McDonnell Campaign: Digitial Advocacy Numbers + Percentages

Mindy Finn, who was a senior online strategist for McDonnell's successful campaign in Virgina , posted and released some compelling data about the campaign's online grassroots efforts on her company's blog today.

She released information on the number of online donors, email subscribers, Facebook fans and Twitter followers. She also included a number for "top-level" activists, which I don't know how was defined, but can imagine these were super connected and engaged supporters - maybe they were online donors + subscribers+ fans + followers.

I crunched some quick numbers which should prove to be good benchmarks for other campaigns:

Twitter for Entrepreneurs

Springwise reports: We've already seen the Twitter model applied to organizational employees via Yammer, which encourages coworkers to share and collaborate by frequently answering—in 140 characters or less—the question, "What are you working on?" Now Canadian startup Sprouter invites entrepreneurs to do the same thing as an opening for discussion, support and collaboration.

Toronto-based Sprouter is an online community that allows small business owners and entrepreneurs to share links, ask questions and share expertise with their peers. Whereas most social networks focus on connecting users with people they already know, the premise behind Sprouter is that it's often the people one hasn't yet connected with—but who share common goals and interests—that can be the most valuable resources. Accordingly, the site's search function can help members find not just entrepreneurs in their area or industry, but also those who are discussing a topic of common interest—funding, for example. Members of the site can create profiles and start real-time discussions around any concept, company, association or event.

Sarah Prevette, Sprouter’s founder and CEO, explains: “The power of social networking by individuals has been made more than evident, and Sprouter is striving to create that same sense of community and sharing for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs face struggles on a daily basis—from how to get funding to the best business tools to use. Sprouter can provide the forum for real-time networking and collaboration so everyone can benefit from mistakes and successes.” Sprouter is free for users, and hopes to generate income through partnerships with venture funding agencies and small business associations, Prevette told the Financial Post.

Launched to the public just this week, Sprouter also hosts monthly events to bring local entrepreneurs together for in-person networking. The site's community currently includes members from all over the world, including India, Australia, Europe and North America. One to try out for your own entrepreneurial edification...?

Website: www.sprouter.com
Contact: info@sprouter.com

YouTube Unveils Tool To Connect News Organizations With Citizen Journalists

MediaPost reports: Google is unveiling a tool Tuesday that enables traditional television and online news agencies to create a platform to manage a bureau of citizen journalists. These mavericks capture life-changing events on camera and upload them to YouTube. It allows media organizations to request, review and rebroadcast these clips directly from YouTube-member pages.

YouTube Direct, a sort of "virtual assignment desk," allows traditional news agencies to tap into the content uploaded and housed on Google's video site. News agencies and people who capture community events -- from political campaign speeches to natural disasters -- on their video camera led Google to create the tool.

Steve Grove, head of news and politics on YouTube, says the tool enables media companies to tap into the community of citizen journalists who upload content daily.

Through an application programming interface (API), the open-source application allows media organizations to pull a custom version of YouTube's upload platform on their own Web site.

YouTube members upload videos directly into the application, which also enables news agencies to review submissions and select the best ones to broadcast on-air and online. A feature provides media organizations with a method to directly contact the person who shot the clip, and gives news agencies the ability to verify the content.

Although Google created the platform to allow media companies to expand their news coverage, businesses can use YouTube Direct to solicit promotional videos, nonprofits to call for social campaign support, and politicians to ask for user-generated political commercials.

The Huffington Post, National Public Radio (NPR), Politico, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post and WHDH-TV/WLVI-TV in Boston have already begun using YouTube Direct. HP has already asked for videos on climate change.

Politico launched Project Politico dedicated to discovering what citizen journalists think, such as whether they feel Sarah Palin's book helps or hurts her political campaign.

YouTube Direct lets members reach their online audience, as well as gain exposure through traditional broadcast networks and Web sites. YouTube content partners can also monetize the videos by running ads. "Users who become popular and well-known by creating good content -- one-off viral hits -- for news organizations can join the partner program," Grove says. "We can help them make money by running ads against the videos."

