Using Data to Predict Virality with Ernan Haruvy Ph.D. of University of Texas at Dallas

 

In the marketing class taught by Ernan Haruvy Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Dallas, “accelerants of relevance,” is the technical term students take notes on. For those without a marketing background, the term may be more easily understood as the data-supported elements of what makes a piece of social media content go viral.

We sat down with Haruvy on this episode of the Digital Marketing Professor Series to discuss the specific data analytics that his class uses to measure social media marketing effectiveness.

“We were trying to find out ‘what is it in terms of content and the actual demographics of the people doing tweets and retweets that accelerates retweeting that causes virality’,” Haruvy said.

As part of a collaboration with PR firm Golin, marketing students at University of Texas at Dallas analyzed tweets for content words, emotion, and sentiment analysis, including positivity and negativity. Haruvy said this is especially key in social media marketing.

“You don’t want something to just diffuse very fast; You want it to diffuse positively,” Haruvy said. “You want people to be excited about your product or story.”

On the podcast, Haruvy weighed in on whether a message from an unlikely source is either more, or less, likely to go viral. We even discussed Taylor Swift’s latest Instagram post, urging her fans to register to vote, which is the first outwardly political Instagram message she has posted.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Software & Electronics Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!
Twitter – @TechMKSL
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

promoted
How to Succeed After Getting Promoted: Seeking Feedback, Acting with Intention, and Leading with Perspective
April 16, 2026

Stepping into a leadership role today isn’t just a step up—it’s a shift into constant visibility, where expectations arrive immediately and the margin for error narrows. As organizations flatten structures and demand faster decisions, newly promoted leaders are expected to deliver impact from the outset, often without the space to fully adjust. According to…

Read More
AI in business
A Practical Conversation About AI in Business: From Hype to Real-World Impact
April 15, 2026

Artificial intelligence has moved from buzzword to boardroom priority at a staggering pace. Yet despite widespread adoption, many organizations are still struggling to turn experimentation into measurable business value—some estimates suggest the majority of enterprise AI initiatives fail to scale successfully. As AI becomes “table stakes” across industries, the real challenge is no longer…

Read More
weekly drive-in
Metropolis: Weekly Drive-in
April 15, 2026

Metropolis “Weekly Drive In” reflects a new era of storytelling where AI meets real-world execution, turning everyday field performance into momentum. Centered on genuine conversions and local wins, the series highlights how the company is scaling not just through technology, but through visibility and shared recognition. In an emerging recognition economy, these updates act…

Read More
Drive In, Drive Out: The Rhythm of Metropolis
April 15, 2026

Behind the seemingly mundane choreography of a drive-in lies a broader story about how modern cities script behavior, turning even the simplest actions into rehearsed routines. What looks like repetition is really a quiet testament to systems designed for flow and control, where efficiency often outweighs individuality. In places like Metropolis, the rhythm of…

Read More