From August 27 to September 16, 2025, we analyzed more than 138,000 posts and comments on social media (X, Facebook, forums) regarding the participation of Greece men’s national basketball team in EuroBasket 2025, based exclusively on data from the Brandwatch platform, a global leader in social listening.
Objective: To understand how the team’s journey was reflected on social media, what the dominant sentiment was, and how the discussion transcended the boundaries of sports, touching on politics, national identity, and the overall image of Greek basketball.
Top Buzz Peaks
Comments and posts on social media recorded a huge increase on September 7 (VS Israel), on September 12 (VS Turkey), and on September 14 (VS Finland):
September 7 (VS Israel): Greece advanced to the quarter-finals after a thrilling victory with a score of 84-79, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (37 points). The match generated huge buzz on social media as it combined athletic excellence and political tension. On social networks, expressions of national pride dominated on one hand, while politically charged hashtags (#freepalestine) were prominent on the other, linked to the developments in Gaza. A significant part of the discussion focused on the demand of Greek opposition political party SYRIZA to cancel the match. Despite the political tension, the victory became a point of unity and joy for the fans.
Indicative X posts with a significant number of RTs:
September 12 (VS Turkey): Greece lost with a score of 68-94 in the semi-final, in a match where they made 22 mistakes and never found their rhythm. The Turks, with Osman and Sengun as key players, completely dominated. There was widespread disappointment and intense criticism on Greek social media regarding the team’s and the coach’s choices, but also supportive comments.
Indicative X posts with a significant number of RTs:
Sengun’s post on social media after the game sparked reactions on Greek social media, as it seemed to reference the 1922 Asia Minor developments. The Turkish Federation also caused strong reactions with a post showing a Turkish player dunking in front of Antetokounmpo with the caption “No mercy.” This image led to an official complaint from the Hellenic Basketball Federation to FIBA and was eventually withdrawn. The tension on social media was twofold: sporting (criticism of the team) and political, intensifying the atmosphere of confrontation between Greece and Turkey.
Indicative X posts with a significant number of RTs:
September 14 (VS Finland): Greece won the bronze medal after 16 years, beating their opponent 92-89, with the last 5 minutes causing a stir on social media. The match was characterized by passion and teamwork, with Greece showing character and regaining their spirit after the loss in the semi-final. Emotional moments were recorded and commented on social media: Antetokounmpo, with the Greek flag on his back, was in tears, stating that “this is the greatest achievement of his career,” and team captain Kostas Papanikolaou expressed emotion and commitment for the future of the team. The discussion focused on the meaning of returning to the podium, national pride, and the new era that is opening up for Greek basketball.
Indicative X posts with a significant number of RTs: 
Sentiment Analysis
Sentiment analysis on social media shows a mainly positive image. The progress of Greece men’s national basketball team created emotional identification, with the positive tone prevailing in discussions about winning the medal.
- 54,64% positive (celebrations, national pride, exaltation of players and the coach)
- 35,97% neutral (descriptive posts, journalistic reports)
- 9,39% negative (criticism for the defeat against Turkey, political reactions to the match with Israel).
Sources Benchmarking
From September 7 (match against Israel) onwards, X took off with almost 100k mentions (+557% compared to the corresponding previous period). Public comments on Facebook saw a more moderate increase (+34%). Forums had a limited presence, but also saw a significant increase (+62%), showing that qualifying for the quarter-finals and the subsequent matches generated intense activity across all channels examined.
