NPI Memo Encourages Organizations to Engage Blogs

The New Politics Institute tapped Jerome Armstrong, world famous political blogger and co-author of “Crashing the Gate” (with Markos from DailyKos) to write a memo encouraging progressive campaigns and organizations to engage the blogosphere. 

What a tremendous waste of time!

The memo included five tips for campaigns and organizations to follow:

1) Take the first step with outreach to local bloggers:
2) Have a daily-updated website to engage and empower the bloggers:
3) Be on the blogs and advertise on the blogs
4) Get your opposition research onto the blogs
5) Put your commercials on YouTube

And this earth-shattering conclusion:

The blogs are both a critical component of building a long-term progressive infrastructure and an important tool right now. There is little downside, and lots of upside, for candidates, causes and campaigns to engage them now.

To be honest, I’m a little offended that NPI felt that it is providing value by writing this memo.  I work in this space every day and I know first hand that campaigns and organizations understand the size and influence of the blogosphere.  They are aware of the benefits and pitfalls the blogosphere presents and are well down the road of figuring out if, or how, to integrate blogging into their organizational communications. 

I appreciate that NPI wants to be on the cutting edge of the conversation about how to use the web to promote political activity - and to date they have done a pretty good job of positioning the organization as knowledgable on these issues.  But this memo breaks no new ground and talks down to the reader.  They could have done a lot better.

Read the Engage the Blogs Memo yourself and let me know what you think.

Public Looking for Political Information Online

There is lots of news today to suggest that a growing number of people in the United States are looking for political news and information online.

The Pew Internet & American Life released a memo/study saying the number of people looking online for political information is at its highest point ever, a big deal given we are in a non-presidential year election with voter turnout in many places coming in at depressingly low levels.  They write:

On a typical day in August, 26 million Americans were using the internet for news or information about politics and the upcoming mid-term elections. That corresponds to 19% of adult internet users, or 13% of all Americans over the age of 18.

This is a high-point in the number of internet users turning to cyberspace on the average day for political news or information, exceeding the 21 million figure registered in a Pew Internet Project survey during the November 2004 general election campaign.

In addition, the Wall Street Journal has two articles this morning about new ways that the public can access political information online.  The first article highlights how social networking sites devoted to politics are popping up, focusing on a handful of relatively new projects like HotSoup, Essembly, and MorePerfect.  They also note a shift among the big players in the space towards political topics.  They write:

This month, Facebook, a social networking site with more than 9.5 million members, launched an Election 2006 network, creating stock profiles of around 1,400 candidates with basic information like their name, office, state and party. Facebook, of Palo Alto, Calif., then reached out to the Democratic and Republican National Committees to encourage candidates to expand on them. The site also launched an election “Pulse” feature that ranks candidates in various races according to how many Facebook members who have elected to support at least one politician support that candidate.

And a number of political candidates already have pages on MySpace.com, a unit of News Corp. Len Munsil, the Republican running for Arizona governor, recently asked his 19-year-old son to create a profile for him. “You have to find every way possible to communicate inexpensively with voters, especially younger ones,” says Mr. Munsil, who checks his profile — which features a background photo of supporters waving placards, a head shot and a campaign video — every few days. Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is running for re-election, was pleasantly surprised to find he had a MySpace presence. “We have no idea who put up the MySpace profile,” says a campaign spokesman. “But we would like to be in touch since it is so supportive.” Facebook and MySpace accept political advertising.

The second article discussed how political ads, and other video, are starting to appear on video sharing networks.  They posit this as both an effective way to bypass traditional television (which, in some markets, will compete with the upcoming baseball playoffs, or just may be too expensive for most campaigns) as well as present a candidate’s case to some different audience groups.  They write:

The technology that’s been flooding the Internet with videos produced by everyone from teenage skateboarders to major entertainment companies also is beginning to affect the political process. Sites like YouTube.com, Google Video and Blinkx.com already are filling up with candidate commercials, news clips, interviews and even amateur satirical videos.

This new medium naturally opens up new possibilities for negative campaigning and for gaffes to be magnified into major campaign issues. For example, an amateur video on YouTube.com about Montana Sen. Conrad Burns shows him falling asleep at a hearing. Numerous Web sites carried footage of Sen. George Allen, of Virginia, calling an aide to his Democratic challenger “macaca,” considered by some to be a racial slur.

But video on the Web is going beyond mudslinging. It’s also beginning to help inform voters. Numerous TV stations that televise debates are for the first time posting them on their Web sites so they can be watched at any time. Some civic groups are putting short video interviews with candidates on the Internet so voters can make side-by-side comparisons. Startup sites like thepeoplechoose2006.org and election.tv are trying to create video-rich sites that provide information on races throughout the country.

The fact that people are looking to the internet for political information should come as no surprise.  There are still not enough campaigns and candidates waging effective campaigns online, but there are some very encouraging signs from both sides of the aisle.  Still, there is still more work that needs to be done - by candidates and campaigns, technology gurus, and voters/audiences if the online medium is going to truly revolutionize the political process. 

