Advocacy Media: Global Online Awareness and Democratization of Information Plays out on Social Media, While the Warlord Joseph Kony is Tucked Away in the Jungles of Uganda

Advocacy Media: Global Online Awareness and Democratization of Information Plays out on Social Media, While the Warlord Joseph Kony is Tucked Away in the Jungles of Uganda

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The will of the masses has reached an epic tipping point through the power of a viral video circulating on Facebook and Twitter. In less than a 48-hour period the video has been viewed approximately 12.5 million times; "liked" on Facebook 16,800 times, and 944 blogs have written about the campaign to stop Joseph Kony. The video, KONY2012 is an effort to "make Joseph Kony famous, and not in a good way".

Like the Arab Spring, the speed, reception and online mobilization has culminated into shaping and lifting the message on the collective digital backs of millions of people all throughout social media. 

Advocacy Media's General Manager, Jon Tilton, of the DC-based issue advocacy and digital media marketing firm specializing in online grassroots advocacy and issue awareness noted;

• "Our research finds 96% of the volume of the millions of unique online conversations, within the last 48 hours, regarding the KONY2012 video, and its message, have been favorable…."
• "It's no surprise that women are leading men with a 51/49 split of women to men discussing the issue in blogs, Twitter and social communities, like Facebook."
• "The first mainstream digital powerhouse influencer to push a KONY2012 message was P-Diddy on @IAMDIDDY, to over 5 million Twitter followers".
• Furthermore, "In the context of a war-weary electorate in an election year, to see the online masses attach to an issue online in such a way is epic…it's online participatory politics at its best…society is not sitting by idly, a digital army is amassing to take Kony out. Congress can no longer turn a blind eye, Tilton said.

The online political will of the people cannot be ignored. In fact, plenty of celebrities have gotten involved in sharing the video about KONY 2012, resulting in it becoming a worldwide top trending topic on Twitter for the past few days.

Justin Bieber retweeted a post to his 9 million followers "#Kony2012 is number 1 trending topic on Twitter worldwide!! See why by clicking here... It might change ur life"

P-Diddy tweeted to his 6 million followers, "Dear Joseph Kony, I'm Gonna help Make you FAMOUS!!!! We will stop YOU #StopKONY ! All 6,OOO,OOO of my followers RT NOW!!! Pls!"

Kim Kardashian retweeted to her 13 Million followers a post by her sister Kendall and wrote, "#Kony2012 Wow just watched! What a powerful video! Stop Kony!!!"

Oprah tweeted to her 9 million followers, "Thanks tweeps for sending me info about ending #LRAviolence. I am aware. Have supported with $'s and voice and will not stop.#KONY2012."

"Social Media has truly flattened the political landscape. What once took several weeks and hundreds of thousands of dollars to generate offline awareness about an issue, now can all be done at the click of a mouse, at the cost of infinitesimal." Tilton said.

About our methodology: To reach this result, social media discussion was analyzed in online communities, sites, Facebook pages and Twitter, as well as in message boards and in the blogosphere. Approximately 50,000 discussions about the situation took place during the time period of data collection from March 1 – 8, 2012. While approximately 96% support the campaign, 2% of the discussions were undecided or didn't have an opinion, and 2% were unfavorable.

About Advocacy Media

Advocacy Media is an online issue and brand promotion agency.  A full-service digital grassroots marketing firm, Advocacy Media uses the power of the Internet to give clients a competitive advantage online, while safeguarding their brands from the effects of negative perceptions and attacks online. Advocacy Media was founded by the strategic communications firm, Weber Merritt. Jon Tilton is Advocacy Media's General Manager. Advocacy Media is headquartered in Alexandria, VA. To learn more about Advocacy Media, please visit www.advocacymedia.com or reach us for interviews at 703-299-2600.

SOURCE Advocacy Media