I need to say this out loud and as bluntly as I can. It’s cool that the DA are trying to get social with social media and a newly launched website but are we “social media experts” all so far up our own arses that we can’t see that in the big picture of the 2009 elections the DA’s social media campaign is relatively insignificant.
What the DA is trying to do is actually COMPETE IN THE 2009 ELECTIONS. I am extremely curious to figure out how the DA’s social media campaign fits in to the bigger picture of their general election campaign.
I’m not convinced that social media is going to make much of a difference in the numbers that the DA is looking for as the official opposition for the 2009 elections. I think that it’s essential that they are in the space of social networks, mobile activity and engaging with an online community. But let us get real here for a second, when we say “engaging with an online community”, who do you think we are talking about? Is it 500 000 South Africans with broadband access? I don’t think so. My 20 or so friends who aren’t particularly active online have never seen or engaged with DA online. So what’s the point? When we talk about engaging with social media we are probably, effectively talking about 20 000 or so people at an absolute push. I stand to be corrected here, these numbers are thumbsucked so please correct me if you know the figures.
Why should we be criticising the DA, analysing their every move and be excruciatingly anal about the things they do and the way they do it online? It’s actually ridiculous.
I asked Helen Zille a question online a few days back on twitter. I was wondering what her stance is on Cope integrating politics and religion. I didn’t receive a reply. But let’s be honest Helen Zille is competing in one of the most important elections since our democracy came in to existence, what the hell difference does it make if she answers my question? I want her to do the best job she can do in POLITICS not in social media to be perfectly frank.
And don’t try and pull the Obama card here. We are not the USA, we cannot claim to be and we should try to be. This would lead us in to all sorts of confusion and trouble. We are, majority of the SA population, without Internet and in need of some very distinct things, one of which is not social media let me tell you. The important things right now, in the build-up to election day 2009 (22 April) is to keep the focus of this election on the people, the rights, the voting, elections, masses and not on social media unfortunately.
Many people have covered, blogged and written about the DA and what they are doing online. It’s quite interesting to me that there isn’t much hype, noise or talk around the other political parties. Yet the DA is getting it in the neck. It’s like we, the online community, are berating one of the few political parties who bothered to actually make an effort. Why are we not giving the other parties hell as openly as the DA? Why does it matter? Surely our countries democracy is more important than proper use of Facebook, social tools and multimedia?
I am interested to know how much money has been put in to the DA’s social media campaign and what sort of return of investment they have and will receive? I wonder if in our country that money could not be better used somewhere else? Marketing the DA differently to a wider audience? Because let me tell you, if we all praise and hail the DA as the online guru’s in politics but they get trumped in the election then I will feel betrayed by social media and so will they.
Walter wrote that the DA’s response has him puzzled well my response is simple, in South African politics I would be more concerned if the DA was spending more time answering the social media folk than concentrating on their political campaign. We, as social media people, need to get over ourselves and look at all of this in context.
I want democracy, I want a viable opposition and I want leaders who can engage without being sidetracked from what is important. I also want politics and religion to be separate but that’s another story that shall be told at another time.
Melissa 9:40 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
Firstly, IMHO I think the fact that the DA have even ventured into the SM space is important and to be applauded. They are thinking further than the normal communication channels and are being proactive – kudos, let’s hope it raises the interest in SM to a wider audience.
The problem is that I think a lot of ‘SM experts’ however are so far up there arses (insecure?) that they are out there to slam and test and poke holes in any new SM strategy….that’s what I saw happening last week anyway.
That attitude is pretty short sighted – as people who interact with SM we should be supporting and building awareness of new brands who venture into the SM space in order to raise the profile of SM as a viable marketing vehicle.
Melissa 9:42 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
Need coffee Ugh ‘up their arses’ naturally – before I look silly….I think frustration = fast typing
graeme 9:50 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
The interesting thing for me has been the cross over from online to offline with the strap line ‘vote to win’ direct rip of ftw methinks. Personally it don’t work for me, but you can see the influence.
