rich and creamy texture. Dieters, health seekers and athletes recommend eating Greek yogurt across all meal occasions – particularly as a satisfying on-the-go or evening snack. Underscoring its multifaceted appeal, cooks claim to opt for Greek yogurt as a more nutritious base for homemade salad dressings and mayonnaise. Remarkably, apart from a relatively small subset of total category buzz related to deals and coupons, most of the conversation deals not with price but instead with the benefits of Greek yogurt.

As consumers continue to redefine value and repair their balance sheets, retailers and manufacturers can look to solutions that drive sales beyond price alone. Connecting with consumers’ “need states” requires a critical review to determine the factors driving behavior. In the case of Greek yogurt sales, the healthy benefits of the more expensive variety justify the higher cost in the minds of consumers. And while controlled spending in the tough economy is the new norm, there are some things that consumers will not sacrifice at any price – and health is likely one of them.

Since the start of the opening kickoff, though, Adidas has reasserted itself at the top of World Cup brand dialogue. When looking at the top 10 official sponsors and their major competitors, a follow-up study by NM Incite, a Nielsen McKinsey Company, found that in the first two weeks of the tournament Adidas overtook Nike as the top brand. Adidas buzz accounted for 25.1% share of World Cup buzz online compared to 14.4% before the event. Nike, meanwhile, dropped from 30.2% to 19.4%.

Part of Adidas’ increased buzz levels were due to discussions around the controversial official ball of the World Cup – the Jabulani. For the week ending the 13th June, which included the first three days of the tournament, the ball accounted for 8% of all English-language messages related to the World Cup.

“Half the game in buzz is ‘fanning the flames,’” said Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of digital strategy at Nielsen. “The Adidas football Facebook page, for instance, is now up to over a million fans and they are dropping new content several times a day, all while the average post is generating upwards of 100 comments. At the end of the day, brands need to keep the buzz ball in the air as long as possible – sponsored or otherwise.”

Budweiser, too, overcame a pre-tournament ambush from Carlsberg to assert itself as the most highly buzzed beer brand tied to the World Cup. Buzz share for the official beer of the World Cup climbed to 4.9% as it overtook Carlsberg, whose share fell to 2.4%.

Other official sponsors who enjoyed a noticeable increase in World Cup buzz included Hyundai/Kia (from 2.4% to 4.7%) and McDonald’s (2.8% to 4.2%).  The overall share of buzz for the 10 official World Cup partners/sponsors increased from 52% to 66% since the start of the tournament.

“Sponsorship still matters, but it’s far from a ‘conversational’ guarantee,” added Blackshaw. ”For big events like the World Cup and Olympics, you can always expect a modest ‘echo effect’ from any level of paid or sponsorship investment, but that’s just the foot in the door. The rest really depends on variables like timing, creativity, controversy, and a combination of brand readiness and agility.”

The NM Incite follow-up study compared the share of online buzz between World Cup sponsors and their major competitors in relation to the World Cup in the run up to the event (month-long period ending June 6th) and during the first two weeks of the tournament (11th -25th June). English language World Cup-related messages on blogs, message boards, groups, video and image sites – including Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter – were monitored for the study.

Buzz around the U.S. team the day of the England game accounted for 25% of World Cup-related conversations in the U.S. blogosphere compared to 24% the day they qualified for the knockout stage. However, qualification did manage to sustain a much higher level of buzz. The day after the win against Algeria, buzz around the U.S. team dropped just two percentage points to 22% compared to a drop from 25% to 16% the day after the England game.

The American hero in the game against Algeria was captain Landon Donovan, who scored the winning goal. The dramatic nature of the win showed that the World Cup continues to make a mark in the popular consciousness of the U.S. population. Across the day of the game and the following day, Donovan was cited in approximately one in every 200 messages within the entire U.S. blogosphere.

The ability of the World Cup to make stars of the most notable performers was reinforced by the fact that buzz levels around Donovan in the period after the win against Algeria jumped by an astonishing 1367% from the beginning of June.