Fragmentation Prevents Viral Marketing in Mobile

PCW reports: Marketing in the mobile industry is stuck in the past, and that is seriously hurting the ability of developers to achieve success in the market, an executive speaking at the Mobile Northwest conference in Seattle said Monday.

Application and technology developers rely on old-fashioned marketing strategies, such as convincing an operator to market their product or buying television ads, not by choice but by necessity, said Dan Shapiro, CEO of Ontela. It would be better to hope for the same kind of viral marketing that has driven the major success stories of the Internet, he said.

On the Internet, sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace grew so big so quickly based on word of mouth, he said. People told their friends about the sites, and those people told their friends, who immediately could use the sites on their computers. Growth didn't depend on huge traditional marketing programs, he said.

But that kind of viral marketing doesn't work in mobile. "We do not succeed or fail by building brilliant services that people tell their friends about," he said.

He blames technology fragmentation. A mobile application can't go viral if most people don't have the systems that the application was written for, he said. For example, if an Android user tells a friend who uses Windows Mobile about an application, chances are the app won't be available to the Windows Mobile user.

Last Week’s Elections and What it Means for Legislation is Audacity

Audacity has always been a favorite term and mindset of Team Obama. And there was no better display of audacity this week when White House Press Secretary stood before the gathered national media and proclaimed that 110,000 voters was a better indication of President Obama’s policy and political capital than 4.3 million voters.

As several media outlets have reported, last week Gibbs said that Republican gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey do not signify anything for President Obama, but the dynamics and the Democratic candidate's success in an Upstate New York special election has consequences for the Republicans.

That is audacity Team Obama style.

If the White House wants to convey to a shaken and weakened Democratic majority on Capitol Hill that they have the bandwidth and power to move voters next fall they are clearly overconfident or don’t really care. How can the White House possibly dismiss the voters of New Jersey and Virginia - two trendsetting and economic powerhouse states – and formulate their political calculations on special election filled with more sideshows and spectacles than the Iowa State Fair? Why is the White House not seeing that their leader made five visits across heavily Democrat New Jersey in the closing days of the race which did little to get out the vote? What is the White House thinking now that part of their political coalition of African-Americans and young Americans has clearly proved to be a part time democratic force that sees their work being done as a result of winning last year’s election? It must be audacity.

As I see it, the White House is basing their political calculations on the fact that their term in office is unique and unprecedented. As such, it will demand sacrifice from the most vulnerable members of their party for the greater good. Without doubt, the White House is telling freshman Members of Congress like Rep. Tom Perriello and Rep. Glenn White, without our massive war chest and GOTV efforts last year you wouldn’t even be voting on Capitol Hill – so get inline. The White House surely knows they will lose seats next fall, but will they lose 40 seats – they must not think so. Meaning they can maintain majority control on Capitol Hill that will be diluted but not vanquished while being able to move aggressive legislation before November 2010.

With this mindset coming from the White House, upcoming legislation will be shaped by moving now -you can already see this in play from Saturday’s night healthcare vote. Team Obama can realize their dream of changing the country’s economic, cultural, banking, energy and healthcare foundations regardless of the outcome next fall. The loss of a few members who don’t really represent Democratic districts or the simple fact that a majority of voters clearly doesn’t support their agenda is of no concern.

Speaking with a former union organizer in Los Angeles the day after the election, he lamented how disappointed, frankly shocked, he was by the lack of turnout by Obama’s coalition. He went onto say, how can his team expect to move their political agenda, their core legislative goals and cherished dream of healthcare reform if those who elected Barack Obama last fall aren’t constantly engaged in the process and not voting. He closed by saying, it is clear that presently a majority of voters are not fully embracing what Obama is attempting to do, but last year’s election is what matters and their great political cause is more important than a tough race for a few Members of Congress or Senators in an upcoming election.

