The Horizon post office scandal first made waves in the news back in 2016, and the following investigation made headlines once again in 2020. Now, three years later, and the ITV drama has sparked a national outcry. More people are tuning in to the story, and searches for ‘Post Office’ are hitting record highs on Google since 2004. The scandal has generated a whopping 1.43 billion impressions, thanks to over 194,000 mentions across social media, news outlets, and broadcasters.
Google Trends ‘Post Office’
Widespread Public Outrage
Brits took to social media to vent their frustration, with a whopping 7 out of 10 posts on the topic all expressing anger, disgust, and frustration with the scandal. The series led to over a thousand angry tweets! Emojis used in the social media posts also further evidenced a national outrage, with the down button, angry face, heartbreak, and swearing emojis being used the most by those sharing their thoughts on the series.
British Public Calling for Justice
The national conversation goes beyond just the episodes or the show. In fact, one of the most important conversations revolves around the perceived culprits, especially Horizon and the other big wigs at the Post Office. Paula Vennells, in particular, is coming under a lot of scrutiny, with many calling for her CBE to be stripped. People are also showing well-deserved sympathy for the victims, especially Alan Bates, and praising ITV for their ‘brilliant’ coverage of the scandal. Many are recommending others to watch it on ITVX to stay in the loop.
Consumer Attitudes Changing
Since the show was released, public interest in The Post Office has surged, with the public’s impression decreasing significantly by around 15%.
Consumer Attitudes Changing
Since the show aired, the brand satisfaction and reputation has gone from a steady state to a rapid decline, as has the number of people who would recommend the post office. This has led to postmasters and post office unions appealing to the public to not boycott the post office itself, but instead demand justice for the victims.
Post Office Brand Perception Metrics
Audience Influence Post Broadcast
The highest number of views came during the linear broadcast, but interestingly, the buzz on social media has remained strong even after the shows broadcast. News coverage post-broadcast has triggered a surge in social media activity. On the linear front, each episode averaged 7.3 million viewers, and an extra 2.8 million viewers on average caught up on ITVX per episode.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office Viewer Minutes and Twitter Mentions
Real Change on the Horizon
Since the shows release, lawyers have been contacted by 50 new potential victims, with five of them looking to appeal their convictions. A criminal investigation into the scandal has now been made public by the Metropolitan Police. But it’s not just the victims and lawmakers wanting justice, the drama has caused a surge in public activism. Over 1 million signatures have been gathered in support of removing CBEs from ex-Post Office bosses, forcing one to resign and renounce the honour.
Change.org’s petition calling for Post Office compensation and accountability jumped from 15,000 to over 300,000 signatures following the broadcast in the first week of 2024.
