Brands have long recognized the value of word of mouth and its powerful ability to influence and alter people’s behavior and choices. Adequately measuring its impact, however, has always been a challenge; still, it is a necessary tool that can significantly help shape a brand’s messaging and media planning.

Today, with the emergence of the ‘social living room’, consumer conversations surrounding TV programs are further amplified, providing marketers with an additional planning metric: social currency. In parallel, brands looking to sponsor, integrate, or explore messaging opportunities – and even those who don’t – need to actively listen, understand and analyze conversations. The reason for this is simple: we live in an ultra-connected world where content is floating and shared 24/7.

The Middle East, in particular, is a region where there is certainly no shortage of content authors who are eager to engage, join and share. This presents several opportunities for brands to create more meaningful content, in real time, delivered at scale and in an agile manner.

Social TV is VivaKi’s proprietary real time solution that allows us to discover the most trending TV content and topics. The product offers in-depth analysis on top performing shows in the social space, with detailed insights for brands to utilize. Now that the Ramadan 2014 TV schedule is in full swing, so are the conversations around this month’s shows.

Our findings quickly revealed that viewers enjoy assessing the performance of singers-turned-actresses and comparing their acting abilities. This rang especially true for Myriam Fares on Ettiham, and Haifa Wehbe on Kalam Ala Warak – both drama series. As for Saraya Abdeen, another popular series, audiences were keen on discussing the set pieces and costumes.

Returning series Wifi 3 and Khawater have become must-see TV shows during this time of year – one is a top-rated comedy while the other perfectly captures the spirit of Ramadan. Bab El Hara boasts a strong following, and viewers feel particularly connected to the series’ cast members. This was evident when the character Fawziya was replaced on the show, and audiences took it to social media to express their annoyance. The return of Abu Issam, a beloved character, also created significant buzz amongst viewers.

Interestingly, according to VivaKi’s Social TV conclusions, from June 29 to July 3, Bab El Hara was the Ramadan show with the highest mentions on social media.

The full findings for the week can be found in this infographic.