Des Moines Register Gets to Know Doug and Operation Red State

Thanks to Renda Lutz for asking me to share what we do here at Operation Red State with the Des Moines Register’s audience.  The picture shows off the home studio pretty nicely too.  The green screen is to the right there but you get the idea.

Here’s a sample from the piece:

Why did you create OperationRedState.com: The digital divide between conservatives and the opposition was palpable in 2008. This gap was boldly accentuated by President Obama’s hyper-strategic use of technology to develop “micro-constituencies” online. I wanted to passionately target a niche market with our membership web site platform and it hit me, “Why not deliver the same web strategy and new media execution we deliver to businesses…to conservative political candidates?”

The membership site allows us to create compelling content once and serve clients affordably throughout the nation. We actively provide web-execution services to campaigns as well.

Networkless Conan – Will He Go Web Only? and Why This Matters to Your Candidacy

There’s a great January 18th post on the NY Times blog called, “What if Conan Said, “Bye, NBC. Hello Internet’?.  I pose the same question to those running a campaign now or deciding how to run a campaign.  When will a candidate shun mainstream media and go “web only”?  Here’s the amazingly relevant quote if you’re in politics and care about the majority voting block over the next 10 years.

But with the 18- to 34-year-old crowd, who have shown undaunted support for Mr. O’Brien, a time slot is as relevant as which brand of frying pan your favorite restaurants use to cook your meal — maybe it makes a difference in the kitchen, but 99 percent of the patrons just want good food.

Booyah! The time slot is irrelevant.  The 18-34 is ready for your engagement but ask and most will say they’re ignored.

Who will declare themselves the Internet candidate and truly capture the attention of the nation by producing a pure web candidacy?  We’re still looking for him or her.  Please call…we’re ready.

2010 Predictions

Here is what’s in store for 2010:

1. High profile Operation Red State powered candidate victories will earn our company the national attention it’s working hard to earn.
2. ORS will 10x it’s subscriber base.
3. Real conservatives will win key state and national offices by large margins.
4. Some third party candidates will win and disrupt the current 2 party power structure.
5. The country will continue to wake up and use its eyes…for the first time in decades.
6. A new generation of constitutional scholars will emerge to remind a nation what tyranny looks like.
7. Things will get much worse for our citizenry and the National Guard will be required to maintain order when people revolt over hunger and rampant crime due to the economy.
8. A much greater percentage of candidates for office will begin to engage the under 40 crowd vs. ignore them like they do now.
9. There will be a “web only” candidate who shows that technology can save money, time, and prove to be the margin of victory without the travel.
10. Political consultants will be increasingly replaced by firms that understand the message and the tools of today’s modern campaign.

Happy New Year from the ORS team.

Affordable Cloud Call Banks for Political Campaigns

(By John Burnley, Contributing Author)

For many years in IT infrastructure, I would try to deploy technology that not only fulfilled business requirements, but also considered other organizational interests such as security, DR (Disaster Recovery) and BC (Business Continuity), etc. Before leaving one former employer, I was pushing for the placement of call center personnel to some of our other various locations. With the voice over IP (VoIP) telephone system we had installed, call center agents could be deployed anywhere and appear to be at one central location.

There were advantages and disadvantages for having staff in multiple locations. Advantages included easier coverage of various time zones and locales as well as business continuity if the main call center became inoperable. Disadvantages included managing remote staff as well as potential higher employee cost, depending on the area.

Corporate workers in a virtual workplace are no different than campaign volunteers using virtualized tools, and it may make it as easier for those individuals to become involved. There are many functions that can be pushed out to the virtual world, and one which caught my attention is phone bank operations. Now, I know there is tremendous interest in finding new processes and technology that will revolutionize campaigns, but there are some traditional methods that are still viable for reaching constituents. However, there are different approaches on how those traditional methods can be managed and implemented.

Traditionally, phone banks were centrally located with rows of volunteers placing calls from voter roll lists. Larger operations could run different shifts depending on whether the race was local, state or a national venue. Now with VoIP (voice over IP), SaaS (software as a service), virtualization etc., the doors have been opened to implement this functionality in a non-traditional way. Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaign did this by leveraging volunteers following time zones for their call bank function.