With such thinking coming from liberal activists in the field as well as what I believe to be the internal thinking of the White House, I fully expect condition normal and full speed ahead with Team Obama’s aggressive and multifaceted legislative agenda. As the White House has learned, winning one election means little in America. Other concerned citizens and targeted industries should heed this warning as well.

When your mindset is based on audacity, it is clear you are willing to make sacrifices so long as it moves long held and treasured legislative priorities closer to reality. I suggest to the numerous constituencies that Team Obama hopes to change, regulate and control, last week’s state elections mean little and last week’s federal election means everything to the White House. As they see it, all that matters is the fact that 110,000 voters sent them one more vote in Congress for them to use to pass their agenda.

Razorfish Study: Special Offers Drive Engagement In Social Media

Interesting analysis on a consumer’s motivation as to why they are connected to a brand on a social media platform = access for good deals.

As discussed previously on this blog, I think the same motivation applies to voters who want to be connected to campaigns/causes = access to inside information before others know as well as the desire to be recognizes as a super volunteer who is helping to shape public opinion and improve the success of a political effort.

Mark Walsh of MediaPoat reports: Much has been made of the ability of social media to help brands connect with consumers in new and deeper ways -- to establish a "dialogue" with users through various interactive tools that blend seamlessly into their online activities.

But a new study suggests the key to engagement on social properties comes down to old-fashioned direct marketing techniques like offering discounts and special promotions. "Based on our research, it's not so much about some type of 'shared passion' for a brand's values. Largely, it's about deals -- pure and simple," states the 2009 FEED report from Razorfish examining consumers' digital habits and attitudes.

The findings were based on a survey of 1,000 "connected consumers," or people that roughly mirror the 63% of the U.S. population with broadband access. It also encompasses Internet users who have spent $150 online in the last six months, visited a community site, and consumed or created some type of digital media.

So social media marketing isn't so much about boosting brand awareness as enticing users with concrete offers. "That to me is a big 'Aha!, said Garrick Schmitt, Razorfish group vice president of experience planning and editor of the study, in an interview. "What we're finding is that with Facebook and Twitter, marketers are assuming some deeper dialogue, but what's really going on is -- people want deals."


Of those who follow a brand on Twitter, for example, 44% said access to exclusive deals is the main reason. And on Facebook and MySpace, 37% cited special deals as the main reason they have "friended" a brand. The report points to companies such as Starbucks, which has amassed nearly 5 million fans and soared to the top of Facebook brand pages by offering coupons for free pastries and ice cream.

Whole Foods, meanwhile, leads brands on Twitter with more than 1.5 million followers by promoting weekly specials and shopping tips. Razorfish identified customer service as the other key driver of consumer interaction in social media, with 33% friending a brand on Facebook and MySpace for that purpose, and 24% on Twitter. Companies such as Comcast, Zappos and Virgin have all gotten high marks for using the latter as a customer relations management (CRM) tool.
The report also draws a direct link between brand engagement online and sales. Of those surveyed, 64% had made their first purchase from a company as a result of a digital interaction -- such as through a Web site, microsite, mobile coupon or email. Nearly all (97%) said a digital brand experience had influenced whether they went on to buy a product or service from that marketer.


"Consumers are not only want to engage with brands, but engaging with brands is having an inordinate effect on affinity for brands and the likelihood to purchase," said Schmitt. Among the factoids on online interaction in the report:

•40% have friended a brand on Facebook or Twitter
•77% have watched a commercial or video ad on YouTube with some frequency
•73% have posted a product or brand review on sites such as Amazon, Yelp, Facebook or Twitter
•70% have participated in brand-sponsored contests or sweepstakes


To retain and add customers, Schmitt stressed that marketers need to shift focus from brand awareness and impressions to creating campaigns that drive people to make purchases and spread the word about products and services they use to friends.

