Qorvis Study Shows Ron Paul, Rick Santorum Surge on Twitter on Eve of Iowa Caucus

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Qorvis Communications released its monthly Twitter Valuation Analysis for the 2012 presidential campaign today, with the final snapshot of the social media footprint of the Republican field before tomorrow's Iowa Caucus.

The Twitter Valuation Analysis reflects recent polling in Iowa – a tight race between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, with substantial momentum building behind Rick Santorum.

Congressman Ron Paul increased his number of followers by 30.05 percent in the month of December, growing by more than 20 percent for the fourth month in a row. Former Senator Rick Santorum grew his followers by 24.69 percent, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was in third place with 20.40 percent follower growth.

"Michelle Bachmann has put all her Twitter chips on Iowa," said Wyeth Ruthven, a senior director at Qorvis Communications and author of the Twitter Valuation Analysis. "In the last month, Bachmann has tweeted more than almost all the other Republican candidates in Iowa combined. Meanwhile, Ron Paul continues to surge in Twitter followers."

Qorvis compared the number of followers and frequency of tweets for President Barack Obama and the seven leading Republican presidential candidates. The number of followers and frequency of tweets were used to calculate an estimated number of impressions generated by each campaign Twitter account in the month of December. Qorvis compared the metrics of these Twitter accounts with the cost of a direct mail or online advertising campaign of a similar size and reach to calculate the monetary value of a campaign Twitter account.

About Qorvis Communications, LLC

Qorvis Communications is one of the nation's largest independent, integrated communications firms. Formed in August 2000, Qorvis remains one of the fastest-growing firms in the United States. Qorvis provides its clients with expertise in the areas of public and media relations, advertising, public affairs, investor relations and financial services communications, grassroots campaigns, Internet-based campaigns, social media strategies, and research and opinion surveys. For more information, visit www.qorvis.com or contact [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @qorvis.

SOURCE Qorvis Communications