Some interesting news I thought I'd share here for regular readers - I'll be helping the team at Virtual Vantage Points live-blog the returns from Super Tuesday.
For those new to the blog, Virtual Vantage Points is a blog my colleagues and I put together to help demonstrate how online discussions impact mainstream debates. It has a strong political focus since our work is at the nexus of business, policy and reputation.
Craig Fuller and Ambassador Marc Ginsburg will be supplying commentary from an event in New York City. Cassandra Pye will be blogging from Sacramento. I'll be supplementing their content by providing a little meta-analysis from the online perspective, tracking the social response to the results.
That's right - I'll be live-blogging the live-bloggers.
I'll be following the top political blogs we normally feature in the VVP communities plus a few others. I'll be following relevant tweets, chats, and basically going wherever the political discussions are and showing how what's happening online has an impact on what happens offline. The added benefit - not only will you get some incredible insight from three of America's most experienced and savvy political minds in real time, you'll also get a summary of reaction from the smartest voices across the blogosphere.
So if you're live-blogging the event, or sharing thoughts on Facebook or Twitter, let me know - I'll be sure to follow you.
31 January 2008
30 January 2008
Getting to know you... Getting to know all about you
I need to lighten up on the political stuff for a day or two.
One of the best parts of my job is I get to read content from a fairly wide range of bloggers - I have a diverse group of clients and social media folks know it's important to find the most relevant people for any topic. So my RSS feeds are pretty much all over the place, and reading up on all this stuff means I have some mad Trivial Pursuit skilz.
Every now and then one of my favorite bloggers shows off a sense of humor. Friday, Dr. Jonathan Gitlin of the science juggernaut Ars Technica shared a video of what happens when you drop a gummy bear into a test tube full of potassium chlorate. It was just tucked into a bunch of quick links.
It's kinda like taking mentos in the coca-cola bottle to the next level. Do NOT try this at home.
One of the best parts of my job is I get to read content from a fairly wide range of bloggers - I have a diverse group of clients and social media folks know it's important to find the most relevant people for any topic. So my RSS feeds are pretty much all over the place, and reading up on all this stuff means I have some mad Trivial Pursuit skilz.
Every now and then one of my favorite bloggers shows off a sense of humor. Friday, Dr. Jonathan Gitlin of the science juggernaut Ars Technica shared a video of what happens when you drop a gummy bear into a test tube full of potassium chlorate. It was just tucked into a bunch of quick links.
It's kinda like taking mentos in the coca-cola bottle to the next level. Do NOT try this at home.
29 January 2008
Best Blog EVAH - Out of the Starting Gate
A few weeks ago I gave a brief presentation to the Thoroughbred Chapter of PRSA about social media. I was invited by president of the local chapter, Sally Baker of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. (When I moved to Kentucky I learned "equine practitioner" was a smart way of saying "horse veterinarian.")
At the presentation Sally told me about AAEP's blog, Out of the Starting Gate. It's relatively new, and Sally said they were still finding their way with it, but I was immediately impressed when I read it. The blog follows the progress of Dr. Jennifer Selvig, a 2007 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.
From a technical perspective, and even from a social media perspective, the blog isn't all that sophisticated. Not a lot of bells or whistles. Just some dated (and fairly long) entries, displayed one at a time, confined to the AAEP website's content management system. The only social components currently available are comments and an RSS feed.
But anyone who knows the history of "Best Blog EVAH" knows I don't recognize blogs because they're shiny or full of distracting web2.0 tools - the Best Blogs EVAH tend to be relatively low-tech, simple options that perform a single function very effectively. Don't let your goals get tripped up by technology - the strategy is more important than the tool itself.
AAEP's blog does one thing very, very well - it personalizes the profession. It does this by providing very strong content. Dr. Selvig is a solid writer, and while the posts are a bit long and spaced out over time, she's clearly found a voice.
The blog provides AAEP with a useful marketing, promotion, and recruiting tool. The blog has already been featured in America's Horse (the official magazine of the American Quarter Horse Association), and I'm looking into highlighting it for Business Lexington.
This blog is great for AAEP. It's great for Dr. Selvig. And it's great for anyone who wants to learn more about what it's really like to be an equine vet. If AAEP chooses to leverage a few simple tools such as multimedia or bookmarking, I really think this could take off. There's some real potential here.
