Jan
29
Finding The Right Hook For A Political Ad
Posted in: UncategorizedSteve Novick is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Oregon. He was also born without a left arm. That doesn’t seem to stop him much:
Nice.
Jan
21
Union Airs WAPO’s Dirty Laundry
Posted in: Uncategorized
According to The New York Times, The Communications Workers of America union is seeking to restart stalled contract talks with The Washington Post. The union represents 400 manufacturing workers at the Post.
The union is running a radio, print and outdoor campaign that seeks to embarrass the paper’s management and bring them to the bargaining table for the first time in five years.
Jan
18
We Can Do Better Than Coal
Posted in: Uncategorized
According to The Washington Post, the coal industry is fighting for Mr. Peabody, even though his coal train long ago hauled it away.
In Kansas, where a state agency rejected a permit for two proposed coal plants, opinion polls show that roughly two out of three people opposed the plants. That sentiment, plus soaring construction costs and uncertainty about federal climate change legislation, last year prompted U.S. companies to abandon or postpone plans to build dozens of new coal plants.
The coal mining industry is fighting back. It increased the budget of the National Mining Association, the industry’s main lobbying group, by 20 percent this year, to $19.7 million. Last September, the industry also boosted the budget of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices more than fourfold. The roster of backers includes 28 companies and trade associations such as Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, Duke Energy, Southern Co. and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, has spent $1.3 million on billboard, newspaper, television and radio ads in Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina. The group has also deployed teams on the campaign trail; about 50 people, many of them paid, walked around as human billboards and handed out leaflets outside Tuesday’s Democratic debate in Nevada with questions for voters to ask the candidates.
Jan
16
What Does A Comedy Writer Say When He Runs For Senate?
Posted in: UncategorizedWell, Al Franken has to tell people he’s serious. Literally.
Will Minnesotans buy it? Maybe. They elected Jesse “The Body” Ventura, didn’t they?
Jan
16
User Generated Content At Center of Political Appeals
Posted in: UncategorizedPolitics is a word-of-mouth business. Families discuss it over dinner. Colleagues over lunch. And increasingly, we turn to political communities on the interwebs for more “discussion.” Communities like Huck’s Army, a site run by 19-year old twin brothers.
According to Wired, Huck’s Army could turn out to be crucial for Gov. Huckabee’s campaign as it expands its territory; the campaign hasn’t had the finances to build its own official infrastructure throughout the 24 states holding primaries on Feb. 5.
So who are these new king makers? Brett and Alex Harris got started with online organizing in 2005 with Therebelution.com, a burgeoning Christian youth conference, blog and book-selling business. The boys define the term as “a teenage rebellion against low expectations of an ungodly culture.” Their message: Young people should reject the idea that their teen years are meant for goofing off, and instead find challenges to work on. Their book Do Hard Things, which grew out of a blog post on the subject, will be published in April.
Do Hard Things, huh? Is that kind of like, Just Do It?
Jan
10
Presidential Politics Is Just Marketing With Tackier Buttons
Posted in: UncategorizedThought I’d give loyal AdPulp readers a preview of an upcoming TalentZoo column while it’s all fresh in my mind. Lord knows, this could all change in a week.
In a Presidential campaign, politics is theater. It’s entertainment. And above all else, it’s marketing. Can the ad industry learn anything by watching this $1 billion spectacle? I think so. As of January 10th, here’s what I’m learning:
A loved upstart brand can beat an unloved brand with deep pockets. Campaign money goes to advertising, but also to staff, supplies, phones, etc. They burn money fast, long before the first primary or caucus takes place. That’s a huge gamble with no way to predicting ROI. Already, we’ve seen some campaigns like John McCain’s and Mike Huckabee’s win without the most cash.
People want something to believe in. Americans are an optimistic bunch at their core—we still believe that our government can work the way Schoolhouse Rock said it could. Which is why so many deeply cynical, apathetic voters are moved by Barack Obama’s message.
If you can’t close the sale, no sales pitch, emotional or rational, will help you. There is a difference, though: In politics, you only have to make a sale once or twice—at a primary or general election. On the night of the Iowa caucus, Obama and Huckabee made sure their supporters showed up. Otherwise, they’d have been screwed.
Consumers don’t like being told what to do. When Hillary Clinton was considered inevitable, Obama won. Then Obama was considered inevitable, and Clinton won.
Chuck Norris has very, very, white teeth.
Jan
09
Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District Needs David Esrati
Posted in: UncategorizedGo David, go.
David is the owner of The Next Wave in Dayton. Find out more at his campaign site Esrati.com.
Dec
22
Scratch And Win The Caucus
Posted in: UncategorizedOver at Politico.com, Roger Simon reveals Hillary Clinton’s latest tactic to win support in Iowa:
A campaign with limited resources would forget about the expansion voters and just go after the provens and potentials.
But the Clinton campaign has been sending out a special glossy mailing to expansion voters. On the bottom is a scratch card that says: “Itching for change? Show your support for Hillary. Scratch to win your special limited edition gift.â€
When you scratch the card, you find out that you have won a travel mug. You mail the card in with your address, and the campaign sends you a free mug.
The campaign then follows up with a call, and if it gets a positive response, a volunteer will come knocking on your door.
“The idea isn’t to find out who wants a free mug; everyone wants a free mug,†a Clinton staffer said. “The idea is to see who is favorable to Hillary Clinton so we can begin a conversation with them.â€
This is obviously a very expensive way to start a conversation and get a vote.
When you don’t live in one of the few battleground states/cities that politicians really care about, you never get to see stuff like this.
Is this what politics is? Is a scratch-and-sniff piece next?
Who's in charge here?
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