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Patriots have more online visitors, but Giants fans run up web stats

During the run up to the playoffs in December 2011, the Patriots had 644,000 unique visitors to their official website, topping the Giants’ 574,000 visitors. However, Giants fans were more engaged when visiting their team’s website, viewing nearly twice as many pages (17 page views per person) compared to Patriots visitors, and spending over 10 minutes each on average.

Super Bowl buzz: Giants fans cheer more for team, Tom Brady is MVP of social media

Fans’ excitement throughout the playoffs carried over to social media. The Giants had more buzz about their team each week, with a 59 percent share of buzz compared to the Patriots’ 41 percent of buzz volume on blogs, message boards/forums, public posts on Twitter and Facebook and online news posts.  But Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady surpassed Giants QB Eli Manning, with nearly double the amount of buzz.

Combined with Apple’s other best-selling handsets, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS, Apple phones accounted for nearly two-thirds of all mentions about smartphones between July through December 2011. A handful of Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Droid Bionic, and HTC Evo series phones attracted substantial buzz leading up to the holiday shopping season, accounting for nearly a quarter of buzz.

BlackBerry models took in 10 percent of the buzz, led by the BlackBerry Bold series which was the third-most mentioned handset with over 6 percent of online buzz about these top smartphones.

Methodology: Using a list of the top 20 recently acquired smartphone handsets during the 3rd quarter, as well as a handful of recently released handsets such the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Apple’s iPhone 4S, Nielsen looked at online buzz mentioning these smartphones from July – December 2011 posted in blogs, message boards/groups, public posts on Twitter and Facebook, and online news sites.

As data has shown for prior years, the majority of buzz was posted in the days leading up to the shopping holiday, with the peak occurring on the day of the shopping event itself. In 2011 buzz about Black Friday/Cyber Monday peaked the day after Thanksgiving and made up 2.9 percent of all buzz that day, representing a 15 percent relative increase in the share of buzz compared to 2010.

Cyber Monday buzz has also increased compared year-over-year, and is likely to climb further as discussion of Cyber Week sales continues throughout the week. An interesting development this year comes from the increase in blog posts about Black Friday, which now accounts for 47 percent of all buzz mentioning it, led by the large volume of blog posts made weeks ahead of the shopping holiday.

What are consumers saying about Black Friday/Cyber Monday?

Looking more closely at what consumers are discussing about the shopping holiday through social media, NM Incite evaluated buzz about Black Friday/Cyber Monday to uncover popular topics. An overwhelming majority of buzz was neutral in tone, indicating that consumers rely on social media platforms to share information related to deals and sales both online and off.  Another 94 percent of Cyber Monday posts were neutral in tone, with consumers sharing links to sales and deal-related news. Today’s findings reflect an earlier study by NM Incite which showed that receiving deals/discounts was one of the more popular reasons Americans use social media.

NM Incite also looked at the top 10 shared links on Twitter, and found many of the more popular links were also used to share information about Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Posts from popular news sites ranked among the most shared links on Twitter , including a story from Mashable sharing the best Black Friday deals, as well as news coverage about the shopping holiday from CNN and ABC News. The most shared links included pictures on Twitpic related to Black Friday as well. Tweets sharing deals rounded out the list of most shared links on Black Friday, whereas links to deals topped the list for Cyber Monday buzz, making the deals instantly accessible on the shopping holiday.

When do consumers buzz about Black Friday/Cyber Monday?
Perhaps not surprisingly, overall buzz for each shopping event peaks on the day of the sales, although the majority of buzz occurs in the days of November leading up to the events. There was more total buzz about the holiday sales in 2010 compared to 2009, reflecting the growing amount of buzz overall posted on blogs, message boards/groups, news sites, as well as Twitter and Facebook.

The share of daily buzz mentioning these sales was also higher in 2010: discussion of Black Friday peaked at 2.5 percent of daily buzz in 2010 compared to 1.9 percent of buzz during Black Friday 2009, a relative increase of 25 percent in the share of total buzz.  In comparison, buzz about the Women’s World Cup represented a 1.1 percent share of total buzz, illustrating the significant level of discussion about Black Friday represents. Buzz about Cyber Monday 2010 grew the most, increasing their relative share of buzz by 75 percent compared to 2009.

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday
Looking more closely at buzz between the two shopping holidays, an overwhelming majority of buzz was about Black Friday, which made up more than four out of five messages about the events in 2009. Black Friday buzz made up 79 percent of buzz about these topics in 2010, while Cyber Monday buzz represented only 21 percent of discussion. However in 2010 the share of buzz about Cyber Monday more than doubled compared to 2009, led in part by the increase in discussion about Cyber Week sales in addition to growing interest in the online shopping events.

Where do consumers talk about Black Friday/Cyber Monday?
As consumers try to share news about the latest sales, the majority of buzz about Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes from Twitter, where public posts made up 63 percent of buzz about these events.  The majority of tweets are published on the day of the events themselves. Message Boards and Groups were also a popular venue for savvy shoppers to compare sales, representing 22 percent of online discussion about the shopping events.