There are many options available ranging from simple tracking to providing autodialer functionality, funneling answering machines to an automated message while handing off a live call to an available agent. Many are internet based and the functionality is delivered via SaaS or using existing infrastructure; the call agents may be located anywhere. Of course, costs depend upon the level of functionality.

One example of is VoterFetch . The site specifically targets conservative and Republican campaigns. Another example is CallFire . Their ‘Cloud Call Center’ product targets a commercial audience, but could be effectively used for campaign purposes. Please remember, vendor sites mentioned in this post are used as examples only. Any products or services described should not be construed as an endorsement by ORS or me.

Consider the implications of implementing a virtual call bank for a grassroots campaign. Instead of leasing expensive office space and equipment to manage the call bank, small volunteer groups could meet at a Starbucks, Panera, local library meeting room or anywhere with internet access armed with only laptops and cell phones. Volunteers could also host small groups from their own homes on a rotating basis. Viola – instant phone bank. Individuals could also do the same from home, or virtually anywhere.

What is exciting about this technology is that any campaign, regardless of size or venue, can realize the benefits of a call bank without the need for a war chest to fund it.

Social Media has Reached it’s Tipping Point in the World

The other day an article came out from StrategyEye.com. In a recent survey half of all businesses in the sample said “they are not spending enough online and 86% say they plan to increase their social media budget in 2010.”  While this article is in the context of business the concepts involved a very much the same for you politicians.

We said it was going to happen and it finally will begin full throttle (as though it wasn’t growing fast enough anyways). Social Media adoption among campaigns and organizations is vital, however many are unsure of how to get there. Whether it’s a lack of resources, lack of know-how or for many organizations, a lack of time.

The study went on to say “many firms are struggling to make the most of social media, with 54% saying a lack of resources is the biggest obstacle to better engagement. Less than a quarter of those surveyed say they can see a ‘tangible’ return on their investment. Just under two-thirds say they have gained ‘more benefit’ from their social media spend ‘but nothing concrete’.”

The hardest thing I’ve seen from marketing and social media consultants is that when they go into an organization to help develop a social media campaign it’s always about branding and rarely about selling. In a political context we are still selling.  Branding gives you a position.  Selling gives your target a “call to action” that is, TO RAISE MONEY!!!  It seems it’s always about conversing with your consumers and less about SELLING.  Both are in fact, necessary.

Even if you just entered a race, yes, branding is important, but if you don’t have enough cash to stay in the race your brand means nothing. If selling is not a part of your social media adoption than you will not reap tangible returns as mentioned above in the study.

People get really confused when I tell them I do social media change management. It’s because they are hell-bent on the idea that social media is something you “register” for and you’re off.

Before you have your next meeting with your political team or the consultants you work with ask yourself this question and then ask it to them:

“How will social media transform real work into real money?”

Simple as that. How is social media going to increase your fund raising ability? How is it going to get you that extra hundred, thousand or even ten-thousand dollars every week? How is it going to making your campaign stronger tomorrow? These are questions they should have answered the first time you entered the online arena and if they cannot answer them now, you need to look elsewhere for help.

If you don’t you’ll fall into this category of campaign or organization:

“‘While an increasing number of companies are embracing social media, many are struggling to effectively manage their engagement,’ says Phil Gripton, managing director of bigmouthmedia UK. ‘They are consequently failing to make the most of a potentially enormous opportunity.’”

Don’t pass this one up!  Subscribe to ORS NOW!

• 

• Social Media

  

• Categories

  • Campaign Technology
  • Classes
  • local politics
  • News
  • Online Fund Raising
  • Podcast
  • Red Alert Dossier
  • Red Alert Hour Webcast
  • Red Alert Video Tips
  • Social Media
  • Social Networking Demographics
  • twitter
• Technorati Profile
• NetworkedBlogs

  Blog:

  Operation Red State

  Topics:

  politics, Republican, technology

  Follow my blog

• Welcome to Operation Red State
• 

Copyright © 2008-2009 Operation Red State · Terms & Conditions · Privacy Policy