Notable peaks for Facebook and forums:
On Facebook, hundreds of public comments were gathered in the following posts, among others:
Related comments in forums recorded an increase on September 13 in threads with titles:
- “The thread of the official favourite – National basketball team” (on insomnia.gr)
- “Eurobasket 2025 and the end of an era” (on adslgr.com))
Countries & Key Players
Greece accounted for 72.4% of the total discussion, while the countries most frequently mentioned by Greek users on social media were Turkey (9.54%) and Israel (4.94%):
This shows that the discussion was strongly national in nature, but at the same time, specific countries were key points of reference as the discussions expanded to political issues.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was at the center of the discussion with 57% of mentions, as the undisputed leader on the court. He was followed by coach Vassilis Spanoulis (21.9%), Kostas Sloukas (11.2%), and team captain Kostas Papanikolaou (9.8%):
The Greek Freak’s leadership, both on the court (37 points against Israel, decisive moments in the bronze medal match) and symbolically (statements about the medal as ‘the greatest achievement of his life’), strengthened the team’s image and gave a new dimension to the discussion about identity and national pride.
Hashtags, Phrases & Emojis
The topics cloud highlights how the discussion combines sports, national identity and politics:
- Dominant hashtags: #eurobasket, #eurobasket2025, #grefin, #gretur, #greisr
- Phrases: “bronze medal”, “Greek national team”, “Congratulations”
- Emojis: 🏀👏🇬🇷❤️, expressing enthusiasm and national pride
At the same time, the discussion about the match against Israel was linked to hashtags such as #freepalestine, showing how political dynamics have penetrated the sporting dialogue.
Why Social Listening is Valuable
The analysis of Greece’s participation in EuroBasket 2025 clearly highlights the power of social listening:
- Identification of discussion peaks related to matches, results and critical events.
- Understanding the sentiment and how social media users experience the Greek national team’s progress.
- Highlighting the political and social dimensions that influence the image of a sporting event.
- Mapping key players and how they reinforce or influence public discourse.
For communications, marketing and PR professionals, the ability to monitor social media conversations in real time offers a strategic advantage:
- Enhancing positive publicity.
- Preparing for crises.
- Leveraging insights to improve products or services, content marketing, sponsorships and partnerships.
Try out the possibilities of social listening for your own industry, utilizing real-time data. Identify critical trends, valuable insights and opportunities that will give you a competitive edge.
Analysis Identity
Social Listening Tool: Brandwatch
Date Range: 27/08/25 – 16/09/25
Sources: Social Media*
Keywording/Analysis: Clip News
*The analysis is based solely on publicly available data from social media channels in Greece. The search was limited to the keywords “Eurobasket” and “National Basketball Team” in all possible variations (English, Greek, Greeklish, with or without accents, etc.) and to the hashtags of our National Team’s games (e.g., #grefin, #gretur, #greisr).
Search Limitations: The Brandwatch platform collects data from websites, blogs, forums, social media (X, Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr, etc.) with the restrictions defined by each channel. For example, discussions in closed forums and Facebook private groups, or Instagram Stories, are not collected. The above analysis provides an indicative approach, taking into account that varying sources and date range may produce different insights.
The International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) recently introduced the updated “Barcelona Principles V4.0” at its annual conference, held in Vienna. The “Barcelona Principles” are a set of seven fundamental principles that guide communication and public relations professionals in applying reliable, transparent, and effective methods for measuring and evaluating communication. They are intended for all communication professionals who wish to understand the impact of their activities in a systematic and effective way.
The evolution of the “Barcelona Principles” since 2010
The “Barcelona Principles” were first introduced in 2010 with the goal of establishing a common framework for measuring and evaluating communication and public relations globally. The need for these principles arose from the increasing complexity of the communication landscape and the diverse approaches to evaluating communication results, which often led to inconsistency and unreliability. The aim was to provide a transparent, reliable, and measurable framework so that industry professionals could accurately assess the effectiveness of their efforts.
Since then, the “Barcelona Principles” have been updated every five years to reflect changes and developments in the communication landscape and technology. The working group consists of experienced professionals from different countries and work environments, including corporate executives, academics, NGO representatives, and public sector officials, who voluntarily collaborate. Their shared purpose is to shape best practices in communication measurement and evaluation, ensuring that the principles developed are globally applicable, timely, and tailored to the needs of the industry.