DChetty 9:58 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
I’m agree completely! I too don’t see the core value that the social projects are adding to the overall campaign.
Bloggers, Tweeple, SM experts and the like have always been very critical about Zuma, and would make most sense to go after this community as actively as possible to secure the votes, before we swing over to COPE.
My biggest fear though, is that when things get critical, that these two parties will adopt a, “Vote for us, cos we are anti-Zuma!” strategy and will stick to their own policies and do what’s best.
But it is easy to assume that the over-critical web society will be impressed by DA efforts to be socially web focused.
But for the record, C’mon Helen, we are smarter than that!
Foxinni 9:58 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
I was watching the Election debates last night and was overwhelmed at the type of audience it attracted…
The broadcast almost had to be canceled. The TEARGAS that the police had to use on the rioting and “trying-to-get-on-stage-tio-tioing” supporters was effecting the party representatives. Ultimately, canceling the broadcast.
I think DA made a good standing, the rest were dull and the same run of the mill stuff. But the crowd, took center stage.
The big thing about all our elections are the masses. The 60+% of the public. That unlike most people reading this, will never be effected by what they see or do on the net. But how their parties make them feel.
I really don’t know what drives a party to success, and i must admit that i don’t believe that DA will get enough penetration via a big online venture. Still i wish them all the luck.
(Thumbsucking also included)
Jacques 10:00 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
Nic, you say you are “am extremely curious to figure out how the DA’s social media campaign fits in to the bigger picture of their general election campaign”. Of course you’re right that it’s too close to the elections for this to have a massive impact, and also that it’s only going to reach a small proportion of voters. But perhaps the DA is finally thinking about long-term strategy in a coherent way? More and more citizens are going to have an online presence in the coming years, and the DA is getting a significant head-start by doing this sort of thing before everyone else does. It’s not all about *this* election. The DA know they can’t win this one, but are working towards winning one in the future.
MyNews24 Ed 10:01 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
I tried to make this point in 140 chars on Twitter but to no avail
Really good post.
Walter Pike 10:09 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
Nic
The reactions are all very interesting. I don’t agree with you because I really think that we need to separate the issues, this debate is not about politics:
Social media is in the DA strategy. Whether its a good idea for it to be in is a separate discussion, although I do believe that it is, especially if they use mobile as part of the delivery mechanism.
The politics – the merits and demerits of the different parties is another issue.
The Obama comparison is one that the DA introduced themselves. In my first blog on the DA campaign I remarked on what appeared to be a cut and paste. But it does teach huge lessons in attitude tas he Obama attitude was very different.
The implementation of a SM “campaign” is a separate issue, and to implement social media successfully you need to amongst other things:
Listen
Engage
Respect
Relinquish control of the message
The reaction by the DA so far has been defensive, I invite them for example to respond to my blog in open forum instead of “in house” I also invite them to be open, there are so many people who can help. Why not just engage with them/us.
Walter
Nic 10:21 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
Walter I fundamentally think your argument is flawed. You honestly believe that the DA’s social media campaign is a seperate issue from politics? If that is true then it cements my point that social media is ridiculous in SA because we can’t see what is staring us in the face. DA = politics = elections 2009 = job to do. I would be concerned if Zille was responding to your blog post that possible 30 or 40 people read instead of running a province and campaign.
Hans 10:24 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
What we must not forget is that social media, twitter, print radio, television, online, MOBILE, conventions etc. Are all mechanisms used to effectively/interactively deliver marketing strategies.
The question needs to be asked; what is the DA’s objective for utilising SM and on the understanding of that identify whether they are effectively utilising the mechanism.
By the looks of it, the utilisation is creating a lot of attention albeit not that positive. I wonder who’s advising them? That would be the company I would critique. .
Louis_JvR 10:28 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
It is fantastic to put this out there and debate… without being over-dramatic, these are the building blocks of upping the relevance and skills of SM in this country.