Marketers trying to reach holiday shoppers ahead of time might also consider reaching out to bloggers; 2.1 percent of all blog posts in the week leading up mentioned Black Friday. Blogs were twice as likely to discus Black Friday/Cyber Monday compared to buzz from other sources. Posts on news sites also helped drive discussion, with 1.6 percent of posts on news sites mentioning Black Friday during the week of the shopping event.

The social media population overall, skews slightly higher among females (55%), than males (45%). However, when comparing this demographic split to that of the population on social media sites talking about TV, this split reverses skewing higher among males (55%), than females (45%). There are several interesting demographic shifts when comparing general social media users and the portion of the population talking about TV specifically on social media. Those under age 18 account for 34 percent of the overall social media population, yet make up only 12 percent of the population on social media sites talking about TV. The opposite shift happens when focusing on the 25 – 34 year-old demographic. This age break comprises 17 percent of the overall social media population, but jumps to 29 percent of the makeup of the population on sites talking about TV. Within these age groups it’s interesting to note that, the difference in percentages across ethnic backgrounds remains relatively unchanged for African Americans, Asian, Hispanic and Whites.

When are consumers discussing TV?
TV buzz closely mimics traditional ratings patterns as well as a show’s yearly cycle.

Buzz is highest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday coinciding with days when a lot of major shows air. TV buzz drops off on the weekend and increases once again as the middle of the week approaches.

Research shows that TV buzz nears its high during September, right before a show premieres and during its initial month. Conversations taper off slightly over the ensuing months, but increase again in January with the introduction of new and returning shows. TV buzz then seems to peak during April and May as consumers respond to show finales, and then dips again during the summer.

What are consumers discussing?

Consumers use social media to talk about a number of key TV-related topics such as winning (14%), voting (6%) and judging (6%), which highlight the appeal of and engagement consumers have with reality-based TV. Top genres fueling the most buzz are funny (10%), romance (8%) and drama (6%). Entertaining (11%), physical attractiveness (9%), fans (9%) and writers/creators (6%) round out the rest of top topics driving consumer discussion across social media.

For more on TV viewers getting social, download research and watch video from Nielsen’s Advertising Week presentations.

People aren’t just consuming content on social networks, they’re actively sharing it.  As television becomes more digital – in the form of sharable video clips or articles about a show’s premiere, for example – social media will continue to play an increasingly important role in how consumers discover and engage with various forms of content, including TV.

An analysis conducted by NM Incite, a Nielsen/McKinsey Company, and Nielsen looked at the correlation between online buzz and television ratings and found a statistically significant relationship throughout a TV show’s season among all age groups, with the strongest correlation among younger demos (people ages 12-17 and 18-34), and a slightly stronger overall correlation for women compared to men.  Men over 50 showed the weakest buzz-to-ratings connection leading up to a show’s premiere through the middle of the season, but that relationship strengthened by the finale as all age groups were actively discussing a TV show via social media.

Among people aged 18-34, the most active social networkers, social media buzz is most closely aligned with TV ratings for the premiere of a show.  A few weeks prior to a show’s premiere, a nine percent increase in buzz volume correlates to a one percent increase in ratings among this group.  As the middle of the season approaches and then the finale, the correlation is slightly weaker, but still significant, with a 14 percent increase in buzz corresponding to a one percent increase in ratings.

At the genre level, 18-34 year-old females showed significant buzz-to-ratings relationships for reality programs (competition and non-competition), comedies and dramas, while men of the same age saw strong correlations for competition realities and dramas.

Methodology

A model was created using 250 television programs and over 150 million social media sites to analyze the relationship between social media and television.  Several buzz- and television-related inputs went into this model.  Buzz metrics included buzz volume (the raw number of messages about a TV show), messages per source (as a proxy for spread of discussion) and the number of authors (total number of individuals generating the messages).  Fundamental television factors included the genre of the show, whether the program aired on broadcast or cable, and the length of time the show had been on-air (first season, second, etc.).  The amount of ad dollars spent promoting the show and prior ratings (both episode and season) were also considered.

These variables directly impact both ratings and buzz volume.  They were included in the model to account for their contribution to understanding future TV ratings, and to bring clarity to the value that buzz provides.

For more on TV viewers getting social, download research and watch video from Nielsen’s Advertising Week presentations.

Among NFL teams, the NY Jets generated the most online buzz during the off-season from blogs, message boards/groups, Twitter, Facebook, and online news posts. “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys continue to generate national interest in online discussions, although they were topped by their rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, who led NFC teams and were second in overall pre-season buzz. The NY Giants, and their regional rival, the New England Patriots, round out the top five teams with the most pre-season buzz.