Each revision includes adjustments and new additions that address contemporary challenges, such as the rapid growth of social media, the emphasis on qualitative data analysis, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). In this way, the principles remain current and effective as a guiding tool for measurement and evaluation in an ever-changing communication world.
Adapting to new challenges
Version 4.0 of the “Barcelona Principles” reflects the developments in today’s communication landscape. It incorporates significant changes, such as emphasizing the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, the selection of clear and measurable objectives, a deeper understanding of target audiences, and the evaluation of impact across all relevant communication channels, both offline and online. Furthermore, it explicitly excludes the use of unreliable measurements, such as Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs), as a vanity metric, and reinforces ethics, transparency, and responsible data and methods management, while also taking into account the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
A key innovation is the integration of planning and measurement, which are often treated as two separate phases. In this edition, planning and measurement are merged into a unified, continuous process that is constantly reviewed and improved. Additionally, Version 4.0 of the “Barcelona Principles” places greater emphasis on the active involvement and understanding of stakeholder audiences as complex ecosystems, rather than simply as consumers or clients.
The significance for the Greek communication industry
For the Greek market, the value of the “Barcelona Principles V4.0” is significant, as they provide a global standard and guidance for the strategic measurement and evaluation of communication. Their application helps in-house communication and public relations departments, agencies (advertising and PR), media organizations, consulting firms, research companies, etc., to better understand the effectiveness of their efforts, improve their credibility, and strengthen public trust.
Clip News, as an AMEC member since 2023, proudly undertook the translation and adaptation of the comprehensive “Barcelona Principles V4.0” guide into Greek. With this initiative, Clip News enhances the level of knowledge and application of best practices in the Greek communication sector, providing reliable tools and training for achieving transparent and effective evaluation in every campaign. In this way, communication professionals in Greece gain easier access to international standards, strengthening their strategic capacity and positioning in an ever-evolving and demanding communication environment. You can download the e-book with the “Barcelona Principles V4.0” on the AMEC website.
At Clip News, we firmly believe that managing digital reputation is a cornerstone for every modern business and organization. As information spreads at light speed, the ability to monitor, understand, and shape an online presence has become more critical than ever. Within this context, we are especially proud of our VP Media Intelligence, Katerina Kechagia, who participated as an instructor in the renowned “Online Reputation & Public Relations” program by Knowcrunch.
The Importance of Real-Time Media Monitoring
In today’s digital landscape, a brand’s reputation is continuously shaped across multiple channels. From social media and news sites to blogs and forums, every mention, comment, or post can significantly influence public perception. This is precisely where the value of real-time media monitoring comes into play, offering continuous tracking and analysis of all online content related to a brand.
In her session titled “Digital Reputation Management Strategy – Brandwatch”, Ms. Kechagia focused on this critical aspect. Through practical case studies and advanced use of the Brandwatch platform, participants had the opportunity to explore techniques and strategies that enable:
- Instant Detection: Identifying brand mentions in real time to respond quickly to both positive and negative comments.
- Deeper Understanding: Conducting sentiment analysis, categorizing topics, and identifying key influencers.
- Strategic Shaping: Turning raw data into actionable insights that drive effective communication strategies and crisis management.
Brandwatch: A Cutting-Edge Tool
Brandwatch, one of the world’s leading media intelligence platforms, offers a comprehensive suite of functionalities for monitoring and analyzing data from online sources. In Ms. Kechagia’s session, participants explored its capabilities, including:
- Dashboards: Customizable dashboards for quick overviews of essential metrics.
- Mention Sources: Identifying where the brand is being discussed (social media, news sites, forums, blogs).
- Sentiment Analysis: Assessing whether mentions are positive, negative, or neutral.
- Tagging & Filters: Organizing and filtering data for targeted analysis.
- Analytics Overview: A holistic view of digital reputation performance.
- Topics & Authors Analytics: Detecting trending discussion themes and identifying influential voices (influencers, brand advocates).
- Alerts: Automated notifications for critical mentions related to your brand.
