When we shared viral vids from Paddick’s campaign with you yesterday, you weren’t impressed. Our readers thought they were a worrying sign that American style attack ads were crossing the Atlantic. And some simply pointed out they couldn’t sustain a joke for long enough. Not a patch on Armando Ianucci.
There are however some signs that they are doing the job they are intended to, as this unrepentant press release from Paddick HQ points out:
BRIAN PADDICK REAPS DIVIDENDS OF ONLINE STRATEGY
An independent audience monitoring service has shown that the internet campaign for Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate, Brian Paddick is having a huge impact on new audiences across London.
According to the survey by Nielsen Online, Brian Paddick came out with a net positive score (11%) in posts mentioning him; significantly higher than either Ken Livingstone or Boris Johnson. Brian Paddick has employed web strategist and veteran ‘blogfather’ Jerome Armstrong to head his web internet strategy since March.
Today also sees the launch of two internet ‘viral’ videos, which use humour to point out why Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson would be a bad choice for London. This is a step away from using the traditional format of online party political broadcasts or short video diaries.
Speaking today, Campaign Manager, Andrew Reeves said:
“I am delighted with the success of our online campaigning; we have had a fantastic response to the events we have run.
“At the start of the campaign we felt it was vital for Brian to talk to people disaffected with politics in all the mediums that they used, and that meant using the internet.”
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13 Comments
But its not re engaging anyone with politics. Its just unpleasent (the boris one) and unfunny (both of them)
Well, if a Lib Dem press officer says they are good then of course they must be. No vested interests there at all …
With regards to the survey results, what exactly is this a measure of?:
“…a net positive score (11%) in posts mentioning him“
There’s no doubt the overall campaign has been much more innovative and interesting in terms of new media than the others – and it probably has helped us. I just think any success has more to do with eg, Facebook campaigning, Twitter debate, Brian’s online participation etc than said videos.
I think the online campaign has been great. If you look at the way online campaigning is used in the US then Paddick has come closest (unsurpisingly given who has been conculting on the online campaign) to delivering that. And look how many new voters Barack Obama is reaching!
it looks like the press team is referring to an independent neilsen-media study:
http://www.freewebcounterstats.com/news/2008/04/26/londoners-faceoff-online-in-support-of-their-candidates-for-the-mayoral-election/
Of the three leading candidates in the polls its not surprising that Brian Paddick is the only one to have an overall positive sentiment score in social media. His campaign, involving a US web strategist firm, has focused the most heavily on social media including a pioneering British political use of sites like Twitter, Facebook and UStream.TV and it certainly seems to have paid dividends.
However, judging from the sheer levels of social media conversation on the election, it may not be enough to grab victory over Boris or Ken. If social media were a crystal ball it might tell us Boris is likely to get more votes than Ken. However, positive comments on Boris more often centre on personality rather than policies and only time will tell if this is a strong enough factor for voters when faced with putting the cross in his box to change the status quo.
Julian H, well said.
Spotted Cow said: “However, judging from the sheer levels of social media conversation on the election, it may not be enough to grab victory over Boris or Ken.”
Wow, what amazing powers of political clairvoyance you must have to know that Paddick is going to be a distant third in the Mayoral election.
http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com
Letter From a Tory: write 500 times: “Johnson is prat”.
“And look how many new voters Barack Obama is reaching!”
But compare Obama’s isn’t running an ad saying Hilary is a village idiot! If he had do you think he would be in the position he is?
I think it was unhelpful Brian describing Kate Hoey as “bonkers” (an internal Labour Party squabble that doesn’t require outside assistance to increase the damage).
What we do have to remember is that Brian is new to politics. Until a few months ago he was wearing a blue serge uniform. He cannot be expected to have the polish of old hands like Livingstone and Brown.
Oh Gods. I agree with Passing Tory. Must go and shoot myself now…
Hasnt done much to his polls though has it?
(Lib Dem member)
Despite being third in the polls the Paddick web team is generating as much traffic to http://www.brianpaddick.org as Ken Livingstone’s website:
From WebUser.co.uk and Hitwise:
http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/news.php?id=255169
Johnson has been consistently on top in the fight for web traffic in the last few weeks, with Livingstone and Paddick locked in a tight battle for second place in terms of hits.
However, Paddick is getting the most traffic coming directly from social networks such as Facebook, suggesting that the ex-policeman is using these sites to co-ordinate his web campaign.