I was invited to answer some columnist's questions today. I have no idea if my responses will see print (I'll let you know if they do). They were worthy questions and I'm sharing them and my responses (in italics) here.
Q1: Will the social networking sites cause candidates to spend less on traditional advertising and instead gear their messages toward these sites?
Maybe this time out but not forever. The key to the question is "traditional". Right now social networking sites are hot but research is already showing their favor is declining in some key demographics. Some sites (FaceBook, for example) are being recognized as major time-sinks and are starting to be shied away from.
Q2: Is this the future of political advertising?
Political advertising will go to wherever the most bang for the buck occurs. This election cycle it is social networking sites. When mobile apps become more reliable and completely transparent, political advertising dollars will go there. This is simply marketing psychology, pure and simple.
Please contact NextStage for information regarding presentations and trainings on this and other topics.
Links for this post:
- Blog posts on Politics, V1
- Blog posts on Politics, V2
- IMedia Brand Summit on 9-12 Sept 07
- XChange on 20-21 Sept 07
- DC Emetrics Summit on 14-17 Oct '07
- Society for New Communications Research Annual Research Symposium & Awards Gala on 5-6 Dec 07 in Boston.
Definitely part of its future, at least.
Posted by: Easton Ellsworth | August 28, 2007 2:52 PM | Permalink to Comment