Commitment to Education and Innovation
Our participation in such a significant program highlights Clip News’ commitment to knowledge sharing and innovation in media analytics. As a company, we continuously invest in enhancing our tools and methodologies, ensuring that brands receive the most comprehensive and effective media monitoring solutions for reputation management.
We are convinced that continuous learning is the key for the communication and marketing industry to stay one step ahead of change. Learn more about the “Online Reputation & Public Relations” program by Knowcrunch and Ms. Kechagia’s contribution on knowcrunch.com.
From June 1 to July 30, 2025, we analyzed over 260,000 social media posts about 10 popular Greek islands, based exclusively on data from the social listening platform Brandwatch.
The analysis includes both user-generated content and posts from news media accounts, while the search was limited to English-language content, regardless of country of origin. Objective: to understand how the touristic image of Greece is reflected through the eyes of visitors and international social media use.
Share of voice
How much “space” did each island occupy in the overall social media conversation? Share of Voice (SoV) reflects which destinations dominated and their percentage share: 
- Crete (29,87%): Leads the digital dialogue due to its size and the variety of experiences it offers: history, nature, gastronomy. During the period examined, its image was affected by a double crisis: wildfires that led to mass evacuations and significant damage, and a sudden increase in migrant flows straining local infrastructure. Social media conversations highlighted both the impact of the climate crisis and the social challenges facing the local community and tourism.
- Mykonos (20,06%) and Santorini (18,6%): Achieved impressive presence, boosted by luxury travel, content creators, and news coverage.
Sentiment analysis
To understand the overall impression left on the public, we analyzed the sentiment of mentions (positive, negative, neutral) for the examined period: 
Overall sentiment for the 10 islands shows:
- 3% of mentions were neutral (usually descriptive)
- 7% were positive
- 16% were negative
Sentiment per island
By analyzing the sentiment for each island individually, we get a more targeted view of how travelers experience each destination and where the most intense positive or negative comments are found: 
Crete
Crete stood out for the diversity of tourist experiences: from beaches and archaeological sites to traditional cuisine, prompting positive comments on authenticity and local hospitality. Culinary videos featuring traditional dishes and photos from Elafonisi gained notable engagement. Negative comments focused on the early July wildfires, hotel evacuations, extreme heat, and complaints about slow public transportation.
Mykonos
Mykonos was a top subject on social media, with positive mentions about vibrant nightlife, luxury beach clubs, and celebrity sightings (e.g., visit by tennis player Novak Djokovic). Users highlighted fashion, gastronomy, and high-end hotel experiences. However, complaints surfaced about excessive prices (€25 for coffee and water on a sunbed), overcrowding, and a sense of “overtourism” that many felt altered the island’s character.
Santorini
Santorini garnered extremely positive comments for its aesthetics, with references to the Oia sunset, whitewashed villages, and romantic dinners. Popular themes included weddings, honeymoons, and organized food tours. On the flip side, some travelers complained about overtourism, transportation challenges due to the island’s steep terrain, and high prices. There were also views that described the island as “overrated.”
Rhodes
Positive comments mainly came from tourists who visited historical landmarks such as the Medieval Town and the Acropolis of Lindos, as well as those who enjoyed vegan options in new hotels. However, negative buzz increased due to protests by pro-Palestinian activists against the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship, with heavy police presence and reports of excessive force. The incidents caused reactions, with many visitors expressing surprise at the atmosphere and difficulties accessing tourist spots due to the demonstrations.
Zakynthos
Zakynthos received positive mentions for the natural beauty of Navagio Beach, organized boat tours, and the ease of exploring “hidden” beaches. Many users praised the nightlife in Laganas, although there were serious mentions of incidents involving drunk tourists and safety concerns, especially during peak student arrival periods. The balance between fun and responsibility was a recurring theme during the period.