An abbreviated off-season due to the NFL lockout sparked a flurry of free-agent signings and trades of popular players, and generated considerable online buzz among sports fans.  Looking at players who have changed teams ahead of the 2011 season, Reggie Bush received the most buzz during the off-season with 194k mentions. Comparing buzz about NFL players who joined new teams through free-agency or trade in recent weeks, Plaxico Burress led this group of players with more than 13k mentions during the week of July 31 – August 6, followed by Reggie Bush, Nnamdi Asomugha, Chad Ochocinco, and Donovan McNabb.

One in four active web users in the US visited sites in the Sports category, which amounts to 42.5 million Americans during the most recent week (ending July 31).  Compared to weeks during the off-season, the NFL’s network of sites more than doubled their audience, a 258 percent increase in unique US visitors during the first full week after the NFL lockout ended.

As US sports fans go online for the latest news and stats, Yahoo’s network of sports sites was their top destination during the week of July 31. ESPN.com and FoxSports.com websites were also popular destinations for US sports fans in this most recent week. Historically the months of August and September are the busiest for sports sites, so this may provide another preview of the season to come!

Derby takes the Crown
Comparing U.S. buzz about the Triple Crown races, Nielsen found that the Kentucky Derby had the most buzz in 2009 and 2010, and is off to an early lead in 2011. Close behind the Derby’s buzz is the Belmont Stakes, which despite being the final race in the series makes up significantly more buzz than the Preakness Stakes.

The introduction of an official smartphone app for the Derby in 2010 might be behind the rise in buzz as the app makes it easier for fans and attendees to post buzz on Twitter and Facebook. This year, the Preakness is also introducing an app, which should keep the races competitive for their share of social media buzz.

Bring your “Crown,” but leave your “Hats” at home
While the cultural accoutrements make the Derby a colorful event celebrated outside of Louisville, Ky., local traditions like the Derby Marathon and Churchill Downs are the most popular topics outside the race itself. Overall, the majority of Derby buzz is about the race itself than about the personalities who attend the race each year.

U.S. News Media Take the Crown

Since the couple’s November 2010 engagement, there have been thousands of news posts about the Royal Wedding and its participants by U.S. news outlets, accounting for more than .3% of all news coverage immediately following the engagement and a steady stream of articles since. This share of news coverage from traditional media sources is considerably higher than in the U.K. and Australia. Given the varied number of news outlets, the share of news coverage is the best metric for comparison among the three markets; the share of news coverage by U.S. news outlets is more than twice that in the United Kingdom and Australia at the most recent measurement on April 3.

Kate vs. Prince William

Though Kate has received considerable interest online, Prince William continues to be the more popular subject of social media discussion in the United Kingdom, both by buzz volume and share of all buzz. William is also mentioned more often in the United States and Australia.

Overall the U.K. makes up a larger share of buzz about the Royal Wedding and its participants, while the more populous U.S. market had a greater volume of buzz since the engagement was announced.

Note: For the purposes of this analysis, Social Media use is defined as buzz from blogs and message boards/groups. Traditional Media includes posts/updates from the online counterparts of print and broadcast news outlets, online news publishers, industry publications, and wire services.

Of the sites reviewed, web hosting site GoDaddy.com saw the largest lift in post-Super Bowl traffic, with a 41 percent increase in unique U.S. visitors during the week following the game compared to the week before. GoDaddy aired two commercials during the game with their 1st quarter ad starring Joan Rivers as the new GoDaddy spokesperson ranking as the ninth most-recalled commercial of the telecast.

Volkswagen and travel site HomeAway.com were the other two telecast advertisers reviewed who saw double-digit gains in web traffic during the week of February 7, both having a 27 percent increase in unique U.S. visitors. “Traditional” brand Mercedes-Benz also saw a noticeable uplift of 9 percent.

FOX, the Super Bowl XLV broadcaster, also saw traffic to its site increase by 11 percent to 1.5 million unique U.S. visitors during the week following the game compared to the week before.

On the other hand, when looking at online buzz, Groupon’s ads – a spoof on celebrity charity endorsements –caused plenty of conversation, placing the rookie Super Bowl telecast advertiser as the #5 most buzzed about brand out of all Super Bowl advertisers. Among the pure-online players, Groupon took the top spot, capturing 10.5 percent of total Super Bowl marketing buzz the day after the game, three times the buzz of GoDaddy, which had the largest increase in web traffic.  Discussion of Groupon continued over the next few days as buzz volume for the advertiser grew as high as 34 percent during the week following the telecast.

Methodology: This piece of research covered all the pure-play online advertisers (e.g. GoDaddy.com) and any “traditional” advertiser (e.g. Chevrolet) whose commercial appeared amongst the 10 most-watched during the Super Bowl XLV telecast. The piece measured the number of unique U.S. individuals who visited the advertiser website from a home or work computer between January 31 and February 13.

Buzz volume is depicted as a percentage of total Super Bowl marketing messages – any message with mentions of Super Bowl XLV and ad-related terms (e.g. advertiser, commercial, sponsor, campaign, marketer) – between January 31 and February 13.