What Brown Did Online in MA to Win
January 26th, 2010Here are a couple interesting articles talking about how Scott Brown was able to better leverage the web for his campaign than Martha Coakley.
First, Mindy Finn and Patrick Ruffini give the overview:
Scott Brown’s supporters became fans of the candidate on Facebook, where they commented on his status updates and uploaded their own photos. The Republican Senate hopeful took to Twitter, using the #masen hashtag to let his followers know how the race was going. His campaign powered its field operation through targeted online ads and Web-based spreadsheets, and raised $12 million from 157,000 individual donations in the last two weeks of the race. After he won last week, his team live-streamed the election-night party in Boston online. (Read the full article)
Next, check out the iPhone app Brown’s canvassers used. It used GPS to pull voter file records to phones as volunteers stood outside a house (before knocking):
Brown’s well-organized upset is being credited in part to Walking Edge, a smartphone application developed by Republican Web Department, a Grand Rapids firm in which Yob is a principal.
“We are getting calls from campaigns literally across the country and Republican organizations asking how they can put it to work for their campaigns,” he said.
Walking Edge matches voter addresses to Brown’s database of supporters. (Read more)
And from Henri Makembe, guest posting on e.politics:
Running on cheese pizza, RedBull, cold Dunkin Donuts coffee, cookies and the memory of the late Ted Kennedy, I spent the last few days volunteering for Martha Coakley alongside some of the best Democratic new media operatives. Some analysts are describing this as the most important election in the last 50 years — not including presidential contests. Despite our best efforts, Scott Brown won the seat that was held by someone who continues to be regarded as one of best, if not the best, senator of our time. Mr. Brown has some big shoes fill, and while I will be working hard against him in 2012, I wish him and his staff the best for the sake of the people of the commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Read more)