United States
Surprisingly, the U.S. squad wasn’t even the most buzzed-about national team. England, Argentina, Brazil, Serbia, and Spain were just some of the countries more closely correlated to the World Cup in conversations online. American consumers were also talking about various World Cup sweepstakes, whether they be corporate-sponsored (from Yahoo!, EA Sports, and McDonald’s) or privately-run pools where members pick the winners. There was also lots of Buzz around David Beckham, who’s not even playing in the World Cup due to an Achilles injury.

United Kingdom
Many World Cup discussions involved Fantasy football leagues as consumers took a more active role in the tournament as it gets closer. England fans have high expectations for their national team, as indicated by the frequency of terms like like “winning” and “champions” tied to the team. But fans also see a strong foe in Brazil, with similar terms grouped around the Latin American soccer power. England’s manager Fabio Capello was the most closely linked person to World Cup messages, followed by the injured Beckham.

South Africa
The World Cup’s host country has more than just soccer on its mind. Visitor and tourism messages drove a significant part of World Cup conversation, as well as ticket inquiries. Key FIFA and Local Organizing Committee (LOC) representatives Jerome Valcke and Danny Jordaan were often cited for addressing these issues. Overshadowing the matches were discussions about security concerns. South African messages also voiced disappointment of Shakira’s “Waka Waka” as the official World Cup song.

Australia
Even as Australia prepares for the this year’s tournament, it’s the fate of future World Cups that’s on the minds of many of the country’s online consumers. Messages about luring the 2018 or 2022 Cup to the Land of Oz – even speculation about potential venues – were prominent in online discussion. As the future of Australian soccer is discussed, many chose to wax nostalgic about the past, with dialogue about retired soccer great Mark Viduka.

Italy
In the weeks leading up to the World Cup, Italians buzzed about the “Will-he-or-won’t-he?” saga of golden boy Francesco Totti coming out of retirement to play for the national team (ultimately he was never called up). Fans of the defending world champs also talked about several members of the Azzurri national team – including head coach Marcello Lippi – and some of the team’s top competition, including Brazil, Argentina, and , perhaps surprisingly, Cameroon.

Germany
The Internet provided lively discussion forums for German soccer fans debating who should and should not have made the national team. Leading the debate was who should replace starting goalkeeper Rene Adler who suffered a rib injury that prevents him from playing with the team in South Africa. Speculation of Germany’s Group D competition was also very high, with tough matchups against Serbia, Ghana, and Australia in the tournament’s preliminary round.

Spain
Spanish fans have been preoccupied with comparisons to South American soccer power Argentina. Messages compare young Spanish phenom David Silva with Argentine superstar Messi and coach Vicente Del Bosque with soccer legend and current Argentina coach Maradona. A classic goalkeeper controversy was also brewing with some calling for Victor Valdes to start over Iker Casillas. Finally – after Sogecable, the leading pay TV company in Spain, sold the rights to Telecinco for some matches and to Cuatro for others – Spanish fans worried about which TV channel to watch the matches and who will be commentating.

With the Academy Awards on March 7, fans online are increasingly discussing the nominees for best picture (a category that has expanded to include 10 films this year) along with the actors and actresses nominated in a lead role.

While it’s an honor just to be nominated… Avatar dominates (much like it did at the global box office) the conversations in the movie category, grabbing nearly a quarter of all buzz surrounding the Oscar-nominated films.

In the main acting categories, Golden Globe winners Jeff Bridges (for Crazy Heart) and Sandra Bullock (for The Blind Side) take the buzz lead with more than a quarter of the buzz against their competition.

Vonn, who won the gold medal in women’s downhill skiing, has earned more internet buzz than any other U.S. gold medal winner, according to analysis by The Nielsen Company. The skier has received just over 36% of the total buzz among American gold medalists through February 25th. Snowboarder Shaun White has captured 25% of total buzz, while men’s skier Bode Miller has received 18% of the buzz since winning his super-combined gold.

North of the border, freestyle skier Alexandre Bilodeau has secured the most buzz among Canada’s Olympic champs. Since he won the first gold medal for the host nation, Bilodeau has earned 23% of internet buzz surrounding Canadian gold medal winners. Ice dancing champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were a team not just on the ice, but also on internet forums. They’ve tied as the second most-buzzed about Canadian gold medalists with 16% each.