On PBS and in the Economist
by Patrick Ruffini :: March 6th, 2008 9:18 amLast week, I was interviewed at length by PBS MediaShift’s Mark Glaser about my thoughts on the 2008 new media campaign and my history on the Web. Here’s the raw interview.
In one part, I encourage John McCain to vlog every day from now until Election Day:
I hope he does what Fred Thompson didn’t do: bring an online video approach to the campaign and not just the pre-campaign. Make a daily web video where he talks to the camera and talks about what’s on his mind. Build a community around that and do it consistently. People sometimes do this but it’s not consistent enough and it doesn’t catch on. I think it would give him a chance to demonstrate his authenticity. He’s an authentic leader, so play up those strengths on the web.
Other topics covered include why I blog, what kind of candidate it takes to win online, the Iowa Twitter experiment, a successful use of mobile text alerts, and online advertising.
I also weigh in in the Economist’s Democracy in America blog on the Marketing of the President.
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>>>>Make a daily web video where he talks to the camera and talks about what’s on his mind. Build a community around that and do it consistently.
Shorter Ruffini: Allow all of America a chance to witness the John McCain of the Straight Talk Express that the press so loves.
I think you’re right. It’s probably his only way to overcome the fundamental mis-match he’s facing in dealing with Obama (or even Clinton) in a tv broadcast-politics driven general election. He’s just awful giving staged set-piece teleprompter-ized speeches. He needs to ambush the TV news media content supply line, by pumping out his own video. David Cameron’s WebCameron is a strong example of how it could be favorably implemented.
SD, mind providing an original observations once in awhile?
Ironman,
Look at Patrick Ruffini.His one idea is that internet gimmicks can compensate for incompetent candidates, non-delivery on promises, and abandonment of consevative principles.
If Mr. Ruffini is the type of Republican consultant that is advising Republican candidates no wonder the Republicans have added trillions to the national debt. They must all believe that a slicker web site or an internet coordinated GOTV campaign will make up the difference for their own incompetence.
well, recycling is alive and well….ole SD is on infinite loop
Senator Obama can focus on branding because he does not have a product (political history) to sell. All he has is a future product and thus, is easy to brand.
However, the Republicans have a long history of incompetence, poor decision making, and failure to deliver on their promises. No amount of branding, gimmicks, and campaign strategies can make up for having a lousy product to sell.
One of Karl Rove’s biggest problems is he forgot that leaders actually eventaully have to deliver in order to maintain their brand. The Republicans have failed miserably to deliver anything that they promised in 2000 and 2004. In addition, McCain has yet to demonostrate any ability to deliver any product or even grasp what America wants.
A great advertising campaign can only sell a lousy product for so long. The incompetence of the Bush Administration and the Republicans have destroyed the Republican brand.