Mr Cameron – a real-time charlie? We think not…

We were delighted to read the news this morning that David Cameron and his team at number 10 are trialing an application which will pull real-time data from social media and other sources to aid with decision making.

The application will give the PM an at-a-glance view of how the country feels about him and his government. What better way to get close to what the people want than to tap into the conversations they are having in real time?

Reading the article on the BBC website (https://bbc.in/WJOWIu) we were also shocked by the opinions of Dominic Campbell, founder of FutureGov, who seemed to see no benefit to the application.  I am sure that no one is really under the illusion that the Prime Minister will exclusively use social media to govern his decisions, but having access to this wealth of data on public opinion, perception and feeling right at ones finger tips can’t fail to be useful…

Of course the concept of a dashboard is not unusual, but it is great to see Mr Cameron and his team taking a leap of faith and tap into the rich vein of conversation through social media (and other sources).

For those of you with a thirst for data, you may also find this article published on Forbes a few days ago thoroughly interesting –  detailing Hootsuite’s social media command center for the US Election. This quote from Matt Switzer, VP Partnerships & Corporate Development at HootSuite is particularly on topic “Social media has become an incredible barometer of public opinion, and the public expresses more opinion during elections than almost any other time “.

 

Hootsuite 2012 Election Tracker

Social election anyone?

Latest Posts

Creating polished, professional videos for social media doesn’t mean you need the latest camera or a studio setup: what really matters is how you shoot, edit, and present your videos. Let’s break down the essentials that will help your video content stand out and make an impact. Preparation Is Everything…
Read More
We’ve all been there – reeling off the results of our latest B2B marketing campaign with glee, while the recipient’s eyes glaze over. Whether it’s informing CFOs or CMOs of our latest success, we need to tailor our reporting accordingly and make them far more impactful. You may have seen…
Read More
Meta didn’t announce updates. It announced control. At NewFronts 2025, Meta rolled out tools, formats, and algorithms that signal one thing: it wants to own the attention economy from top to bottom. Discovery, distribution, and even your creative process. This isn’t just about more ad slots. It’s…
Read More