How Grumpy Cat Ruled at SXSW 2015

How Grumpy Cat Ruled at SXSW 2015
John Bastick
By John Bastick



If you thought the internet was of little use other than for watching cat videos and pornographic films then new data proves you may very well be right.

When online data firm Meltwater monitored the recent conversations at the famed South By South West conference in Texas last month it discovered that, somewhat sadly, the YouTube adventures of Grumpy Cat, an agitated and portly feline, was top of most delegates’ conversation starters.

Meltwater’s social data sampling found Grumpy Cat (25,000+ mentions) beat another reported internet sensation the Fat Jew (1700 mentions), and Megan Smith (4136 mentions). And who is Megan Smith, you may well ask? As it turns out she’s the chief technology officer of the US government of all things. Yes, they have a CTO.

However, the research actually found that rather than spending their time watching cat videos, SXSW delegates actually were talking about the conference’s sessions, parties and free food (some 90,000+ mentions.)

So what’s all this mean from a marketing perspective?

According to Meltwater’s senior content marketing strategist, Leslie Nuccio, it’s all to do with engagement and awareness.

“Awareness,” she says, “is when I walk down the street and ask someone what Grumpy Cat is. Engagement is when people take the time to tweet about it. Awareness and engagement are inextricably related in marketing.”

So there you have it. Fat felines and marketing all explained in one.




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