Why understanding the political influence of social media extends beyond Russia
Our research examined the Twitter followers of both  Donald Trump  and Hillary Clinton  and the sources of information and brands that their supporters follow: 648 brands followed by more than 19 million  Trump  and Clinton supporters collectively. By analyzing the President’s and former Secretary of State’s followers and those they follow  we were able to glean insight into the brand preferences of each politician’s followers  such as what news  beer and car brands they consume or are likely to choose.
The “Brand Universes” of  Donald Trump  and Hillary Clinton supports the widely-held beliefs about the profiles and demographics of the two candidates’ supporters. For example  President  Trump ’s Twitter followers had strong affinity with the alcoholic brands Budweiser  Coors  Jim Beam  Maker’s Mark; sports brands and media such as Ping  the Golf Chanel and Fox Sports; financial and media brands such as SmartyPig  Mint  MarketWatch  Fox Business  and the Drudge Report. Secretary Clinton’s followers  on the other hand  showed strong attraction for brands that are often associated with women and millennials such as Gap  Maybelline  Cover Girl  and J. Crew and media channels that speak to liberal audiences such as The Atlantic  Vox  Aljazeera America and Ebony Magazine.
By combining these brand universes with consumer data from Young & Rubicam’s BrandAsset Valuator (BAV) model  we are able to unearth the personality characteristics of each politician’s followers by the brands they follow. The brands monitored by  Donald Trump’s  followers were characterized as: straightforward; down to earth; rugged; unstylish; and non-trendy. The brands tracked by Hillary Clinton’s followers were described as: intelligent; socially responsible; glamorous; not fun; and not energetic. Interestingly  these characteristics were commonly associated with the two politicians themselves.
The takeaway is stark: by using this data  if you tell us who you follow on social media  we can assess your political affiliation and who you are likely to vote for in the future. Indeed   President Trump’s  electoral success has been partially attributed to  his  ability to harness the power of Twitter and tailor  his  rhetoric to reflect the values of  his  followers.
The same social media source that allows  Donald Trump  to instantly reach  his  followers can be used to help us better understand how brand associations can unduly reinforce political bias and fuel the polarization of our nation.
Our research examined the Twitter followers of both  [TGT]and Hillary Clinton  and the sources of information and brands that their supporters follow: 648 brands followed by more than 19 million  [TGT]  and Clinton supporters collectively. By analyzing the President’s and former Secretary of State’s followers and those they follow  we were able to glean insight into the brand preferences of each politician’s followers  such as what news  beer and car brands they consume or are likely to choose.
The “Brand Universes” of  [TGT]and Hillary Clinton supports the widely-held beliefs about the profiles and demographics of the two candidates’ supporters. For example  President  Trump ’s Twitter followers had strong affinity with the alcoholic brands Budweiser  Coors  Jim Beam  Maker’s Mark; sports brands and media such as Ping  the Golf Chanel and Fox Sports; financial and media brands such as SmartyPig  Mint  MarketWatch  Fox Business  and the Drudge Report. Secretary Clinton’s followers  on the other hand  showed strong attraction for brands that are often associated with women and millennials such as Gap  Maybelline  Cover Girl  and J. Crew and media channels that speak to liberal audiences such as The Atlantic  Vox  Aljazeera America and Ebony Magazine.
By combining these brand universes with consumer data from Young & Rubicam’s BrandAsset Valuator (BAV) model  we are able to unearth the personality characteristics of each politician’s followers by the brands they follow. The brands monitored by  Donald Trump’s  followers were characterized as: straightforward; down to earth; rugged; unstylish; and non-trendy. The brands tracked by Hillary Clinton’s followers were described as: intelligent; socially responsible; glamorous; not fun; and not energetic. Interestingly  these characteristics were commonly associated with the two politicians themselves.
The takeaway is stark: by using this data  if you tell us who you follow on social media  we can assess your political affiliation and who you are likely to vote for in the future. Indeed   President Trump’s  electoral success has been partially attributed to  his  ability to harness the power of Twitter and tailor  his  rhetoric to reflect the values of  his  followers.
The same social media source that allows  [TGT]to instantly reach  [TGT]  followers can be used to help us better understand how brand associations can unduly reinforce political bias and fuel the polarization of our nation.