Hot Ideas about Cool Technologies

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Hot Ideas about Cool Technologies

• Public Affairs Council
• National Grassroots Conference
• January 23, 2005
• Ken Deutsch
• Executive Vice President
• Issue Dynamics Inc. (IDI)

2
Online Grassroots Innovation

• Historically happens outside of existing
  organizations or within flexible advocacy groups.
• Ad-Hoc/Up-Start Campaigns can operate in
  Internet Time taking advantage of change

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Online Grassroots Innovation

• 1990s Moveon.org and others led development of
  action centers.
• 2005 Every major organization has email list
  sends out action alerts, drives
  supporters/employees/members to action page with
  sample letter or talking points.
  Letters/emails/faxes go to political targets

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Online Grassroots Innovation

• 2004/2005 Innovations
• Practical Applications for Grassroots
• RSS
• Blogs
• Potential Applications for Grassroots
• VideoBlogs
• Podcasting
• Wiki

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What is RSS?

• RSS ( Really Simple Syndication) - standard to
  provide streams of content as published. Rather
  then provide all content like a web site, RSS
  displays new content.
• RSS Reader Displays RSS feeds on readers
  desktop.
• RSS Aggregators Web sites that collect RSS
  content to allow readers to keep up with content
  they are interested in.

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Almost all Traditional Media now provide RSS
Feeds
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Reading RSS RSS Readers Display Headlines as
they happen
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Reading RSSAggregators Allow users to track
changes on web sites, Blogs or any content
published in RSS feeds.
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Reading RSSMy.Yahoo and Other Personalized Web
Site tools now include RSS Reader
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Leveraging RSS

• Monitor Content
• Publish/Promote Own Content
• Aggregate Content on your Issues

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Publishing RSS Feeds Create InternetNew
Distribution Channel Email Newsletters go to
individuals RSS goes out in real time and to
wider audience through ease of republishing.
12
Publishing RSS Feeds Site editor can decide
what RSS Feeds or specific content to display
Turn Web Site to source of choice on particular
issue.While RSS is typically free, paid feeds
allow sites to preserve branding.
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RSS Feeds can be picked up by Coalition Partners,
Public, Other Publishers
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What are Blogs?

• Blog or Web Log is Web based content that
  allows an individual or group to publish easily
  their thoughts in real time (stream of
  consciousness).
• A Blog is organized in reverse-chronological
  order, from most recent entry to least recent.
• A Blog is normally public -- the whole world can
  see it. Often Blogs allow the public to post
  comments/reactions.

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Political/Issue Blogging

• Emerged as force opposing and supporting war in
  Iraq
• Developed communities of interest spheres
• Anti-war sphere became core of Dean Campaign
  focus on grassroots

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Why Blog Growth?

• Successful Bloggers develop an audience by
  sifting through content and providing high
  quality condensed postings for a specifically
  segmented audience.
• They become the place to go on an issue with the
  most up to date information on that issue.
• Heavy use of linking between Blogs increases
  rank on search engines.

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Blog Impact Grassroots Case Study 60 Minutes

• A posting on freerepublic.com during September
  broadcast of 60 Minutes led to evidence that the
  Bush National Guard records were forged.

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Case Study60 Minutes 1st Posting called on
other Bloggers to do some investigating
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Case Study60 Minutes Buckhead responds
with a challenge on the fonts.
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Case Study60 Minutes- "Freepers collectively
possess more analytical horsepower than the
entire news division at CBS- Buckhead
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Grassroots Case Study Mosh

• Mosh Rap star Eminem's new anti-Bush
  pro-voting video. Unheard of last week, Blog led
  campaign made it the most requested video on MTV.

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Case StudyMoshBlogger posted diary on
Dailykos.com suggesting campaign
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Case StudyMoshPosting picked up by more
popular Bloggers
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Case StudyMoshOnline Voting makes the video
appear on MTV TRL live, then the 1 requested
video
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Leveraging Blogs

• Monitor Emerging Issues/Issues Impacting your
  organization
• Story Placement
• Advertising
• Organization Blog

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Monitoring BlogsIf a tree falls in a forest....

• Key Indicators to Measure Blog Impact
• Links to Blog from other sites
• Total Traffic/Viewers of Blog
• Buzz - How well particular stories are being
  talked about/linked to.

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Monitoring Blogs Measuring Impact LinksHow
well is the site linked with other Blogs?
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Monitoring Blogs Measuring ImpactTraffic Many
Blogs have links to Traffic Meters to allow
public to view their stats.
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Monitoring Blogs Measuring ImpactBuzz
-Online tools allow for measurement of
Blogs/sites linking to developing stories.
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Monitoring BlogsSearch Tools utilize RSS to
allow for almost real time monitoring.
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Monitoring BlogsResults include rankings based
on links to Blog.WishList has option to save
search as RSS feed.
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Monitoring BlogsRSS Feed from Search Tool can
be added to RSS aggregator that includes desktop
Notifier
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Blog Story PlacementCase Study Accessible
Airwaves

• United Church of Christ ad rejected by CBS and
  NBC. UCCs Office of Communication decided on
  Internet strategy to gain support for regulatory
  approach.

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Case Study Accessible Airwaves

• Searched Blogs to identify lead spokespersons.
• Identified 5 leading Bloggers that already
  Blogged on issue.
• Strategy call on issue with Bloggers and UCC.
• Gave Bloggers Network rejection letter before
  shared with press.
• Pre-launch email rolling out strategy to wider
  group of Bloggers
• Conference call with 15 Bloggers at same time
  press were notified.
• Created Blog - The medium is the message.

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Case Study Accessible AirwavesLead Bloggers
early involvement made them invested in campaign.
36
Case Study Accessible AirwavesInvested
Bloggers adapted messages to own audiences..
37
Case Study Accessible AirwavesBloggers pushed
specific actions for people to take..
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Advertising Blog Ads on issue campaigns is low
cost approach to place issue messages and
generate discussion.
39
Organization BlogTwo Approaches 1) Create a
Blog around a hot theme with particular
audience.2) Allow Employees to post
unofficially for company.
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Potential Applications for Grassroots

• VideoBlogs
• Podcasting
• Wiki

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Video Blogs Tsunami videos pushed this video
Blog to be the most read Blog in late December
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Podcasting Leverages RSS with Audio Broadcast
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Mobcasting Podcast Broadcasts live from events.
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GodcastingReligious Broadcasts on Podcasting
becoming one of most popular uses.
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Wiki Community Published Content Increase use
by advocacy groups
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WikiProvide encyclopedia style entries allow
anyone to edit.
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Edit Away! The Internet is for who ever writes
it.