July 14, 2006
Consultants Corner: Sending Out An SMS
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Joined by GOP strategist Mary Matalin, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) launched his re-election campaign's text messaging initiative during a woman's outreach breakfast 6/19. Attendees were encouraged to text "LEADING" to a PA phone number to receive a return text message that read: "From Keeping Women's Docs in PA to Allowing Parents the Freedom to Work from Home, Rick Santorum is Leading 4 Women. Look 4 Msgs with More Information."
Santorum Dir. of New Media and Political Technology Mindy Finn says the campaign is working with Pittsburg Base, a firm experienced in SMS (Short Messaging Service) on the commercial side and who are strong supporters of the senator. The system is conducted through an online interface allowing the campaign to manage themselves by monitoring how many texts, which are limited to 160 characters each, are sent out. Finn notes the cost of the system is "comparable" to other types of technology. [KATHERINE LEHR]
Finn said the initiative aims to reach "hundreds of thousands" of women, the demographic the campaign is targeting. Finn says the campaign first considered using the technology after recognizing that people, dealing with busy schedules, often "brush off" politics. Depending on the results, other demographics may be targeted in the future. Finn "doesn't know if text messaging will carry the day since there is still more to do online," but believes it represents the campaign's "goals in general."
Matalin, who demonstrated how to receive a text message at the event, will author e-mails sent to a database of female voters. A text messaging tutorial is also available at the bottom of the campaign's website. The initiative will continue through "at least" the 11/06 election.
Although Finn contends that Santorum "leads the charge in new technology," the use of text messaging in campaigns has been on the scene since Howard Dean's WH run in '04. Nicco Mele, who served as the campaign's webmaster and Dir. of Internet Operations, says text messaging continues to be an "unknown, unproven medium." However, the only way to find out if implementing such a technology in a campaign is effective is to "experiment." Mele suggests that text messaging might provide a way to reach minority voters. A 5/15 Pew Research Center study found that "a growing number of Americans rely solely on a cell phone for their telephone service, and many more are considering giving up their landline phones." These "cell-only Americans," which comprise "an estimated 7%-9% of the general public," are found to be "younger, less affluent, less likely to be married or to own their home, and more liberal on many political questions."
All For ONE
The ONE Campaign, an effort to rally Americans to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty, has received acclaim for its text messaging initiative that has been publicized at U2 concerts and more recently, with NASCAR at the Daytona 500. ONE Campaign Comm. Dir. Meighan Stone said the org. was approached by a technology group wanting to help the cause "about a year and a half ago." Future plans include sending text messages to members of Congress alerting them when a pertinent amendment comes to the floor. Although the ONE campaign uses e-mail as its primary communications tool, Stone notes 2.3M have joined the cause through text messaging "over the last year" in addition to the 26M names collected through the technology at Live 8 concerts.
Not So Fast ...
Zack Exley, who worked on John Kerry's '04 presidential campaign and managed Internet operations for the '05 re-election campaign of the British Labour Party, notes there is "a key distinction" between text messaging as a communications tool that individuals use in their daily lives and as a tool for campaigns and organizations to mobilize their members and supporters.
Although he declined to disclose specific numbers, Exley contends text messaging played a role in the party's win, but not because of the actual technology. Exley labels the use of text messaging in campaigns as "press gimmicks" only designed "to get journalists writing that they are doing cool stuff with technology." In turn, it gets campaigns "in the news" and the attention of voters. Exley says that passing a clipboard around at an event to collect contact information would be just as effective, if not more so, and cost less money. Further, he proposes using text messaging "on a very micro level" within the campaign for purposes such as notifying volunteers of a meeting time change -- not for an initiative that requires expenditures. Exley: "Campaigns join the technological bandwagon only because they worry about being left behind."
Posted at 10:16 AM
Comments
When all phones have email, won't this be a moot issue?
Tom B. | 07.14.06 12:35 PM
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SMS is key for organizing (think orange revolution). I think if an org like MoveOn had an opt in list for updates on protests, or events, this could allow them to target supporters at the zip code level (i.e. only those close to where an event will be held)
Or think some of those Hispanic Radio DJ's in LA telling everyone to sign up for text messages that inform them about where the demonstration will be, or how to avoid traffic getting there?
Getting a news update from someone (like: Sntrum Rocks 4 evr!) will be absolutely meaning less. Looking back on that story in the future, it will be the equivalent of "Nixon Considers Employing Mimeograph Machine".
That is, unless you're talking MMS (multimedia, video, ring tone etc) which can definitely be used for push/viral peer to peer messaging.
Justin Hamilton | 07.14.06 05:20 PM
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