The Milwaukee Bucks trended on social media after calling off Game 5 of their play-offs against the Orlando Magic to protest police brutality. NBA teams have been vocal about demanding justice for victims of police brutality since the beginning of their 2020 season in the NBA bubble. Players have worn Black Lives Matter shirts and even knelt during the National Anthem before games. The Bucks’ decision to sit out their game was in response to the shooting of a black man by police in a town near Milwaukee. Teams in other major league sports, like the WNBA and MLS, boycotted their games as well in protest. BrandGraph, IZEA’s social intelligence platform, recorded a spike in social media content and engagement for the Milwaukee Bucks after sports fans shared their reactions on social media to the Bucks’ decision. The social media commentary continues the debate of whether sports and social-political issues should mix.
Also trending this week on BrandGraph were brands like the Black Panther and Resident Evil. BrandGraph tracks and records the performance of these brands across social media platforms. See what got these brands trending by taking a closer look at the Top Trending Brands for this week:
Trending Brands for the Week of August 24, 2020
- Milwaukee Bucks(@bucks)
- U.S.Republican Party(@gop)
- Resident Evil(@residentevil)
- Black Panther (@blackpanther)
- New York Mets(@mets)
BrandGraph reported a spike in social media content for the Milwaukee Bucks following their boycott on Game 5 of their play-offs against the Magic. Players were disturbed by the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, by police in Kenosha, Wis. The shooting, which was near Milwaukee, is another example of police brutality that NBA teams have actively been calling out this season by kneeling with the Black Lives Matter Movement. Sports lovers took to social media to express their support for the Bucks’ unprecedented decision. Others shared posts about their confusion on the purpose of the strike. Bucks players argued boycotting their game was the best way to draw attention to the situation and to demand the officers in question be held accountable. Following the lead of the Bucks, all NBA play-off games on Aug 26 were postponed. Players across different NBA teams even toyed with the idea of canceling the rest of the play-off season. NBA players returned to the court on Aug 28, following the initial boycott. The Bucks ultimately defeated the Magic, advancing them to the Eastern-Conference Semi-Finals against the Miami Heat.
Top Content for Milwaukee Bucks
The U.S Republican Party also trended on social media after hosting the Republican National Convention Aug 24-Aug 27. Unlike the DNC, which was virtual, the RNC still convened in-person but at a much smaller scale. Convention proceedings were held remotely in both Charlotte, N.C, and Washington, D.C. There were several speakers at the RNC, including all of Trump’s adult children and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump. The majority of speakers praised Trump’s performance as President these past four years and expressed excitement at the possibility of four more. Kimberly Guilfoyle, television news personality and Donald Trump Jr.’s partner, spoke at the RNC opening night. Her speech gained a lot of attention on social media as posts poured in criticizing the delivery of her message. The RNC ended with President Donald Trump officially accepting the Republican Presidential nomination in Washington, D.C.
Top Content for U.S. Republican Party
Capcom’s best selling video game franchise, Resident Evil, is going to be a Netflix original TV series. The announcement caused a spike in social media content for the franchise as gamers and fans of the franchise posted their excitement for the new show. Resident Evil games are credited for pioneering the survival-horror genre and re-popularizing zombies in mainstream media. The new live-action TV series will not be based on plots in the game but is a new story set inside the world of Resident Evil. The TV series will be produced by Constantin Film, who also made the six Resident Evil Films.
Top Content for Resident Evil
Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) trends on social media following the unexpected passing of its star, Chadwick Boseman. At the age of 43, Boseman died of complications of colon cancer. People were not only shocked to hear about Boseman’s death but that he was quietly battling cancer since 2016. Fans and celebrities mourn his loss on social media by sharing their favorite pictures of him and captions explaining why this is such a difficult loss. For a lot of kids, he was the first Black superhero they saw. They idolized his character, King T’Challa, and him as a person. BrandGraph recorded a serious spike for Black Panther (2018) as supporters re-watch the movie in remembrance of Boseman. Many attribute the $1 billion box office success of Black Panther (2018) to Boseman. Fans also remember Boseman for his impeccable acting skills and his portrayal of historical Black figures like Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and James Brown.
Top Content for Black Panther
The New York Mets trend after returning to the field since their last four games against the Miami Marlins were postponed due to player testing positive to the coronavirus. On Aug 27, players from both teams participated in a moment of silence for 42 seconds in solidarity with the Black Lives Movement and walked off the field. Players were inspired by the Milwaukee Bucks’ protest of their play-off game and by Mets slugger Dominic Smith’s decision to kneel during the National Anthem. The strike sparked online controversy on whether professional sports and politics should be separate.
Top Content for New York Mets
BrandGraph Trends is designed to help marketers identify, compare, and contrast momentum among brands, topics, and concepts in social media. Powered by IZEA’s proprietary content classification engine, BrandGraph Trends allows marketers to benchmark any keyword against a brand or groups of brands in a general industry or specific category.
Those interested in learning more about BrandGraph Trends can request a product demonstration at izea.com/brandgraph/get-a-demo