Corfu
Positive references focused on the cultural experience and natural beauty, especially in areas like Kanoni and Pontikonisi. Users praised the photo opportunities and the “fairytale” vibe of the island. Conversely, negative comments were recorded about the airport: limited space, slow service, and overcrowding led to disappointment.
Lefkada
Lefkada received excellent comments for Porto Katsiki and Egremni beaches, as well as for sports, like windsurfing. It was praised as a value-for-money destination with an authentic vibe and alternative tourism options. However, comments noted access difficulties without a car and insufficient amenities in more remote areas of the island.
Naxos
Travelers highlighted the gastronomic aspect, local products (like Arseniko cheese), the family-friendly atmosphere, and organized beaches. On the other hand, there were some negative experiences regarding service variety in hotels and complaints about unreliable service, mainly related to bookings and transportation.
Paros
Positive comments focused on the scenic towns (Naousa, Lefkes), the calm yet stylish atmosphere, and the balance between romance and fun. Its distinction by New York’s travel magazine “Travel + Leisure” as the “Best Island in the World for 2025” drew additional positive mentions. Negative mentions related to overcrowding and parking difficulties in popular spots.
Lesvos
Users praised the authentic experience, local flavors (Plomari ouzo, seafood), and the hospitality of the locals. Strong positive posts highlighted tranquility, nature, and the island’s cultural identity. Negative aspects of the conversation included the migration issue, infrastructure problems, and the lack of organized tourism packages for more demanding visitors.
Topics cloud
The topics cloud offers a “taste” of the themes and mood of users: 
- Hashtags like #greekislands, #tastegreece, #crete, #travelphotography reveal the touristic perspective.
- Emojis like ☀️🍷🏖️📸 suggest positive vibes, fun, and summer relaxation.
- Terms like “illegal migrants,” “earthquake,” “fires” indicate that conversations also include socio-political issues, especially on islands associated with such matters (Lesvos, Crete).
Sources breakdown
The collected mentions come exclusively from social media platforms and represent public data: 
- X (Twitter): Dominant channel (66.42%) with quick, spontaneous, and often humorous responses from users.
- Reddit: At 16.22%, hosts more extensive experiences and discussions, mainly from travelers describing what they liked or disliked.
- Other platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, contributed visuals and check-ins.
Why Social Listening Matters
Even a quick look at the June-July data revealed a wealth of useful and actionable insights for each island destination. A deep-dive analysis would certainly uncover even more: from traveler preferences and micro-trends to the factors shaping sentiment and influencing decisions to visit or return to a destination.
Businesses operating on the islands have real room to adjust their strategies for the remainder of the summer. From content marketing and influencer partnerships to handling negative experiences and improving the overall traveler experience, social listening offers a crucial competitive advantage: the ability to respond immediately and strategically in real-time, based on how visitors themselves perceive and describe the destination.
Social listening, therefore, isn’t just for major brands or international campaigns. Even without monitoring a specific brand name, the name of a destination can reveal valuable insights into how the public perceives that place. A business influenced by an island’s image and invested in branding, like a hotel, a travel agency, a transportation or food service, can leverage this data to understand traveler expectations, improve the experience it offers, or design more targeted communication efforts.
Analysis identity
Social Listening Tool: Brandwatch
Date Range: 01/06/25 – 30/07/25
Sources: Social media*
Keywording/Analysis: Clip News
*The analysis is based on publicly available data from social media channels only in the English language, with no geographic restrictions on country of origin.
Search Limitations: The Brandwatch platform collects data from websites, blogs, forums, social media (X, Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr, etc.) with the restrictions defined by each channel. For example, discussions in closed forums and Facebook private groups, or Instagram Stories, are not collected. The above analysis provides an indicative approach, taking into account that varying sources and date range may produce different insights.
Clip News’ arsenal in publicity management is extensive, just as comprehensive as the publicity coverage it offers. From the print press, radio, and television, to online media, networks, and forums, the company has the most complete range of tools to provide not just the footprint, but in-depth data analysis and the added value that results from it. (more…)
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