Scientific Research with Social Listening

Summary

Dr. Andrzej Jarynowski, an expert in infectious diseases, used Brand24 to study trends related to diseases in media. Even though he wasn't trained in marketing, he realized media data could be helpful for his research.

He needed to track popular phrases about diseases, understand public interest, and see what people thought. Brand24 helped him do this in real-time and across different languages, all at a reasonable cost.

With Brand24, Andrzej's team made some important discoveries. They used it to study a local environmental disaster and found that it had a biological cause, not a chemical one as initially believed. On a bigger scale, the tool helped them spot unusual events and signs of outside groups trying to influence public opinion.

Overall, Brand24 helped with both research and public health by finding problems early and understanding how people react to important events. It shows how listening to social media can provide valuable insights.

1. About the client

We spoke with:

Dr. Andrzej Jarynowski
Specialist in infectious disease modelling @ FU Berlin

Dr. Andrzej Jarynowski specializes in infectious disease modeling (the Ph.D. oath taken in January 2023 from Jagiellonian University in Cracow) and epidemiology (with honors). Half-time post-doc in Prof. Vitaly Belik’s System Modelling Group, FU Berlin. Awarded recently by epidemiological, epizootiological, telemedicine, or infectious disease societies for young researchers. Volunteer of multiple humanitarian missions linked to infection control and One public health in Southern and Eastern Europe (correspondent in epizootiology of Bloomberg and Washington Post, among others).

2. Problem

Although Andrzej lacks formal marketing or media training, he actively monitors media sources. Several years ago, when he began exploring public perceptions of infectious diseases, he recognized the importance of analyzing media data as a valuable source of information.

Traditionally, information about infectious diseases was gathered through surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. However, the shift towards media analysis as a critical research method occurred after Andrzej began his work in this field as he confronted a significant research challenge. He needed a way to keep tabs on specific phrases he had previously identified as trending in his area of expertise - biological threats. In essence, he sought the means to track trends, measure the growing interest in particular subjects, understand their impact, and gauge public sentiment.

His requirements varied depending on the nature of his research topics. Sometimes, he needed localized information about events and how they were received, while on other occasions, he sought data encompassing the entire country, including Germany, where he held a part-time position. His interest extended to understanding how Germans perceived these issues.

Andrzej was on a quest to find a solution that could provide him with valuable insights to underpin further scientific research. He needed a tool to help him generate hypotheses and advance his work in the fields of epidemiology and infectious diseases.

Brand24 enables the observation of various phenomena in different languages, which nicely highlights the differences in Polish and German discourses, for instance.

Andrzej Jarynowski

Specialist in infectious disease modelling @ FU Berlin

3. Solution

Andrzej uses Brand24 to keep track of trends on social and non-social media. "The most valuable thing B24 provides us is the insight into the curves of interest, divided by social media, traditional media, and their reach,” he explains.

He started using the tool in 2019 when there was a lot of attention on the African Swine Fever outbreak and protests about wild boar depopulation. Andrzej realized that he needed to understand what people were thinking and why. “We aim to grasp the mechanics, social dynamics, and the scale of the phenomenon. And Brand24 is the perfect companion for achieving that," he adds.

Brand24 helps him with this because it provides a longitudinal view of trends in real time, unlike surveys that give only immediate data. Brand24 helps him in the first research stage - understanding the social trends and making a scientific hypothesis.

Andrzej points out that one big advantage of Brand24 is that it can monitor projects across different languages, which many other tools can't do. Plus, it's cost-effective compared to competitors and some local companies. “This affordability is especially good for researchers who are on a budget and makes Brand24 a great choice for them”, says our interviewee.

A significant advantage is the ability to monitor cross-border projects. Some tools are limited to a single language, but not this one.

Andrzej Jarynowski

Specialist in infectious disease modelling @ FU Berlin

4. Results

Analyzing local events

One of the most compelling outcomes arose from their case study of the Odra River. Here, they tracked changes in interest along the river's course in the early stage of the Oder River ecological disaster in summer 2022, creating a spatial map of fluctuating interest tied to different events. This innovative approach allowed them to observe how interest ebbed and flowed, providing a unique perspective on the dynamics of local issues.

Brand24's strength lies in its versatility. It monitors not only social media but also other digital sources, making it an all-encompassing tool.

Andrzej Jarynowski

Specialist in infectious disease modelling @ FU Berlin

How did they achieve this? Andrzej's approach involved adding local Facebook groups related to the Odra River topic, including anglers, to their project. They carefully monitored mentions from different sections along the river's course. What struck them as peculiar was the unexpected lack of discussion between Wroclaw and Glogow.

This observation led to a hypothesis: the disaster's cause might be biological rather than chemical. Chemical disasters usually affect various areas in a similar, mainly linear way, whereas biological disasters can vary greatly depending on the local environment. At the time they proposed this hypothesis, it was quite groundbreaking. Subsequently, it was confirmed that the Odra River disaster indeed had a biological cause, contrary to the initial belief that it was chemical in nature.

Trajectory of Kill fish „Śnięte ryby“ with sentiment scores in social and traditional media and reach in traditional media (by Brand24) Source: https://blogs.fu-berlin.de/infodemic-corona/2022/08/19/oder-river-disaster-in-media/

The trajectory of Oder „Odra“ with sentiment scores in social and traditional media and reach in traditional media till 17.08 (by Brand24) Source: https://blogs.fu-berlin.de/infodemic-corona/2022/08/19/oder-river-disaster-in-media/

Read more on the topic!

Brand24’s ability to include local media sources sets it apart from other tools that may exclude low-reach regional media.

Andrzej Jarynowski

Specialist in infectious disease modelling @ FU Berlin

Analyzing global events

Andrzej's use of Brand24 has provided valuable insights into his research, both on a global and local scale. Internationally, the tool helped him analyze how people talk about various topics, focusing on factors like how much people talk, how many people are involved, and if they're saying positive or negative things.

This was crucial in spotting unusual events, especially potential attempts by foreign intelligence agencies to influence public opinion. By monitoring sudden increases in discussions, Andrzej's team attempts to identify signs of efforts to manipulate how people think. This way, they observed, e.g., the sentiment toward how refugees are tied to the spread of HIV or biological contamination of ukrainian grains.

In their specific field, which deals with diseases, Brand24 proved indispensable in pinpointing topics that could be exploited by external forces to create fear or uncertainty, whether on a national or international level. Additionally, they used sentiment analysis to quickly detect spikes in negative sentiments, acting as an early warning system for potential issues.

All in all, Brand24 has not only facilitated academic research but has also had practical implications in the realm of public health, enabling early problem detection, hypothesis formulation, and a deeper understanding of societal reactions to critical events. It stands as a testament to the valuable insights that can be gleaned through social listening and data analysis.

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Till the next case study. Toodles!

Waleria Pagowska

Product Marketing Specialist

Summary

1. About the client

2. Problem

3. Solution

4. Results

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