At the presentation Sally told me about AAEP's blog, Out of the Starting Gate. It's relatively new, and Sally said they were still finding their way with it, but I was immediately impressed when I read it. The blog follows the progress of Dr. Jennifer Selvig, a 2007 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.
From a technical perspective, and even from a social media perspective, the blog isn't all that sophisticated. Not a lot of bells or whistles. Just some dated (and fairly long) entries, displayed one at a time, confined to the AAEP website's content management system. The only social components currently available are comments and an RSS feed.
But anyone who knows the history of "Best Blog EVAH" knows I don't recognize blogs because they're shiny or full of distracting web2.0 tools - the Best Blogs EVAH tend to be relatively low-tech, simple options that perform a single function very effectively. Don't let your goals get tripped up by technology - the strategy is more important than the tool itself.
AAEP's blog does one thing very, very well - it personalizes the profession. It does this by providing very strong content. Dr. Selvig is a solid writer, and while the posts are a bit long and spaced out over time, she's clearly found a voice.
The blog provides AAEP with a useful marketing, promotion, and recruiting tool. The blog has already been featured in America's Horse (the official magazine of the American Quarter Horse Association), and I'm looking into highlighting it for Business Lexington.
This blog is great for AAEP. It's great for Dr. Selvig. And it's great for anyone who wants to learn more about what it's really like to be an equine vet. If AAEP chooses to leverage a few simple tools such as multimedia or bookmarking, I really think this could take off. There's some real potential here.
28 January 2008
Obligatory Super Bowl Post - Red Sox Edition
I grew up in the Boston area so I've been a Patriots fan as long as I can remember. So if they win the Super Bowl, that would be great. I just got an email from Amazon.com asking me to buy some book about the Patriots called "19-0" or something, which I think is a bit premature.
But I think it says something when, a week before the big football game in January, I already know that Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 16. I'm pretty sure the rest of the team arrives on February 22. I've already thought about what the pitching rotation might look like next year. I'm thinking about their options for a left-handed bat off the bench.
And I thought about how much I just liked the characters on that 2007 Red Sox team, and that there are a couple of great role models on that team.
The Super Bowl is great, but the World Series is better.
But I think it says something when, a week before the big football game in January, I already know that Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 16. I'm pretty sure the rest of the team arrives on February 22. I've already thought about what the pitching rotation might look like next year. I'm thinking about their options for a left-handed bat off the bench.
And I thought about how much I just liked the characters on that 2007 Red Sox team, and that there are a couple of great role models on that team.
The Super Bowl is great, but the World Series is better.
South Carolina - Turnout, Young Voters, and Social Media
Second verse, same as the first. The most important story of the presidential primaries so far is really about turnout, particularly among Democrats, and more importantly among young voters.
The number of young voters participating in the Iowa Caucuses tripled from four years ago. The number of young voters participating in the South Carolina Primary also tripled from four years ago.
It seems that most young voters are supporting the youngest candidate, Senator Obama. It also occurs to me that young people get their information and communicate through social media. So it doesn't surprise me that the campaign that has used social media most aggressively and effectively is Senator Obama's.
I think it's also important to note that on the Republican side, Ron Paul, the GOP's leading fundraiser last quarter thanks to the 'net, is still in the race (at least for the next few days) while at least one "major" candidate has already dropped out and another seems ready to fall.
Perhaps Senator Obama's words and inspriation are the motivating force behind this historic increase in youthful participation - after all, he seems to be resonating with the family that included the last President to motivate young people so well. I really don't know. Maybe if he isn't on the ticket in the general election a lot of this enthusiasm goes away. But there's no denying that online tools are helping the Senator's campaign move people away from the laptop (or perhaps more appropriately, the handheld device) and toward the polls.
And I have to smirk when I remember Tom Friedman's column last October about how all these social media gagdets and the kids who use them (he called them "Generation Q" for "the quiet generation" were just a bunch of hooey:
That incredibly loud noise Tom Friedman didn't hear was a new generation of Americans participating in the political process in Iowa and South Carolina.
It looks like, at least for now, that "virtual" politics is real politics after all.
The number of young voters participating in the Iowa Caucuses tripled from four years ago. The number of young voters participating in the South Carolina Primary also tripled from four years ago.
It seems that most young voters are supporting the youngest candidate, Senator Obama. It also occurs to me that young people get their information and communicate through social media. So it doesn't surprise me that the campaign that has used social media most aggressively and effectively is Senator Obama's.
