Anti-Obama Messages Yielded Highest Like Rates in NH and Iowa; Romney and Paul More ‘Liked’ in NH, While Pawlenty and Bachmann More ‘Liked’ in Iowa; Core GOP “Values” Message Ineffective for GOP Hopefuls; Palin the Exception
WASHINGTON – SocialCode, a full-service Facebook agency and subsidiary of The Washington Post Company, announced results from a new Republican political message study conducted on Facebook. The study was designed to demonstrate how the world’s largest social networking platform, when used correctly, can be a powerful research tool for politicians and brands.
“We believe this message test shows just how effective Facebook is as both an advertising and research platform for brands and politicians,” said Laura O’Shaughnessy, General Manager at SocialCode. “Campaigns like this on Facebook give advertisers powerful insights into specific audiences and messages and allow advertisers to quickly understand what is resonating with a targeted group.”
SocialCode conducted a randomized campaign among Facebook users in Iowa and New Hampshire to gauge the power of specific messages for seven potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Between May 23 and June 4, Facebook users in these critical early voting states were asked to show support by clicking “Like” in response to randomly displayed image combinations of seven declared or prospective candidates (or a GOP elephant) with five common Republican messages.
TOP FINDINGS INCLUDE:
– On every message former Alaska governor Sarah Palin received the highest “Like” rate in both New Hampshire and Iowa;
– “Values” rank fourth of the five-item message list across candidates, but it’s a major driver for Palin, who remains a shadow candidate. For Palin, the 2008 GOP vice-presidential nominee, the values-oriented message performs significantly better than does a focus on the economy;
– Palin is the only one of the seven potential candidates where economic messaging scores last;
-Across candidates the most resonant GOP message is to tack against the president: of five common GOP themes for winning back the White House in 2012, a straight-ahead anti-Obama message tested best;
– While President Obama’s re-election hopes may hinge on the fate of the nation’s struggling economy, from a pure policy standpoint it is the president’s health care overhaul that generates the sharpest opposition in this online message test;
– While some GOP strategists see Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts health plan as his Achilles’ heel in the nomination fight, an “anti-ObamaCare” message performs nearly as well for the former governor as does an economic one, the one he’s made the centerpiece of this bid for the GOP nod;
– Romney and health care combination performed better online than did a combination of health care and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.
Rank order of 2012 GOP messages (by “Like” rate)Message
| Overall | Iowa | New Hampshire | |||||
| Anti-Obama | 26% | 24% | 27% | ||||
| Healthcare | 21% | 23% | 20% | ||||
| Economy | 18% | 19% | 17% | ||||
| Values | 17% | 17% | 18% | ||||
| National security | 17% | 17% | 18% |
By State – in Iowa, the health care message rivals the basic anti-Obama meme, but in New Hampshire, the health care message fails to resonate as clearly;
By Age – the economy is a stronger message for younger adults in Iowa and New Hampshire than it is for those aged 30 and up. Across the two states, it’s particularly important for those aged 25 to 29. Values-based and national security messages are the lowest performers across all age groups;
By Gender – the anti-Obama message resonates far better with men than it does with women.
“If the 2008 campaign proved one thing, it’s that social media works when it comes to reaching voters who are researching issues online, reading blogs and debating issues with friends on Facebook,” continued O’Shaughnessy. “SocialCode’s methodology is focused on getting the exact right ads in front of users, allowing politicians and brands to tailor messages to maximize positive response among different segments of the population.”
About SocialCode
SocialCode, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, is a full-service Facebook agency. SocialCode’s unique tools are built on a research engine that offers analytics and information for advertisers that far surpasses what they could get anywhere else. With advanced quantitative methods, SocialCode specializes in building targeted communities, engaging those audiences and monetizing potential customers all while conducting research to inform strategy.
