Feb 22, 2013

More Social Media

Posted by Wendy Weber

I am just fascinated by social media!

Yesterday one of the presentations I attended through Social Media Week was “Social Media Analytics Helps UNICEF Save Lives,” by:

Emily Chambliss – Data Analyst, Attention USA

Sebastian Majewski – Impact and Analysis Coordinator, United Nations

UNICEF Saves Lives

In recent years, UNICEF Central and Eastern Europe has been troubled with the rise of a strong anti-vaccine sentiment, which has found popular expression through digital and social media. They have pioneered in monitoring public social media discussions about anti-vaccination sentiments. The findings help to understand who influences opinions, what concerns are the strongest among parents, and how to best engage in communication and public advocacy efforts.

Through a detailed analysis of various social media, UNICEF was able to track, by country, the particular issues and concerns of anti-vaccination individuals and groups:
Where discussions take place

They could even track and monitor things like gender differences:
Gender differences

The ability to “see the conversation”, understand concerns, and follow the opinion influencers, has provided UNICEF with a wealth of very valuable information.

Though not a substitute or other types of research, the insights gained through social media are tremendously valuable. They expect that social media will continue to enhance their ability to learn about consumer thoughts, fears and concerns “from the field”.

In