I think it's also important to note that on the Republican side, Ron Paul, the GOP's leading fundraiser last quarter thanks to the 'net, is still in the race (at least for the next few days) while at least one "major" candidate has already dropped out and another seems ready to fall.
Perhaps Senator Obama's words and inspriation are the motivating force behind this historic increase in youthful participation - after all, he seems to be resonating with the family that included the last President to motivate young people so well. I really don't know. Maybe if he isn't on the ticket in the general election a lot of this enthusiasm goes away. But there's no denying that online tools are helping the Senator's campaign move people away from the laptop (or perhaps more appropriately, the handheld device) and toward the polls.
And I have to smirk when I remember Tom Friedman's column last October about how all these social media gagdets and the kids who use them (he called them "Generation Q" for "the quiet generation" were just a bunch of hooey:
But Generation Q may be too quiet, too online, for its own good, and for the country’s own good. When I think of the huge budget deficit, Social Security deficit and ecological deficit that our generation is leaving this generation, if they are not spitting mad, well, then they’re just not paying attention. And we’ll just keep piling it on them.
That incredibly loud noise Tom Friedman didn't hear was a new generation of Americans participating in the political process in Iowa and South Carolina.
It looks like, at least for now, that "virtual" politics is real politics after all.
25 January 2008
Gooooooo DAWGS Sic'em Woof Woof Woof
As my wife always says, it's great to be a Georgia Bulldog. In addition to outstanding gymnastics and football programs (you know I had to say that), they have Karen Russell and some pretty impressive students of Public Relations. Dr. Russell tweeted about one of her colleages, Kaye Sweetster, and her students.
Sweetster's students took a look at how well campaign blogs speak to potential voters. I know the folks at techPresident have weighed in on this, but I think it's great they looked at it from a dispassionate, academic perspective. From the release:
I've had some great conversations with Dr. Deborah Chung, a professor here in Lexington at the University of Kentucky who studies social media and journalism, and I seem to recall her singing the praises of Russell and Sweetster. Seems their students have some mad social media skilz too.
And I hope when those students graduate they send me their resumes.
Sweetster's students took a look at how well campaign blogs speak to potential voters. I know the folks at techPresident have weighed in on this, but I think it's great they looked at it from a dispassionate, academic perspective. From the release:
And as any good student of social media would, they have a pdf of the paper and a podcast describing the results (found at the link above).From their study, the group found that Democratic candidates made up 65 percent of the sample, which indicates that the Democratic Party has embraced blogs as a campaign tactic more than Republicans since the 2004 election. They also found
that presidential candidates displayed the most dialogic features, which they attributed to the money, manpower and voter base behind high-level campaigns. Those running for Senate and governor came next followed by House candidates.The team chose to investigate the dialogic capacity of campaign blogs due to their interest in the upcoming presidential election. "We wanted to see how well presidential candidates used new Internet features to relate to potential voters," said Holly Stiles, a junior public relations and speech communication major from Murphy, N.C. "We started with the presidential race and then it just grew from there."
I've had some great conversations with Dr. Deborah Chung, a professor here in Lexington at the University of Kentucky who studies social media and journalism, and I seem to recall her singing the praises of Russell and Sweetster. Seems their students have some mad social media skilz too.
And I hope when those students graduate they send me their resumes.
Baseball, Apple Pie, and Mom101
I've said before (as have others) that the campaigns are making a mistake by focusing solely on the top-tier political blogs for money and small-potatoes political blogs for volumes of "my candidate rocks, your candidate stinks" fodder.
It started when the campaigns blew off BlogHer '07 in Chicago but fell over themselves sucking up to political types at Yearly Kos in the same city just a week later. Moms were pissed.
This week, Liz Gumbinner of Mom101 fame did what most moms do when they're going to make a decision - she paid attention to details and weighed her options. She looked through the websites of each of the candidates very thoroughly, looking for what they had to say about the issues she cares about most. And she shared her observations on her very popular blog.
And a lot of candidates are wearing egg on their faces right now.
You may not agree with her politics, but you can be sure of this: Moms (and women generally) are critical to Campaign '08. Opinion-leading moms write online and read mom-authored blogs. The campaigns need to be where the voters are. That's why we track political moms at Virtual Vantage Points.
I've said it before: Ignore the moms at your own peril.
It started when the campaigns blew off BlogHer '07 in Chicago but fell over themselves sucking up to political types at Yearly Kos in the same city just a week later. Moms were pissed.
