Holmes Report 25 Mar 2012 // 11:00PM GMT
Last week, London 2012 launched details of the Olympic torch relay. It was revealed that the flame would make its 70 day journey from Lands End to the Olympic Stadium in London on foot, but it will also travel by canoe, zip wire, horse, steam train, ice skate and chairlift.
Meltwater Buzz monitored the online reaction to the announcement of the Olympic torch relay, analysing over 200 million sources. The results revealed a reaction with very little negativity. With not a lot of online buzz in the run up to the announcement, an obvious spike in the volume of online conversations highlights just how excited the public are as the event creeps closer. The overall sentiment of these online conversations is neutral, as most chose to simply share when and where the torch will be near to their home town, creating a sense of community online as individuals eagerly await the arrival of the Olympic spirit.
Any negative sentiment is generated by the few who feel that their home town has been left out of plans for the Olympic Torch relay, although it will pass within 10 miles of 95 percent of the population. There is also a small minority who are unable to join the Olympic spirit and feel that the hype around the route that the torch will take is simply a plan to distract from the state of the UK economy.