Best Innovation of Campaign Is Still To Come

by Brian Reich | 7 Nov 2008, 3:20pm

The folks at NetSquared are asking what we think was the best innovation of the recent campaign cycle in terms of the use of technology and social media… what can we learn from most?  Here is their question:

What was the best example or lesson learned about leveraging social media from the political campaigns this year?  We saw candidates speaking to citizens through various mechanisms, but we also know that candidates have a lot more money than most of our nonprofit organizations (even if the tools are free, staffing and strategy development isn’t).  What social media tools, tricks, and strategies were employed that could be used successfully with nonprofits?

I say the best lessons are still to come.

First, as I have said many times before, I was personally disappointed that the Obama campaign didn’t do more with its big database, its command of social media and new technologies, and its giant war-chest to dig deeper into serious issues and give voters - struggling to find some little bit of serious discussion amid all the mud-slinging - the real facts they needed to make a choice in this election.  They basically ran a substance-light, play-it-safe, don’t-make-any-mistakes kind of campaign.  Too bad, because the Obama campaign had the potential to achieve so much more.  There were so many opportunities to invite supporters to contribute ideas and policy suggestions, not just money and time.  There were so many issues where a simulation or calculator would have cleared up all the confusion.  Worst of all, while the campaign welcomed feedback from their audience, but never seemed to integrate much of it into their operation, suggesting they simply knew better than the wisdom of the crowds.

They won, so all is forgiven, right?  I suppose. But in terms of new and innovative uses of social media, I don’t see many.  There was no killer app.  There were no groundbreaking changes to how things are done in politics.  What I did see was significantly better integration and execution by the Obama campaign.  They used the tools that existed to support their traditional campaign plan better than any campaign had ever done before them.  That’s why they won.

So, NetSquared, rather than looking back at the Election for lessons that nonprofits can use, I would challenge you to look ahead and help the Obama Administration brainstorm what is possible for using technology and the internet to improve our Democracy and bring nonprofits more directly in contact with the Administration as they start to tackle tough issues.

I have high hopes for how an Obama administration will use technology, and the internet, to open up the process of running this country and give all of us all a little opportunity to change and improve things ourselves.  Nonprofits have the understanding of the issues, the loyal audience, and the experience necessary to take on these tough challenges.  With that kind of army waiting to serve, the Obama Administration should be doing more to crowdsource the development of its policy proposals - so instead of a small group sitting around a conference table thinking of ideas, the nonprofits of the world can contribute their experiences for all to learn from.  Nonprofits should be mobilizing their members at the local level, by applying the same organizing principles (and utilizing the organizing tools) that the Obama political operation did.  And the President-Elect and his team should be helping to make that happen by setting goals and providing incentives to those who step up to help.

Its not about the tools or technology, it never has been.  Its not about the ‘best practices’ for how to reach a certain audience either, at least not yet.  First and foremost, the Administration and nonprofit organizations need to set a clear goal — identify the audiences that need serving, find the issues that are most pressing, and define clearly what kind of change is needed.  Then we can look for tools and lessons from the campaign to help execute.

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