This week, Liz Gumbinner of Mom101 fame did what most moms do when they're going to make a decision - she paid attention to details and weighed her options. She looked through the websites of each of the candidates very thoroughly, looking for what they had to say about the issues she cares about most. And she shared her observations on her very popular blog.
And a lot of candidates are wearing egg on their faces right now.
You may not agree with her politics, but you can be sure of this: Moms (and women generally) are critical to Campaign '08. Opinion-leading moms write online and read mom-authored blogs. The campaigns need to be where the voters are. That's why we track political moms at Virtual Vantage Points.
I've said it before: Ignore the moms at your own peril.
24 January 2008
Penetrating Questions
Work is busy so the blog suffers. Lately when I have something to say I do it on twitter, where I can't say much for long. It saves time.
So I started thinking, how will Twitter survive? It makes no money. Then I remembered Dave Winer already thought about it. (He's smart. I follow him on twitter too.)
I'm not so sure twitter has a business model as much as it has an exit strategy. It strikes me, as I think it did Dave, as a feature for someone else's platform. Let's hope the platform is as universal as Google, who bought jaiku - I'm really not planning on changing my mobile phone service.
So I started thinking, how will Twitter survive? It makes no money. Then I remembered Dave Winer already thought about it. (He's smart. I follow him on twitter too.)
I'm not so sure twitter has a business model as much as it has an exit strategy. It strikes me, as I think it did Dave, as a feature for someone else's platform. Let's hope the platform is as universal as Google, who bought jaiku - I'm really not planning on changing my mobile phone service.
23 January 2008
Resurfacing...
I'm back in the bluegrass but totally swamped. I have a few good posts kicking around, including a new economic update for a senator, a new Best Blog EVAH that will probably result in a bizlex column, and some interesting news (to be public later) from a science blogger friend.
Perhaps an announcement re: baby soon as well.
Meanwhile, yesterday was an odd news day. Historic cut from the Fed, Fred Thompson bows out, worldwide stock market volatility, but the top story of the day is Heath Ledger's unfortunate demise. Not an easy day for PR folks trying to get their clients "in the news." And a sad statement on our news priorities.
Perhaps an announcement re: baby soon as well.
Meanwhile, yesterday was an odd news day. Historic cut from the Fed, Fred Thompson bows out, worldwide stock market volatility, but the top story of the day is Heath Ledger's unfortunate demise. Not an easy day for PR folks trying to get their clients "in the news." And a sad statement on our news priorities.
17 January 2008
Heading to the Arctic Circle...
Ok, maybe Boston isn't technically in the Arctic Circle, but it feels like it in January. We're heading there this weekend for my sister's wedding so I won't be online for a few days.
So I'll share this, um.... executive summary of what happened at MacWorld. Found via Open Culture.
So I'll share this, um.... executive summary of what happened at MacWorld. Found via Open Culture.
16 January 2008
Get Your Wonk On
Speaking of nerdiness, one of the coolest things about the intertubes is it gives wonky nerds like me a place to play without being picked on by the bullies we knew in junior high school.
I learned about Health Wonk Review by doing research for Virtual Vantage Points. (Bill Pierce has another interesting post up there this week about single payer.)
HWR is led by a collection of health policy bloggers who share their wonky best with each other. They run down the health care proposals of presidential candidates, they look at trends in the industry, and basically show the rest of us that they're smarter than we are.
HWR is hosted this week at Bob Laszewski's Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review, and it's really strong this week. Having worked in a hospital and in the Senate, it's pretty much the coolest thing out there. (Yes, nerdy. I know.)
Political or communications experts looking for those "validating third parties" don't need to look much further than here. Just make sure your brain is working before you check it out.
I learned about Health Wonk Review by doing research for Virtual Vantage Points. (Bill Pierce has another interesting post up there this week about single payer.)
HWR is led by a collection of health policy bloggers who share their wonky best with each other. They run down the health care proposals of presidential candidates, they look at trends in the industry, and basically show the rest of us that they're smarter than we are.
HWR is hosted this week at Bob Laszewski's Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review, and it's really strong this week. Having worked in a hospital and in the Senate, it's pretty much the coolest thing out there. (Yes, nerdy. I know.)
Political or communications experts looking for those "validating third parties" don't need to look much further than here. Just make sure your brain is working before you check it out.
15 January 2008
"The days of fretting about how we are doing against border states are long over and a waste of time."
