Rick Santorum With Twitter Momentum, Says Qorvis Study

Ron Paul Outperforms Mitt Romney Since CNN Debate

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Qorvis Communications released its latest Twitter Valuation Analysis for the 2012 presidential campaign today, with a snapshot of the social media footprint of the Republican field before tonight's closely watched Michigan and Arizona primaries. The Twitter Valuation Analysis reflects a considerable shift in momentum in favor of former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum at the expense of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Senator Rick Santorum increased his number of followers by 36.13 percent in the three weeks after the Florida primary. In the last six days, following the candidates' CNN debate, Santorum's Twitter account grew an additional 7.77 percent. In contrast, Romney's momentum has slowed considerably, gaining 14.07 percent after his decisive win in Florida, but only 2.37 percent in the last six days. Ron Paul has outperformed Romney on Twitter down the stretch, growing by 3.28 percent in the last six days.

"Twitter measures momentum, and Santorum still has it," said Wyeth Ruthven, a senior director at Qorvis Communications and author of the Twitter Valuation Analysis. "Gains in followers are indicative of national polling trends, so Santorum will remain viable in Super Tuesday contests regardless of tonight's outcome."

Qorvis compared the number of followers and frequency of tweets for President Barack Obama and the four leading Republican presidential candidates. The number of followers and frequency of tweets were used to calculate an estimated number of impressions generated by each campaign Twitter account in the month of February. Qorvis compared the metrics of these Twitter accounts with the cost of a direct mail or online advertising campaign of a similar size and reach to calculate the monetary value of a campaign Twitter account.

About Qorvis Communications, LLC
Qorvis Communications is one of the nation's largest independent, integrated communications firms. Formed in August 2000, Qorvis remains one of the fastest-growing firms in the United States. Qorvis provides its clients with expertise in the areas of public and media relations, advertising, public affairs, investor relations and financial services communications, grassroots campaigns, Internet-based campaigns, social media strategies, and research and opinion surveys. For more information, visit www.qorvis.com or contact [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @qorvis.

SOURCE Qorvis Communications, LLC