Election 2016 – RNC & DNC Recap

Election 2016 – RNC & DNC RecapAugust 3, 2016

A B O U T G P G ’ S D I G I TAL L A N DS CAP E A N A LYS IS

A digital landscape analysis is used to understand who, what, when, and where things are being discussed online. It is recommended to inform strategic communication strategies and follow ongoing trends in coverage.

It is conducted online using online media analysis tools to evaluate publically available social and digital media.

• Driven by topic, not audience• Media evaluated is based on statistically relevant samples (95%-99%) to ensure the most accurate

depiction

About This Digital Scan: For analysis of the Republican and Democratic national conventions, we captured data from July 16-24, 2016 and July 23-31, 2016, respectively, and examined online news media, blogs, forums, multimedia channels and social networks.

K E Y F I N D I NGS

More conversation surrounding DNC than RNCAlthough the RNC drew more traditional TV viewers, the online conversation about the DNC was significantly larger than the online conversation about the RNC.

Party unity a key narrative in both conventionsBoth conventions attempted to portray a cohesive image, but both had moments of vocal opposition. Some online conversations encouraged disillusioned partisans to unite, while

others reiterated distaste for their party’s candidate.

Nominees outshined by opening night speakersAlthough conventions are typically thought to build to a crescendo throughout the week, the most talked about speeches for both parties occurred on the first night. Melania Trump and

Michelle Obama’s speeches were both discussed more than Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton’s.

6,625,381

9,357,400

RNC DNC

Melania191,532

Michelle195,271Donald

180,558Hillary

177,324

RNC DNC

R N C C O V E RA GE P E A K ED F O L L OWI NG D AY S 1 A N D 4 . S E N T I MENT WA S E V E N T H RO UGHO UT W E E K

Negative52.3%

Positive47.7%n= 6,625,714

567,421

1,777,636

1,059,6671,148,286

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

7/16/16 7/17/16 7/18/16 7/19/16 7/20/16 7/21/16 7/22/16 7/23/16 7/24/16Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Melania Trump’s speech critiqued for plagiarism

Trump’s speech discussed extensively

• Negative mentions largely focused on thematic, and tonal critiques.

• Popular speeches such as those by the Trump family attracted positive attention.

D N C S AW A M O R E E X PA NSI VE A N D P O S I T IVE O N L INE D I S C US SIO N

Negative38.1%Positive

61.9%n= 9,357,400

836,401

2,858,819

1,406,973

2,084,519

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

7/23/16 7/24/16 7/25/16 7/26/16 7/27/16 7/28/16 7/29/16 7/30/16 7/31/16Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

• Negative mentions largely focused on divisions within the party.

Some Sanders supporters walk out of convention #Demexit

Day 3 speeches by Kaine, Bloomberg, Biden and Obama catalyze conversation

• Popular speeches like Michelle’s generated positive conversations.

T R U M P A N D FA M I LY W E R E F O C U S O F R N C C O N V E RSAT ION W HILE O B A M A A D M I NI STRAT ION WA S K E Y F O R D N C

Most Common RNC Topics:

• Overwhelming portion of conversation about Trump personally, and his family members

• Limited discussion of other candidates who spoke such as Ben Carson and Ted Cruz

• Melania and Ivanka Trump, and Laura Ingraham among most mentioned speakers

Most Common DNC Topics:

• Compared to RNC, more diverse conversation, not as concentrated on nominee

• Bernie generated more conversation than any failed Republican competitor at the RNC

• Large share of conversation was surrounding elected officials like Pres. Obama, Sen. Warren, and Sen. Sanders

PA R T Y U N I TY A N D E L E C TE D O F F IC IAL S T O O K C E N TE R S TA GE AT D N C W H I L E T R UM P WA S F O C A L P O I N T F O R R N C

Popular Hashtags During DNC:

• #dncleaks was used to draw attention to the DNC email scandal• #feelthebern and #imwithher reveal the on-going battle for party unity;

other related hashtags include #uniteblue and #bernieorbust• Even though DNC only had 50% more mentions, the top DNC

hashtags were used 200% to 300% more often than RNC hashtags

105,460

107,584

234,183

346,397

#feelthebern

#hillaryclinton

#imwithher

#dncleak(s)

Popular Hashtags During RNC:

• Trump was the center of attention in various hashtags• As evidenced by #NeverTrump, some Republicans still wary of nominee• Overall theme of convention, Make America Great Again (MAGA), was

discussed throughout the analyzed time frame

60,139

73,486

105,158

111,781

#maga

#nevertrump

#trump

#trumppence16

T H R E E T R U MP FA M I LY M E M BE RS W E R E A M O NG F O U R M O S T TA L K ED A B O U T S P E A KERS AT R N C

191,532 mentions

Briefly applauded following the speech, mentions of Melania Trump quickly turned to ridicule and criticism due to allegations of plagiarism of Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech.

Melania Trump

Ted CruzReceived mixed reviews online, with Trump supporters strongly criticizing the speech and detractors applauding Cruz and calling him “likable for once.”

190,866 mentions 96,542 mentions

Produced less mentions, but was applauded as one of the convention’s top performances. It was also regarded as liberal and focused on women.

Ivanka Trump

Donald Trump 180,558 mentions

Headlined Day 4, and caused a serious spike in coverage immediately thereafter. Donald Trump applauded for a safe convention and ties with law enforcement.

AT D N C , E A C H N I G H T’S K E Y NOT E S P E A KER D O M I NATE D C O N V ER SATI ON W I T H M I C H EL E O B A MA’ S S P E E CH O N T O P

195,271 mentions

Most mentioned DNC speaker online, Michelle’s speech was received positively online with some sarcastic mentions of plagiarism.

Michelle Obama

Barack ObamaReactions to Barack Obama’s speech were more positive than negative: from gratitude for service and calling him the best President to applause for mocking Donald Trump. Some criticisms of his presidency.

186,062 mentions 177,324 mentions

Fourth most popular DNC speaker online and the most negatively regarded of the top four. Most negative narratives were around corruptions and alleged crimes. Donald Trump’s criticism received positively.

Hillary Clinton

Bernie Sanders 185,769 mentions

Bernie Sanders’ speech fueled the debate about unity online, with most urging for unity and criticizing the “Bernie or Bust” movement. Some Bernie supporters still criticizing Hillary as the nominee.

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GPG ResearchThe Glover Park Group is a leading strategic communications and government affairs firm. GPG offers an integrated and complementary suite of services to plan, build and execute all manner of communications tactics, campaigns and programs.

Our in-house research team is a data and insight-driven outfit. We employ cutting-edge research methodologies, from digital analytics to quantitative and qualitative opinion research, to help our clients understand where the conversation begins and, more importantly, how we can influence it.

For more information about this presentation or to find out more about GPG’s research capabilities contact:

Jason Boxt ([email protected]) orChris Gallup ([email protected])

Election 2016 – RNC & DNC Recap

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Transcript of Election 2016 – RNC & DNC Recap