Absorb What's Useful

Introduction

This is a reflection essay on a graduate course I took this fall in a Masters of Communication program at the University of Washington taught by Kathy Gill.  This course could not have been a more perfect timing falling right into the fourth quarter of the 2008 Presidential Election.  When we started the class both the Democratic and Republican candidates had chosen their Vice Presidential nominees for the campaign trail.  I pondered on the decision to take the course as a great way for me to start graduate school with a familiar field, since I received my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Hampton University in Virginia.

I must admit that I learned everything and more than I expected from this course, from lobbying to digital electioneering and the role of political journalism during a financial crisis.  The class provided me with a new way of thinking at government and how politics is a business that is changing daily due to technology.  The significance of this class was how the students, professor and guest lectures interacted with presentations and discussions about how modern technology has reshaped the way government and politicians campaign and inform their constituents.  

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This year marked a new wave of utilizing digital tools such as social network websites, mobile phone banks, text messaging, video game advertising, and microblogging.  One of the most anticipated moments in the Presidential election was the announcement of Senator Barack Obama’s Vice-President running mate Delaware Senator Joe Biden.  As the Democratic convention was coming up many supporters, critics, journalist and spectators could not wait to learn who Obama would choose as his campaign running mate.  He announced it via text message in the early morning of August 23, 2008.

Since social network websites have such a large audience and ability to communicate a message with little spending both candidates including Hillary Clinton saw this as an opportunity to capitalize on. Senator John McCain created a Facebook page and was able to gain a “friends” following of over 500,000 yet his campaign did not utilize their online potential until it was too late. An online strategy is required now for further elections and social movements to be effective and successful in communicating their causes. Since we are living in a time were more people are digitally connected and the cell phone is a major accessory to many people from every background, its ability to send a short message that can then be forwarded to a larger audience at great speed is impressing.

The first time I saw the potential of mobile messaging was at a music concert hosted by ACLU and I saw an artist tell everyone to “hold up their cell phones” and then proceeded to tell them to send him a text right now at his mozes.com account.  This gave him an opportunity to inform his fans when his latest album will release and where to get it. The crowd’s response was massive and this was one year before Barack Obama used the same strategy. Never has this form of marketing been used in a political campaign before and especially a U.S. Presidential election.  Many critics think that receiving a text message from a political candidate can become a hassle and even threat of privacy.  Since governments have used surveillance in the past as an abuse of power, it’s natural for citizens to think that allowing a political candidate access to your mobile phone would be something to worry about.  To supporters of a candidate this gives them an opportunity to either subscribe or not accept the text alerts from their candidate.  The decision just like your vote is up to the voter and user who chooses to be informed or not via mobile phones. 

Since national and local campaigns are looking for new ways to attract supporters, they are keeping their eyesight on the 277 million mobile users in the United States for future strategies.  When Barack Obama’s grandmother passed away before Election Day his campaign sent a text of condolences to subscribers engaging in a way that was non political yet inviting.  John McCain’s campaign used text alerts whenever a debate happened encouraging supporters to tune in and even host debate watching parties.   Both candidates took advantage of the millions of people who communicate majority of the time on their cell phones and this in returned brought more people to the voting booth and sparked a new page in campaign strategy and even giving the corporate world some lessons to learn from in marketing their products and services.