Brands See 'Social Media Lift' During Olympics

Social media analytics company Collective Intellect tracked eight Beijing Olympic sponsors between August 2 and August 13 to determine the amount of social media brand lift the sponsors achieved. Tracking blogs, social networks, forums and other "online conversations," Three brands saw significant increases in activity. CI found a 51 percent increase for McDonald's, a 141 percent increase or Visa and a 17 percent increase for Coke. The increases represent in-context association between Olympic-focuses content and the brand.