I readily admit my inherent nerdiness. I like to write, read, and listen to political speeches - particularly inaugural addresses and speeches during crises. I wrote speech drafts for the Senator, and I've written a few for clients in my current job. No one will ever confuse me with Peggy Noonan or Ted Sorenson, but I'd like to think I know quality when I see it.
In terms of oratory - I'm not commenting on politics, just the rhetoric and the delivery - President Bush's best speech was the one he gave to a joint session of Congress just after 9/11. President Clinton had two that really stuck in my mind - one a sermon in an African-American church in Memphis on Martin Luther King Jr. Day; another to ethnic Albanians right after the US and allied forces had secured Kosovo.
The speeches I hear in Kentucky from politicians are a cut below these, obviously, but sometimes I hear a line in them that gives me pause and prompts me to nod in agreement. Governor Beshear's State of the Commonwealth Address was last night, and there's one line in it that will probably be overlooked by most here but really resonated with me:
Kentucky may be the only state in the country who has imposed a statutory mandate on its higher ed flagship to be a "top 20" institution by 2020, but the legislature never really specified what "top 20" means. The media here constantly reports on where the Commonwealth ranks in every indicator imaginable - typically using border states as benchmarks. What it should be doing is looking at where it IS in education, health care, and economy, not where it ranks, and trying simply to improve it. If Tennessee slides, Kentucky hasn't improved. I also notice that Kentucky media reports when someone from the state gets noticed nationally - and the headline really reads "Kentuckian gets national attention." I don't recall seeing that in anyplace else I've lived.
I hope the Governor will help bring this shift in focus to Frankfort. I think it will take tremendous effort - old habits die hard - but I think it will help solve a lot of problems. I hope our state government worries less about what others think of us and more about how we improve our lot in life.
In terms of oratory - I'm not commenting on politics, just the rhetoric and the delivery - President Bush's best speech was the one he gave to a joint session of Congress just after 9/11. President Clinton had two that really stuck in my mind - one a sermon in an African-American church in Memphis on Martin Luther King Jr. Day; another to ethnic Albanians right after the US and allied forces had secured Kosovo.
The speeches I hear in Kentucky from politicians are a cut below these, obviously, but sometimes I hear a line in them that gives me pause and prompts me to nod in agreement. Governor Beshear's State of the Commonwealth Address was last night, and there's one line in it that will probably be overlooked by most here but really resonated with me:
The days of fretting about how we are doing against border states are long over and a waste of time.I really hope the Governor means it. In my time here I've been struck by the Commonwealth's obsession with rankings, particularly where they match up against West Virginia (usually ahead) and Tennessee (usually behind). I don't want to get too political here, but Kentucky's true competitors are now across oceans, not just across the state line. I've written about this more than a few times for Business Lexington (and I'll link as soon as I can find bizlex's archive again).
Kentucky may be the only state in the country who has imposed a statutory mandate on its higher ed flagship to be a "top 20" institution by 2020, but the legislature never really specified what "top 20" means. The media here constantly reports on where the Commonwealth ranks in every indicator imaginable - typically using border states as benchmarks. What it should be doing is looking at where it IS in education, health care, and economy, not where it ranks, and trying simply to improve it. If Tennessee slides, Kentucky hasn't improved. I also notice that Kentucky media reports when someone from the state gets noticed nationally - and the headline really reads "Kentuckian gets national attention." I don't recall seeing that in anyplace else I've lived.
I hope the Governor will help bring this shift in focus to Frankfort. I think it will take tremendous effort - old habits die hard - but I think it will help solve a lot of problems. I hope our state government worries less about what others think of us and more about how we improve our lot in life.
14 January 2008
Beyond Bizlex: Around the World in 80 Clicks
It's going to be another very busy week, and my to-do lists and email inboxes are already stuffed. So probably another light week of posting. Kudos to my wife for pointing www.itsnotalecture.com/ to this blog - it just seems cool, and it's something I should have done a while ago.
I'll start the week by sharing my latest at Business Lexington - "Around the World in 80 Clicks." It's a quick list of online global business and industry-specific resources that Central Kentucky business leaders might find useful as they try to compete in a global economy. Kentucky is home to some industries that aren't typically considered to be dependent on the Internet, but there are thousands of interesting and helpful websites, blogs, and podcasts that offer a wealth of information for free. The trick is just knowing where to look. When I have time I'll probably offer up a few more - any suggestions on what to include? If I like them I'll include them in a follow-up column and give you credit...