That can cut both ways, of course. Sixty-five percent of survey participants said they had been influenced by a digital interaction with a brand, both positively and negatively. "A premium brand may not come out with a premium digital experience, and that could change someone's perception," said Schmitt.


Nonetheless, companies neglecting or underestimating digital marketing risk at this stage risk looking "as if they've shown up to a cocktail party in sweatpants," according to the Razorfish report. "Invariably, consumers will choose to converse with a savvier -- and hopefully more stylish -- partner." Or one simply willing to offer them a better deal.

Cisco Invests Millions In Grassroots Ad Campaign For Flip Video

Cisco is unveiling Monday a multimillion-dollar grassroots advertising campaign made up solely of user-generated content. The effort is aimed at getting people talking about its Flip Video camera. The national online and television advertising campaign relies on crowdsourcing and video technology to create the buzz.

The campaign, "Do You Flip," relied on 10-, 15- and 30-second clips shot by everyday Joes and celebrities, such as Usher, Tony Hawk and Weezer, on Flip Video cameras. Cisco will turn the clips into TV commercials, as well as online social media, viral and rich banner ads.

Cisco will promote the celebrity's charity of choice in its Flip for Good program in return for participating in the campaign. The company will create a design on the camera as part of the personalized offering. For every camera sold with the charity design, Cisco will donate $10 to the charity.

Finding clips from ordinary people for the campaign required a little work. For starters, it meant asking Facebook fans to contribute "flipable moments," which Lipe defines as everyday spontaneous events shot on a Flip Video camera. The production company Urgent Content helped to handpick content creators tied into the pop culture scene. Jodi Lipe, director of marketing, Cisco Consumer Business Group (CBG), Cisco System, believes the spontaneous video clips speak to the authenticity of the campaign. "The campaign is built on 100% user-generated content shot on Flip Video cameras," she says. "We know many people love the Flip, so we wanted to tap into consumers who use the product."

The campaign will run between 25 and 45 spots, Lipe says. About a third are ready to go. It's not clear whether Cisco will require additional content.

Media Storm, a media-buying and planning company, and Bird, a design agency, also helped Cisco create the massive campaign scheduled to run for eight weeks.

Television commercials will receive the bulk of the multimillion-dollar campaign budget -- about 68%. The TV commercials will run on ESPN, CW, Nick at Nite, TBS, FX, ABC, MTV and more. Key event programming includes the Thanksgiving Day Parade, "Glee," Latin Grammys, "Monday Night Football," "Family Guy," "25 Days of Christmas," "House," and "The Hills."

About 18% of the budget is allocated toward running the videos online at Facebook, MySpace, Hulu, YouTube and select retail sites that support social media video content. The videos also will become available at Flip.com under the DoYouFlip.com tab.

Another 12% of the budget will go toward outdoor advertising, which launched last week. The spots will run in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Houston and Minneapolis.

"We believe the effort of this campaign will help the brand become one of those devices you can't leave your home without," Lipe says. "If people leave home with their phone, email device and Flip, it's a great day."

News Corp may hide sites from search engines after paywall is erected

Brand Republic reports: Rupert Murdoch has said that once News Corp starts charging for access to its online newspapers, it will block search engines such as Google from adding its content to their search results.

Journalists use Twitter Lists to serve up news

Mashable reports: News organizations such as The New York Times, ESPN and The Wall Street Journal are using Twitter Lists to provide users streams of staff tweets, tweets by topic and event coverage. "Twitter Lists will allow news organizations to better filter out noise from Twitter," writes Vadim Lavrusik.

GOP creates social network around health care bill

CBS News reports: Republican lawmakers are turning to the Internet to galvanize opposition to a health care reform bill. They are using the social network Amplify to allow users to comment on and discuss the various provisions in the legislation. The site featured a webcast of lawmakers reading over the 1,990-page bill Tuesday, and it will hold a 12-hour virtual town hall Thursday.

The next election is a year away.

GOTV 2010

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