WASHINGTON, DC: As political candidates and their PR consultants are forced to keep pace with the rise of the Internet, it will be harder and more expensive for candidates to get their message across.
WASHINGTON, DC: As political candidates and their PR consultants
are forced to keep pace with the rise of the Internet, it will be harder
and more expensive for candidates to get their message across.
That prediction from Bill Lee, president of the National Association of
Republican Campaign Professionals, was one of many made by PR pros and
politicos at two forums held last week for campaign professionals.
’We’re in a transition period,’ Lee told the NARCP convention. ’The
political world has not caught up with technology. It is five years
behind.’
Around 20 years ago candidates could wage credible campaigns using only
network TV and their local affiliates, Lee noted. Voters took polling
and voter canvassing calls, and the election was a one-day sale. Now,
however, the Net is fast gaining ground as a medium, while TV viewership
is becoming increasingly fragmented.
Lee said publicity, given its low cost, may be most important in
reaching voters. But campaigners must recognize that a target media list
should be expanded to include cable outlets and web site editors.
At the E-Voter 2000 conference held on October 1, David Moore, president
and CEO of New York-based 24/7 Communications, argued that the Net will
revolutionize subsequent campaigns, predicting that debates will take
place online - perhaps every hour - and streamline traditional campaign
processes.
A glimpse of the future beyond banner advertising was provided by Allie
Shaw of San Francisco’s Unicast. Shaw demonstrated how TV-like messages
can be inserted in the web sites of organizations and media outlets. The
messages are played as Internet surfers shift between web pages.