Right now, the net is mostly being used to push existing content — position papers, television ads, etc. — to new audiences.  While important, and in some cases effective, this is not full utilization of the medium.  Online presents opportunities to make the political process interactive – candidates and campaigns have to think about new and different ways to present their content, or better yet, create content that exists only online and recognizes the opportunities for a different interaction. 

Technology gurus, like those building social networks, have to accommodate conversations about serious issues — and embrace the fact that political conversations are different than conversations about music, movies, consumer package goods, or life (dating, etc.) that typically drive social networks.  Simply putting people in an online space together and suggesting a political interaction does not a productive discussion make.  Social networks dabbling in the political space need to program aggressively, support networking activities with relevant, timely, and compelling information, and tie those conversations to voting and other actions.  For example — where is the section on YouTube that allows users to search for political videos by category?  Where is the area of MySpace that allows you to find charitable, advocacy, or political organizations to join and become involved with?  There is so much potential out there that is not being realized.

Finally, the audience needs to demand more.  The consensus is that voter turnout and engagement in the political process is low because the campaigns don’t reflect the voters interests.  Maybe so.  But the public shouldn’t stand for recycled position papers and empty-headed rhetoric online.  The public shouldn’t bark at the moon simply because some blogger says that is what they should do.  If you are looking online for information and you want to have your issues addressed, demand more from both your candidates and the technology gurus.  Tell them what you want.

I am encouraged by the growth in interest of political spaces online.  I just want more.

Americans take a break from TV

This little tidbit came in over the wires this morning (via the Seattle PI):

America must have gone to the beach. Last week was the least-watched week in recorded history for the four biggest broadcast networks.

CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox averaged 20.8 million viewers during the average prime-time minute last week, according to Nielsen Media Research. That sank below the previous record, set during the last week of July last year.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected. The week that includes Independence Day has the fewest viewers of the year, or close to it, because rerun season is in full swing and the public is consumed with outdoor activities. As well, there aren’t any new summer hits to entice people.

There is a big difference between ‘fewest viewers of the year’ and ‘least-watched week in recorded history.”  Moreover, the trend is clearly heading in that direction with records being set, and re-set, for the lowest audience over the past two years. 

Personally, I watched the final few games of the World Cup last week — probably spent five hours in front of the tube on July 4 alone (I watched the second semi-final game on July 5th via broadband connection from my office) — and I would definitely have watched new TV shows had they been available.  Would enough of society have joined me in watching if a network decided to put the effort into making and promoting it?  I don’t know, but I would think in a time of declining television viewing, increasing reliance on DVR and other similar technology, a little experimentation by the networks wouldn’t be terrible.  And if they don’t want to put something on TV, why not produce a show and make it available for viewing on the web?

2006 Senate Candidates And the Web

The Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet (IPDI) published the results of a phone survey of the 2006 Senate campaigns to discover what they’re doing online. Here’s what they found: 

• 97% of 2006 Senate campaign sites have an online donation page 

• 70% have political videos available at their site 

• 63% of sites contain a campaign blog 

• 34% use RSS/XML feeds 

• 21% have or will have a podcast available 

The full survey is available here. 

Summertime

Will Smith once opined “summer, summer, summertime…
time to sit back and unwind.”  But an article in Media Daily News today suggests that “a large majority of Americans stay wired during their vacations,” making unwinding a bit of a challenge.

In a survey of adults over 18, with at least one child under the age of 18, and all of whom planned to take a family vacation this summer… “…85 percent are bringing cell phones, 75 percent bringing digital cameras, 35 percent bringing portable CD players, and 33 percent bringing portable gaming devices along for the ride. Meanwhile, 87 percent said they plan to check personal e-mail, and 36 percent will keep up on work-related e-mail.”

From a marketing standpoint, this is good news.  Usually the summer is a dead period — its a challenge to reach people using the online advertising, blogging, and other techniques we traditionally employ.  But with word that people are staying connected, particularly because of their cell phone, the opportunities abound.

Cause Marketing and Millennials

A couple of weeks back (yes, I am that far behind on posting thoughts), I attended the Cause Marketing Forum in New York.  Carol Cone, one the leading branding experts in the nation, presented the results of a new survey about the expectations of the Millennials when it comes to cause and cause marketing.  Here is the quick outline from my notes:

Who are the Millennials?
Born between 78 and 1994
30% of US population (70 million)
- 21 million ‘Tweens’
- 33 million Teens
- 16.5 young adults
1 in 3 non-Caucasian
Common Characteristics
78% web access from home
92% cell phones, (35% teens have mobile phones)
See 400-600 ads per day
Demand customization, immediate benefits/response

What are they looking for?
86% agree companies a responsibility to support social/environmental causes
61% agrees they are personally responsible to make a difference
17% volunteer weekly
20% volunteer ½ hour a month
44% volunteer a few times a year

Habits
79% recommend company involved in a cause to other people
68% consider switching to another company based on cause

45% refuse to buy products if company is not socially responsible
Top Issues
47% education
39% environment
38% poverty
33% health & disease
Reaching Millennials
Television - 64%
Internet - 62%
Word of Mouth - 34%

