Social Media and Canadian Politics Omar Ha-Redeye AAS, BHA(Hons.), CNMT, RT(N)(ARRT), J.D. Candidate Miles S. Nadal Management Centre Ernst & Young Tower Toronto Dominion Centre April 21, 2009

Agenda Social media in fundraising relationships reputations

Social media in

fundraising

relationships

reputations

Internet Users Around the World Source: Wikipedia (Image:Internet users en 2007.PNG)‏

Who Here Uses Social Media? MySpace ( www.myspace.com)‏ Flickr ( www.flickr.com)‏ Digg (www.digg.com)‏ Delicious (del.icio.us)‏ LinkedIn ( www.linkedin.com)‏ Wikipedia (wikipedia.com)‏ Facebook ( facebook.com)‏ YouTube ( www.youtube.com)‏ Twitter ( www.twitter.com)‏ Blogs

MySpace ( www.myspace.com)‏

Flickr ( www.flickr.com)‏

Digg (www.digg.com)‏

Delicious (del.icio.us)‏

LinkedIn ( www.linkedin.com)‏

Wikipedia (wikipedia.com)‏

Facebook ( facebook.com)‏

YouTube ( www.youtube.com)‏

Twitter ( www.twitter.com)‏

Blogs

Duplicating Obama’s Success Opted out of public funding First candidate to do so since post-Watergate laws in 70’s Led to largest political fundraising ever The $5 philanthropist Raised $650 million, plus DNC funds Social media essential for fundraising Allowed him to out-advertise McCain primarily on television; still primary media

Opted out of public funding

First candidate to do so since post-Watergate laws in 70’s

Led to largest political fundraising ever

The $5 philanthropist

Raised $650 million, plus DNC funds

Social media essential for fundraising

Allowed him to out-advertise McCain

primarily on television; still primary media

Differences in Canada Largely a publicly-financed system Canadians finance federal political parties in three different ways: tax deductions for donations to parties; 75% amount donated direct refunds of some campaign expenses for candidates receiving over 10% of the vote per-vote subsidy of presently $1.95 per vote Proposal to reduce this amount in upcoming budget led to non-confidence crisis "cap and gap" - upper limit on spending/ electorate

Largely a publicly-financed system

Canadians finance federal political parties in three different ways:

tax deductions for donations to parties; 75% amount donated

direct refunds of some campaign expenses for candidates receiving over 10% of the vote

per-vote subsidy of presently $1.95 per vote

Proposal to reduce this amount in upcoming budget led to non-confidence crisis

"cap and gap" - upper limit on spending/ electorate

Use by Political Parties in Canada Official Party content only Supplemented by candidate sites/accounts May or may not adhere to Party templates/ guidelines Garth Turner caucus suspension (2006)‏ X Other X Blog X X Friend Feed X Digg Account X X X YouTube Channel X X MySpace X X X X Twitter Account (French)‏ X X X X X Twitter Account (English)‏ X X X Flickr X X X Facebook X X X X X Website Bloc Québécois Green Party NDP Liberals Tories

Official Party content only

Supplemented by candidate sites/accounts

May or may not adhere to Party templates/ guidelines

Garth Turner caucus suspension (2006)‏

Citizen Blogger Alliances Blogging Tories (www.bloggingtories.ca/) 300 blogs, avg. 3,000 readers/day Gomery Inquiry, leaked to American blogger, publication ban lifted Liblogs (www.liblogs.ca/)‏ Highly influential during Liberal Leadership New Democrats Online ( http://www.newdemocratsonline.ca/ )‏ Formerly Blogging Dippers Progressive Bloggers (www.progressivebloggers.ca/)‏ Green Bloggers – Dead (http://www.green-bloggers.com/)‏

Blogging Tories (www.bloggingtories.ca/)

300 blogs, avg. 3,000 readers/day

Gomery Inquiry, leaked to American blogger, publication ban lifted

Liblogs (www.liblogs.ca/)‏

Highly influential during Liberal Leadership

New Democrats Online ( http://www.newdemocratsonline.ca/ )‏

Formerly Blogging Dippers

Progressive Bloggers (www.progressivebloggers.ca/)‏

Green Bloggers – Dead (http://www.green-bloggers.com/)‏

Obama’s Social Media Tapped into existing support communities Requested control of largest Facebook group Provided scoops to supporters Text message on Biden choice before the press conference Created value to users Dominated social media outlets Twitter

Tapped into existing support communities

Requested control of largest Facebook group

Provided scoops to supporters

Text message on Biden choice before the press conference

Created value to users

Dominated social media outlets

Twitter

Twitter’s Largest, On Ice

Twitter “ You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to.” - Molly Ivins Social media is an ongoing relationship Ignore your supporters at your own expense Post-election content New website, change.gov Weekly addresses on YouTube

“ You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to.” - Molly Ivins

Social media is an ongoing relationship

Ignore your supporters at your own expense

Post-election content

New website, change.gov

Weekly addresses on YouTube

Shortened URLs Essential for driving traffic with tweets or status updates Many services now have tracking functions Increases SEO when popular First: http://tinyurl.com “ Best:” http://bit.ly , http://tr.im , http://cli.gs , http://snurl.com Tracking functions

