Occupy Wall Street — A Passing Fad?

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — While general awareness continues to grow toward the Occupy Wall Street, there has been a 7 point increase in negative sentiment in social media around the movement according to a new poll and ongoing social analysis by global market research firm, ORC International. Positive and mixed sentiment both declined leading to believe the movement, while still widespread, is currently losing support. These findings are further supported by a telephone poll released today by ORC International** showing over half of Americans (57%) say they have become less interested in the movement over the past two weeks.

Our most recent social media analysis shows that while online conversations peaked to an all-time high of 5 million posts on November 15 with protesters being evicted from Zucotti Park- the movement’s home base in New York City- social conversation has dramatically trailed off since then. Only three in ten Americans disagree with the eviction.

The widespread arrests continue to drive conversations (17% of all posts contained ‘arrest’, 30% ‘police’), however it is the protesters themselves, and not the issues that are being brought to the forefront. According to the telephone poll, there are widespread opinions about what the movement is trying to accomplish. Of those surveyed, top responses revealed only 11% note the goal is to point out/reduce economic inequality, 5% to create more jobs/reduce unemployment, 4% to improve economy/growth and for wealthy corporations to pay more in taxes.

According to Jeffrey Resnick, Global Managing Director of Innovation and Strategy for ORC International “the movement seems to be slowing in the eyes of both social and mainstream media.  Once evictions began across a number of Occupy encampments, the public’s interest began to wane. While the frustrations underpinning the movement are still real, it doesn’t have the hearts and minds of most Americans.   Almost one in four Americans (23%) say the movement should stop but a plurality simply do not care (44%).”