Integrating social networks in a lobbying campaign: The case study of Intermarché, a supermarket chain

Why are some interest groups successfully using social networks for their lobbying campaign whereas others don't? This article suggests that some actors are aware that social networks can be used in a positive direction to lobby their target. It also shows that some others are not aware of the dimension of those networks. In order to test the effect of social networks, this article draws on an unprecedented dataset of interest groups in the European Union. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis of more than 44,000 tweets through dedicated software, this article studies the success and the failure of several interest groups. The findings indicate that Intermarché, a French supermarket chain, failed to communicate with the general public, leaving scope to the NGO Bloom helped by a successful comic posted on the web. By doing so, Intermarché has won on the field of lobbying to decision makers in Brussels, but lost on the public opinion field. This is a clear case of an absence of social media strategy in a lobbying campaign.