Essential for driving traffic with tweets or status updates

Many services now have tracking functions

Increases SEO when popular

First: http://tinyurl.com

“ Best:” http://bit.ly , http://tr.im , http://cli.gs , http://snurl.com

Tracking functions

YouTube Becoming Bigger than TV NBC: “YouTube built on our ripped off content” YouTube views have exceeded television viewership in the past Broadcasters have fought back, enforcing copyright Sarah Palin sketches on SNL NBC.com: 2,304,539 views (according to NBC)‏ YouTube: 2,038,058 views (according to TubeMogul )

NBC: “YouTube built on our ripped off content”

YouTube views have exceeded television viewership in the past

Broadcasters have fought back, enforcing copyright

Sarah Palin sketches on SNL

NBC.com: 2,304,539 views (according to NBC)‏

YouTube: 2,038,058 views (according to TubeMogul )

Handling Copyright Issues McCain complained about YouTube yanking campaign videos too quickly Refused to give special privileges 2005 helped vote in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice-and-takedown (US) vs. Notice-and-notice (Can)‏ Amendment to the Copyright Act Minister Jim Prentice violated song copyright in a YouTube video Inconsistent messages?

McCain complained about YouTube yanking campaign videos too quickly

Refused to give special privileges

2005 helped vote in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

Notice-and-takedown (US) vs. Notice-and-notice (Can)‏

Amendment to the Copyright Act

Minister Jim Prentice violated song copyright in a YouTube video

Inconsistent messages?

Presidential Exemptions to Copyright?

Entertainment Provides Value Users more likely to participate if videos are entertaining Similar to Superbowl commercials Remain tasteful Ability to Backfire

Users more likely to participate if videos are entertaining

Similar to Superbowl commercials

Remain tasteful

Ability to Backfire

Content Can Be Preserved

Dodd's Corllary to Godwin’s Law

What is Reputation Management? Politics is also about branding People want a brand the can trust Cannot: Control your brand completely Stop negative comments Can: Balance out negative information Try to own your brand

Politics is also about branding

People want a brand the can trust

Cannot:

Control your brand completely

Stop negative comments

Can:

Balance out negative information

Try to own your brand

Rep Mgt Enters the House Mr. Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the only additional element that the hon. member has brought to the Chair’s attention relates to a matter which is in no way, shape or form within the purview of this House or your honour and it never has been, and hopefully never will be, that is to say, the registration of domain names on the World Wide Web. I understand my hon. friend opposite is learned with respect to parliamentary procedure but I must infer from his remarks that he is stupefiedly (sic) ignorant about the commercial practices on the Internet. EDITED HANSARD. 38th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION. NUMBER 107. Thursday, June 2, 2005. (1505). http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=1893848&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=38&Ses=1#T1510 or try http://bit.ly/16P3UU

Mr. Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the only additional element that the hon. member has brought to the Chair’s attention relates to a matter which is in no way, shape or form within the purview of this House or your honour and it never has been, and hopefully never will be, that is to say, the registration of domain names on the World Wide Web. I understand my hon. friend opposite is learned with respect to parliamentary procedure but I must infer from his remarks that he is stupefiedly (sic) ignorant about the commercial practices on the Internet.

EDITED HANSARD. 38th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION. NUMBER 107. Thursday, June 2, 2005. (1505). http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=1893848&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=38&Ses=1#T1510 or try http://bit.ly/16P3UU

JasonKenney.Org

Stay Above the Fold

Reputation Defender To the Rescue...

… Or Not?

http://www.osler.com/outlook/OutlookArticles.aspx?id=15384

Margaret C. Whitman v. Domains For Sale (2008), Case No. D2008-1534. WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2008/d2008-1534.html

Anne McLellan v. Smartcanuk.com , eresolution, AF 0303 (2000). http://www.disputes.org/decisions/0303.htm

Better than Law… Become a broadcaster… … and beyond…

Become a broadcaster…

… and beyond…

“ New Age of Marketing” “ [This is the] new age of marketing, which focuses on creating authentic relationships between brands and consumers through conversations” - Rahaf Harfoush, Obama team used social media tools to have far richer conversations with volunteers and voters than any candidate in history redefining engagement “ convert low-end” users via hypersegmented e-mails into active supporters facilitate existing behaviour Incenting the right actions personalize the mission empowering co-innovation Embrace the unexpected http://www.marketingmag.ca/english/news/marketer/article.jsp?content=20090408_105919_4800 or http://bit.ly/Q7Nxl

“ [This is the] new age of marketing, which focuses on creating authentic relationships between brands and consumers through conversations” - Rahaf Harfoush, Obama team

used social media tools to have far richer conversations with volunteers and voters than any candidate in history

redefining engagement

“ convert low-end” users via hypersegmented e-mails into active supporters

facilitate existing behaviour

Incenting the right actions

personalize the mission

empowering co-innovation

Embrace the unexpected

OmarHa-Redeye.com