State of eCampaigning

The State Of eCampaigning (Thursday 11.15 - 11.45am)

Event Notes

Current eCampaigning trends

• Internet TV & radio; also access to TV & radio via internet
• Global vs local
• Online facilitating offline action
• Using incentives such as collecting points by taking actions which can be redeemed in store (George W. Bush 2004 electoral campaign)
• Testing what works & why (impact analysis)
• Realization that supporters are not just supporters to our cause
• Decentralized working (e.g. Moveon in USA, Get up in Aussie land)
• Reacting to disasters (Tsunami, Hurrican Katrina, etc)
• More virals
• Content that doesn't speak in institutional jargon, but speaks the general public's language
• Using visuals effectively (to draw public's attention)
• New ways of using blogs (incl. hearing voices of pple on frontline)
• More structured campaigns
• Direct communications between public & organisations (no longer via a PR machinery or a specialist internal department)
• Data storage issue: legislation can be restrictive if the organisation doesn't know what it will do with the data collected once campaign starts
• Sms glue (useful tool for building profile of new activists; good 2-way reporting tool - e.g. quick updates & community journalism), mobile videos & pictures
• RSS feeds
• Social networks, peer-to-peer
• Podcasts
• Web 2.0/Social 2.0 (Flickr, Google maps, deli.cio.us, etc)
• Open source (free to user, easy to plug into own campaign)
• Coalition building/partnerships
• eCampaigning has become more mainstream
• Old but useful: email (Western world bored of it; Global South: appropriate for low-connectivity environment e.g. used by Fahamu.org in Africa)

Session Plan

An Instant Map of the State Of eCampaigning

Introduction and Faciliation by Glen Tarman and Duane Raymond

In this session we want to generate an instant map of the State Of eCampaigning for 2006. And we want your help to do this (at the event but you can also do some homework if you read this before you come along).

We also want to do this in a way that has an element of 'ice-breaker'; a way to get to know your peers at this event. So, after a brief introduction, participants will be asked to turn to two of your neighbours and have a 5 minute conversation about some key "landmarks" or features that our instant map should include.

The state of eCampaigning we all inhabit, or, if you like, that practice if not always a profession we all work in or with, has both changed radically in recent times. Equally, in many areas, it has remained static; certainly in terms of some of our underlying assumptions and practices.

In a 5 minute "buzz" with your neighbours, share your thoughts on what you think should be on our instant map and select 2 or 3 to share with the entire group. We are only look for one or two lines that sum up what you want to put forward.

This might be a new technology, software or platform that has or could be used for ecampaigning (as well as how it has or what exactly the potential is).

It could be a specific ecampaigning example you have done within your organisation or that you have seen another organisation undertake.

It could be a trend in the sector. This could be a positive one or an area where you feel, as a sector, we are underperforming/could do so much better on.

It could be something old that you feel is as relevant today for ecampaigning as it was last year or in years before.

five minute buzz with neighbours

twenty minutes map building in plenary

Going round (with one minute per group) each group will share each outline of their feature(s) of the map.

If you select something someone else mentions before your group either add a further reflection or specific comment on that area or just let us know that you had that too (so we have a sense of shared interests where they exist).

The outputs will be charted to be built on during the rest of the forum and possibly revisited towards the end of the event.

Whilst we will not have sufficient time in the session itself to go into any issue at any depth, our instant map will give us all a shared starting reference of some, if by no means all, of our preoccupations and thoughts on the terrain of ecampaigning.

The facilitators will relate some of the outputs to the following sessions already planned at the Forum and relate to the typologies of the scene. If time at the end, some participants will be asked to reflect on what emerges from the session.

In the Participant Bazaar follows the conversation will be built on and added to - and participants will know who mentioned which interest and can find others to connect with ahead of breakout groups.

comments:

State of e-campaigning -- Tue, 10 Jan 2006 04:11:05 -0600 reply
It could be useful to look beyond the not-for-profit sector to other types of campaign (public health, marketing, political etc). I did this for my masters dissertation (in e-communications), and found out some interesting things. I'll come along prepared to share my findings, but as this was now 3 years ago, I'm sure there'll be more to say now. Does anyone else have any knowledge/experience of this? (I'll try and do some further research before the forum event.) Susie (s-t-m)

... -- Fri, 13 Jan 2006 05:50:12 -0600 reply
I would be interested in discussing the huge push into blogs, community networking, podcasts and mobile communications that is currently happening in the corporate sector.