KHOJ: Journal of Indian Management Research and Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study impact of the Asia-Pacific and Middle East Tour 2016 by the RAF Red Arrows to the latter's Facebook popularity. Also studied are the other factors contributing to the team's popularity on Facebook.

Using Fanpagekarma, an online social media analysis tool, the data indicating popularity of the Red Arrows on Facebook is captured for two timestamps: before the commencement of the Asia-Pacific and Middle East Tour 2016, and while the tour is in progress. The two sets of data are statistically analyzed to find if any association exists between a visit to a country by the team and the rise in popularity on Facebook in that particular country. Also, other information sources are studied and analyzed to justify the change in Facebook popularity behavior in certain countries.

The countries on the itinerary of the Red Arrows show an above average increase in popularity in the form of 'Total Page Likes'. Also, the 'People Talking About This' metric increases drastically while the tour is midway. The behaviour of the countries not being visited with regard to growth in Page Likes for the Red Arrows is also presented along with the reasons. There exists an association between a country being visited by the Red Arrows and the growth in the Page Likes in that country.

The social media popularity of the team during the tour can be considered to be an important parameter to gauge the success of the tour. The study would give the planners and strategists of the touring team various factors to consider for future tours and social media coverage for them.

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