Business Practices to Build Trust
95% quality/fair priced products or service
94% following the laws
93% communication openly and honestly
93% guaranteeing fair wages
87% donating money to support charity
8%7 protecting the environment
Companies Supporting Causes
75% agree that when a company has a deep commitment to a cause, they are more likely to pay attention to its messages, but 73% believe that most companies are NOT doing enough to support the cause they care about
How do you reach them?
Pay attention and understand generation
Cause is a “have to do”
Provide spectrum of engagement
Customization
Fast, quick and multiple elements
Celebrity involvement
Online and local events

Internet In Political Campaigns

A new report on the role of the internet in political campaigns has been released.  The focus is on the 2006 cycle.  Here is the blog post that introduces the study:

We recently completed a study that assesses the utilization of the Internet as a tool for 2006 political campaigns. The study, a follow-up of the 2002 version, examined how 2006 senatorial candidates used the Web to publicize information about their campaign platforms, personal backgrounds, and volunteer opportunities. We looked at a number of Web campaign tools and made comparisons based on party affiliations, importance of particular races, and whether candidates were incumbents or challengers.

The results clearly showed that while Web use by political candidates increased dramatically since 2002, politicians are still failing to take advantage of all the Internet has to offer. 96 percent of this year’s Senate candidates have active websites, while only 55% of candidates had websites in 2002. While most candidates use a set of core Web tools, the majority of candidates are refraining from using newer and more sophisticated Web strategies, such as blogs and podcasts, on their campaign websites. Only 23% of Senate candidates are blogging, just 15% offer Spanish alternatives to their websites, and an even smaller number of candidates, 5%, maintain podcasts. In contrast, between 90% and 93% of candidates offered biographies, contact information, and online donations on their websites. It is obvious from these results that despite a general increase in the use of the Internet for political campaigns, candidates are still hesitant to pour finite financial resources into new campaign strategies.

You can download the full 38-page report and the data sheets here.

News of the Future

The Wall Street Journal asked readers what they wanted their news of the future to look like.  They responded:

Readers want more context and background included in news reporting. They want new ways to receive their news, on next-generation handheld devices, for instance, rather than simply on a Web page. They want fewer ads – especially the kind that animate or show up in popup windows.

It turns out that they also want more-telegenic news reporters.

The full article is here.

Newspaper Circulation Down

No surprise that print newspaper circulation continued to decline, according to data released on Monday.  In fact:

Of the 25 biggest papers in the country, 20 reported drops in circulation. Of the five that did not drop, the gains were all less than 1 percent. Those were USA Today (2,272,815), The New York Times (1,142,464), the Chicago Tribune (579,079), The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., (398,329) and the Detroit Free Press (345,861).

I start each morning reading newspapers — the Washington Post, Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Boston Globe and Boston Herald, the LA Times, and the Chicago Tribune — but I read all of them online.  I do read the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in print, but only because I like having something to read while waiting for the bus.  On days when I drive into the office, I read those papers online.  Its just a personal choice to have something in my hands for the commute, not a deliberate choice to support print. 

Newspaper publishers spin the drop saying it is part of a strategy to push more information online where advertisers find greater value.  If that is true, then the strategy is working becuase “newspaper-run Web sites had an 8 percent increase in viewers in the first quarter,” according to an article in the Tribune. “The data …found that newspaper Web sites averaged 56 million users in the period, or 37 percent of all online users in the period.”

Here is more coverage from the Boston Globe, Seattle PI, and LA Times.

Whose Reading the Newspaper?

The Center for Media Research reports new data about the readership of newspapers and online news (taken from a study released by the Newspaper Association of America).  The topilines:

• 116 million adults are reading the newspaper over the course of a week and 55 million Internet users visit a newspaper Web site over the course of a month.
• Unique visitors to newspaper Web sites jumped 21 percent in 2005 and page views increased by 43 percent over that same period. 
• Newspaper web sites attracted 14 percent more 25- to 34-year-olds and 9 percent more 18- to 24-year-olds.
• 78 percent of the 149 million adults who live in the top 50 markets read a newspaper over the course of five weekdays and one Sunday. 
• 69 percent of 18- to 24-year olds in the these markets are reading a newspaper during the course of a week.
• 65.7 percent of consumers with household incomes of $150,000 or more read the newspaper on an average weekday, and more than 71.7 percent on an average Sunday.

And in the least surprising, yet likely to attract the most attention category:

• Newspapers own 11 of the top 25 national news and information Web sites, and locally, newspapers provide the dominant information site in most of the top 75 markets.

The newspaper industry still has a lot of work to do before it completely transforms itself from a print-only news medium to the propriters of highly interactive information centers.  I’m still not entirely sure they will succeed in their transformation – it is entirely possible that when we look at similar data in five or ten years that the newspaper industry will barely be represented in these studies and that the new information providers will be individual citizens, full-time information aggregators, or some new category we haven’t thought of yet.  I hope newspaper companies do find success online because the history and knowledge of how good journalism must be conducted is wrapped up in them and it would be a loss for us all if that wasn’t carried over to new and developing mediums.