5 Ways Media Monitoring Can Identify Crisis Points: Novak Djokovic vs. DJ Marten Case Study
Have you ever organised an event, only to see its original purpose get lost in the media coverage as things took an unexpected turn?
This is exactly what happened with the charity tennis match organised by the Grigor Dimitrov Foundation, which was meant to raise funds and awareness about the lives of disadvantaged children. Instead, one single incident during the tennis match completely shifted the media focus.
What happened?
On September 17, 2024, Grigor Dimitrov and Novak Djokovic delighted fans with a charity tennis match at Arena Sofia in Bulgaria, part of the Postbank Visa Tennis Gala organised by Dimitrov’s foundation. The event featured friendly banter and high-level tennis, with Dimitrov ultimately winning the match.
But things took an unexpected turn after Djokovic, caught up in the post-match excitement, asked DJ Marten Roberto to play “Luda po tebe” by Bulgarian folk singer Kamelia. When DJ Marten declined, Djokovic led the crowd in singing it anyway, sparking a media frenzy.
What followed was a flood of social media commentary. Some saw DJ Marten’s refusal as unprofessional, while others applauded him for staying true to his values. As the debate raged on, the charity’s original mission—to raise funds for disadvantaged children—was lost in the noise.
Why is this important?
This incident illustrates how quickly media focus can shift. In this case, the DJ’s refusal to play a song eclipsed the charitable aim of the event, distracting media attention away from the cause.
When media and social platforms focus on irrelevant controversies, it diminishes the impact of the intended message.
For organisers and PR teams, this shift in focus can become a crisis that needs immediate management.
How can media monitoring help you in similar cases?
Here are 5 ways crisis monitoring and analysis can help you spot shifts in the media narrative early on and adjust your communication strategy to keep the focus on what is important.
1. Timeline and peaks analysis
Media monitoring technologies enable event organisers and PR teams to visualise how media coverage evolves over time. In the case of the Novak Djokovic vs. DJ Marten controversy, an analysis of the media timeline revealed a peak on 18 September, a day after the event took place.
The volume of mentions was significantly higher than the first few peaks preceding this day where the main conversations revolved around the charity match itself, with coverage centring on the event’s purpose and the involvement of star athletes like Djokovic and Dimitrov. However, publications and social media conversations on 18 September mainly focused on Djokovic’s impromptu singalong and DJ Marten’s refusal.
Media monitoring tools can help track these peaks, enabling you to understand when the narrative changed and prepare you for similar crises in the future, so you can take action to redirect the conversation before it is too late.
2. Real-time alerts
During fast-moving events like this one, where social media and media outlets can quickly amplify minor incidents, real-time alerts play a crucial role in mitigating potential crises.
By receiving instant notifications, PR teams can pinpoint the moment the narrative starts derailing from its planned course as well as follow how it develops.
Real-time alerts provide a valuable opportunity to intervene early, such as issuing a clarifying statement or refocusing the media’s attention back on the charity’s mission.
3. Trend detection and topic annotation
Media monitoring tools do more than just track real-time developments—they also detect emerging trends. A key feature that enhances trend detection is topic annotation, where media monitoring technologies automatically categorise and tag content related to specific themes, keywords, or incidents.
Perceptica’s media monitoring platform, for example, uses machine learning and AI-generated models to automatically identify topics, sentiments and named entities in the media.
We also employ the human-in-the-loop approach to ensure the accuracy of the annotations and capture context-specific nuances that AI might miss. This hybrid model combines the speed of automation with the precision of human expertise, providing more reliable insights.
In this case, topic annotation would have helped identify when the conversation shifted from “charity event” to “song request refusal”, following all the different directions online conversations took. This would have enabled PR teams to do a more granular analysis of how different aspects of the incident are being discussed, allowing for a targeted communication strategy.
4. General and entity-based sentiment analysis
Understanding the emotional tone of media coverage is critical in assessing how an event is perceived by the public. General sentiment analysis examines the overall tone of conversations—whether they lean positive, negative, or neutral.
In the case of the Djokovic vs. DJ Marten controversy, the general sentiment analysis can reveal how the public felt about the event as a whole. Initially, the charity match generated positive sentiment due to its purpose and the excitement of having two star athletes on the court. However, once the DJ incident unfolded, sentiment shifted towards neutral and negative given the divided opinions.
In addition to general sentiment, entity-based sentiment analysis allows for a more detailed view by assessing the sentiment attached to specific individuals or topics. For instance, while general sentiment toward the charity event may have remained neutral or positive, entity-based sentiment analysis could uncover the more polarising reactions specifically tied to Novak Djokovic or DJ Marten.
This detailed breakdown helps event organisers and PR teams gauge how key individuals are perceived and tailor their communication strategies accordingly.
In this case, understanding the public’s sentiment toward both Djokovic and DJ Marten could inform responses that either defend or clarify their actions, while working to steer the conversation back to the charity’s primary goal.
5. Tracking of influencers and publications
Media monitoring technologies also identify who is driving the conversation and calculate their potential reach. This helps you understand how far the story is spreading. In the case of the Djokovic vs. DJ Marten controversy, tracking top influencers based on engagement helps you see which voices are amplifying the debate and shaping public opinion.
Influencers with high engagement such as social media personalities, or famous journalists and publications can significantly impact how the story evolves. Monitoring these individuals allows you to prioritise responses, engage with key players, and assess whether the incident is gaining traction in influential circles, helping you better manage the narrative.
Stay ahead of Media Crises with media monitoring
The Novak Djokovic vs. DJ Marten case highlights just how quickly an event’s original purpose can be overshadowed by unexpected controversies. With media attention able to shift in an instant, it is crucial for event organisers, PR teams, and businesses to stay one step ahead of potential crises.
Perceptica’s media monitoring platform combines advanced AI with human expertise to deliver accurate, actionable insights. Our hybrid approach ensures you are not just tracking media coverage but understanding it, so you can swiftly adjust your communication strategy and keep the focus where it belongs.
Whether you’re dealing with a small PR hiccup or a larger media storm, we provide the insights you need to make informed decisions—before things spiral out of control.