I'd also love to get some opinions on Business Lexington's new online format. I think it's easier on the eye than the previous one, and it has some useful new social tools, such as comments and bookmarking tools. They've always been strong with podcasts. I would like to know if readers can still access the archives - I couldn't find that yet, and I think it's really important to have that available for the online audience. I'd still love to see them on twitter, where I'm getting a growing share of my information.
I'll start the week by sharing my latest at Business Lexington - "Around the World in 80 Clicks." It's a quick list of online global business and industry-specific resources that Central Kentucky business leaders might find useful as they try to compete in a global economy. Kentucky is home to some industries that aren't typically considered to be dependent on the Internet, but there are thousands of interesting and helpful websites, blogs, and podcasts that offer a wealth of information for free. The trick is just knowing where to look. When I have time I'll probably offer up a few more - any suggestions on what to include? If I like them I'll include them in a follow-up column and give you credit...
I'd also love to get some opinions on Business Lexington's new online format. I think it's easier on the eye than the previous one, and it has some useful new social tools, such as comments and bookmarking tools. They've always been strong with podcasts. I would like to know if readers can still access the archives - I couldn't find that yet, and I think it's really important to have that available for the online audience. I'd still love to see them on twitter, where I'm getting a growing share of my information.
10 January 2008
You can't litigate your brand back
Social media marketing folks have said it for a while now - companies no longer "own" their brand online. Eric Goldman reports on a case where a company is actually suing to take it back:
Ultimately, this kind of action will only serve to elevate negative messaging in the non-sponsored search results in Google. So it's a Pyrrhic victory, if a victory at all.
My my, look who's decided to go back into court! It's none other than 1-800 Contacts, the online retailer with a lousy trademark and a love-hate relationship towards keyword advertising. This time their target is their chums LensWorld.com for buying "1800Contacts" as a keyword.But I did find this interesting:
Ironically, 1-800 Contacts also has routinely bought third party trademarks as keywords.This action sets some very dangerous precedents if the company is allowed to control these keywords. Of course, I see these actions as completely consistent - the company is consistently protecting its own interests. But what if a lawyer or a medical organization wants to get the word out about a faulty batch of contact lenses? Contextual ads are no longer an option if the company has its way.
Ultimately, this kind of action will only serve to elevate negative messaging in the non-sponsored search results in Google. So it's a Pyrrhic victory, if a victory at all.
09 January 2008
New Hampshire, social media, and the coming black hole
I've been traveling a lot but learned that once again, the real story with the NH primary is about turnout, particularly on the Democratic side - with the sidebar story that the pollsters basically got it wrong the 48 hours before the election.
I'm pleased that it doesn't appear like we're going to have a coronation on either side right now. But we're about to see something very interesting and possibly unprecedented.
After "Super Tuesday" on February 5, we may have presumptive nominees for both parties. Traditionally, presumptive nominees wear political bullseyes. We're looking at 8 months of looking at only two people.
For the first time we're looking at a truly robust social media space in a presidential campaign. And there may be 8 months to fill. Traditional news will only have so much to offer. The media will look to blogs and social networks for story ideas. And given that we'll be in a black hole in the election cycle, I'm guessing things may take on a particularly nasty edge.
I'll have much more to say about this.
I'm pleased that it doesn't appear like we're going to have a coronation on either side right now. But we're about to see something very interesting and possibly unprecedented.
After "Super Tuesday" on February 5, we may have presumptive nominees for both parties. Traditionally, presumptive nominees wear political bullseyes. We're looking at 8 months of looking at only two people.
For the first time we're looking at a truly robust social media space in a presidential campaign. And there may be 8 months to fill. Traditional news will only have so much to offer. The media will look to blogs and social networks for story ideas. And given that we'll be in a black hole in the election cycle, I'm guessing things may take on a particularly nasty edge.
I'll have much more to say about this.
07 January 2008
Busy week...
Posting will be light this week - there's a ton going on.
I've spent some time recruiting bloggers to talk today with experts at CHOP and Every Child by Two about vaccines. Tomorrow I'll be talking to the Thoroughbred Chapter of PRSA about social media. Then I'm scheduled to be on the road for the rest of the week - meeting potential and current clients on the East Coast, and seeing some blogger pals of mine in DC right after the New Hampshire Primary.
I'll try to keep up...
