Guardian and Keller Fay to Track UK Election WOM

UK newspaper The Guardian has teamed up with word-of-mouth (WOM) consulting firm Keller Fay to assess conversations taking place about the UK's 2015 general election.

The study will analyse in-person, phone and online conversations relating to the main political parties, in order to find out if the views of friends, family and work colleagues can influence voting choices and potentially affect outcomes.

Keller Fay has previously tracked WOM conversations about US presidential election candidates, and will now assess the extent to which UK voters are talking about each of the seven largest parties, their leaders and other prominent figures. The firm will also examine the policy issues and topics which feature in conversations. In the pilot wave, around 50% of likely voters said a recent conversation had an impact on their likely choice on Election Day.

The Guardian's Head of Consumer Insight Jim Mann says the partnership will give the paper 'exclusive insight into what about the election is spurring people into discussion', and how their conversations can potentially sway their vote on Election Day.

Web sites: www.theguardian.com and www.kellerfay.com .