Center for Knowledge

Frequently-used practices such as collecting public opinion, understanding consumer satisfaction, and checking on the state of affairs are matters that fall into the realm of market research. And when thinking of ways to conduct research to analyze public sentiment, traditional methods are usually the first to come to mind – like surveys, polls, and focus groups.

The fact that the internet – especially social media – is a powerful and widely used vehicle of communication is a universally accepted truth. With 2.95 billion people on social media in 2019 and increased penetration of 49% worldwide as of January 2020, the staggering numbers can’t be ignored. 

When you think about the role of government in society, many possible definitions come to mind. In general, governments are meant to enact laws and policies to maintain order, public safety and efficiency. They also provide public services and goods – such as maintaining roads, schools, libraries, parks and handling environmental issues.

One doesn’t have to look very hard to see headlines about racism and the race-relations battle splashed across the news. The latest wave of conflict was triggered on May 25th in Minneapolis when American, George Floyd, was accused of making a purchase with a fake $20 bill and died under the knee of an arresting police officer.

In the era of Smart Cities, social media and the Internet itself offer a constant flow of people’s concerns and desires, a piece of information that can help decision-makers to act faster and more efficiently. People have become their vital core, but sometimes thousands and thousands of data can be difficult to read.