I've spent some time recruiting bloggers to talk today with experts at CHOP and Every Child by Two about vaccines. Tomorrow I'll be talking to the Thoroughbred Chapter of PRSA about social media. Then I'm scheduled to be on the road for the rest of the week - meeting potential and current clients on the East Coast, and seeing some blogger pals of mine in DC right after the New Hampshire Primary.
I'll try to keep up...
04 January 2008
Thoughts on Iowa from someone who's done it before
Craig Fuller looks at the political blogosphere's reaction to the Iowa caucuses - and adds his own thoughts on what it's like in a campaign immediately after the votes are in.
Craig is a colleague at APCO - he's also former Chief of Staff to George H.W. Bush.
Just the latest reason I love Virtual Vantage Points.
Craig is a colleague at APCO - he's also former Chief of Staff to George H.W. Bush.
Just the latest reason I love Virtual Vantage Points.
Iowa, Voter Turnout, and Social Media
This may be blasphemy, but the big story out of Iowa last night is NOT Barack Obama or Mike Huckabee.
It's that turnout exceeded expectations on both sides, but dramatically for the Democrats, where young people - yes, the kids voted - came out for the Democratic winner in droves. And social media had something to do with the winner on each side.
I wrote yesterday about Obama's use of social networks to reach out to voters and how his strategy focused on college kids, even though colleges were closed for winter break. The virtual push led to physical action. Young voters were the biggest chunk of support for Obama by far. In fact, some polling I saw last night said only 18 percent of his support came from seniors - that's definitely something he'll have to work on.
Huckabee's victory just proves Brian Solis' theorem - social media isn't so much about technology as it is sociology. Huckabee won because he had extremely strong support from one community - evangelicals. And he asked that community to talk with each other about his campaign. And those church communities used email effectively to spread the word about the campaign - despite being outspent 15-1 (according to Huckabee) in mainstream ads. (sheesh, I guess email isn't "dead" after all.)
Of course, turnout was also clearly generated from the massive financial investments made by the Obama, Clinton, and Romney campaigns. But I'm really blown away by the turnout on the Dem side. Think about it - the third place finisher for the Dems received twice as many votes as the winner of the GOP caucus. And remember, Iowa is basically a "red state."
Social media played a role here - not the dominant role, but it looks like it was a factor in galvanizing and energizing support from a sector of the electorate that hasn't historically participated with vigor.
It's that turnout exceeded expectations on both sides, but dramatically for the Democrats, where young people - yes, the kids voted - came out for the Democratic winner in droves. And social media had something to do with the winner on each side.
I wrote yesterday about Obama's use of social networks to reach out to voters and how his strategy focused on college kids, even though colleges were closed for winter break. The virtual push led to physical action. Young voters were the biggest chunk of support for Obama by far. In fact, some polling I saw last night said only 18 percent of his support came from seniors - that's definitely something he'll have to work on.
Huckabee's victory just proves Brian Solis' theorem - social media isn't so much about technology as it is sociology. Huckabee won because he had extremely strong support from one community - evangelicals. And he asked that community to talk with each other about his campaign. And those church communities used email effectively to spread the word about the campaign - despite being outspent 15-1 (according to Huckabee) in mainstream ads. (sheesh, I guess email isn't "dead" after all.)
Of course, turnout was also clearly generated from the massive financial investments made by the Obama, Clinton, and Romney campaigns. But I'm really blown away by the turnout on the Dem side. Think about it - the third place finisher for the Dems received twice as many votes as the winner of the GOP caucus. And remember, Iowa is basically a "red state."
Social media played a role here - not the dominant role, but it looks like it was a factor in galvanizing and energizing support from a sector of the electorate that hasn't historically participated with vigor.
02 January 2008
Beyond Bizlex: Pop Quiz
Happy 2008 - the new year is starting fast and I'm busy right out of the blocks. I hope everyone had a restful and happy holiday.
Here's just a quick item to get things going - a global pop quiz I put together for Business Lexington a while back. It's in the current edition.
The Iowa caucuses are tomorrow - the earliest they've ever been, I think - and it will be interesting to see what role social media will play. I may take a look at that this week.
There's a lot to do so let's get started...
Here's just a quick item to get things going - a global pop quiz I put together for Business Lexington a while back. It's in the current edition.
The Iowa caucuses are tomorrow - the earliest they've ever been, I think - and it will be interesting to see what role social media will play. I may take a look at that this week.
There's a lot to do so let's get started...
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