Online conversations and social media discussions can provide valuable insights into consumer perceptions of brands and how marketing messages are being received. Analysis of commentary around South Africa's 2013 State of the Nation address found that most online discussions focused on President Zuma rather than the content of the speech, and sentiment was mostly negative or mocking of the president. Key insights included identifying trending topics, popular hashtags, opinions expressed, influential users, and evaluating sentiment and reaction across social media platforms.