2. Why Data? • Identify target audiences/ demographics • Identify key issues • Voter trends • Why do people vote? • When do people vote?
3. Quantitative Data: Before the social media boom of the 2000's, political campaigns were based on numerical and biographical data. Age, gender, race, income, etc. Information that could be quickly surmised by a few charts.
4. Qualitative Data: With social issues being the hot button issues in recent elections, campaigners found that wedge issues were leading the cause for going to the polls. That would be the issues that could not be determined based on an algorithm compiled from statistical information. Issues like reproductive rights, gay rights, healthcare laws, and other social issues all solicit emotions. How does that make you feel, became a question campaigners had to ask.
6. In order to get elected a politician must now consider something less concrete than tax brackets. The perfect tool for this is...Social Media.
7. What Did We Do? • We used Social Media to not just stump but engage • We did not wait for them to come to us, we went to them • We asked for constructive feedback, not just a vote, during Town Halls • We personalized each voter, beyond a number. They were a name and identity • We canvased (door-to-door surveys)
8. How Did This Help? | We were able to reach a broader audience then the quantitative data would have suggested. We were also able to the qualitative data to further break down that quantitive data. Both basic forms of data are key players in campaigns but qualitative data is still very new territory in this field.