The real question is – what is the alternative? Just ignore the million-odd (for argument-sake) internet surfers out there?
The DA’s online endeavours’ primary focus is to be a point of contact/engagement for people.
I don’t think the DA views this as a tool to generate votes. This all forms part of a greater marketing mix… of which SM is only a part there-off… and of which, comes crunch-time and digital goes mainstream in the next 8 years or so (btw, that’s 2 elections away), the DA will have an immense advantage over other parties by then.
Vince 10:32 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
Melissa lucky I’m not an SM guru otherwise I’d have taken offence. Nevertheless my comment wasn’t so much on their entrance into the world of social media. As I said to the DA and I’ll have to say here again, I think that its commendable. However, I did argue that two months prior to a national election and in my humble opinion as part of a very fractured campaign their efforts will not have as great an effect as they’d perhaps have liked.
Secondly they seem to think that taking the tone of the expert online will work for them, I’ve had a few run ins now, for want of a better phrase with the DA’s online campaign representatives and each they time they adopted a rather elitist and arrogant tone in their correspondence with me. I don’t like that and thus I blogged about it.
I think that in the end we’ll be looking at a very powerful online community, predominantly white and middle class but meaningful in the sense that, as one of the DA’s communication manager put it so well, there will be an online active and vocal community of “mavens” ready to disseminate the values of the party.
Yeah perhaps some bloggers have another agenda, maybe they want to appear as the experts bashing the lesser mortals who run the DA’s SM campaign but, I, well I have nought to gain and a crap load to lose if the DA cannot convince at least 15% of South Africa’s population that they are the party to chose…
Vince 10:35 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
One final comment – I do understand that the campaign is a part of something far greater for the DA and yes the longevity of online communication is invaluable to a political party. Just clarifying that point before anyone else attempts to chastise me for not seeing the true value of a long term online campaign…
Keep Calm and Carry on - The DA Debate | PiKE's Thinking ... 10:55 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
[...] the debate, and comments on blogs are flying some very good others very emotional. See for examples Nic’s blog and on Vincent’s blog. We don’t all agree on stuff and that’s great because its [...]
Melissa 10:55 am on February 23, 2009 Permalink
@Vince – comments not directed an anyone in particular – that’s just the pervasive feeling I got last week….it happens to many new campaigns the DA one just seems to be high-profile. I like yr post btw and think your comments make sense, there are so many issues here.
I think this example has just highlighted some underground griping and usual industry ‘ego’ stuff perhaps….it has less to do with the well constructed blog posts and is more about the tweets and comments here and there I guess. It will be interesting to see the impact of SM on the DA campaign – I’m all for it, if it fits in and adds to their marketing push
FlintZA 12:20 pm on February 23, 2009 Permalink
Interesting post. I wasn’t aware the DA was getting flamed in any way for their campaign.
I for one like what they’re doing because they are communicating in a way that is convenient for me. I think it’s fantastic that social media is part of their campaign, what concerns me is what percentage of their marketing campaign is being spent on social media ‘experts’ to utilize the medium. As you pointed out those of us active on social media are a really small percentage of the population-certainly not enough to give them any kind of significant advantage in the elections. I only hope they are spending a far larger portion of their budget on tv, radio and print marketing than they spent on Facebook, Twitter and their new website.
DA, gurus and the online circus | FeistyFemale 1:29 pm on February 23, 2009 Permalink
[...] I did want to comment and agree with the brilliant Nic (voice of reason, rational being with a no-nonsense approach). The man has an uncanny way of saying [...]
Wogan 8:20 am on February 24, 2009 Permalink
It seems that this is still relevant: http://href.co.za/212
I’m sure the DA realises that they’re not going to win this election based on their SM strategy. Currently, their main facebook group has ~12′500 members – that’s less than 2% of the total SA userbase on Facebook.
I definitely agree with Nic – it’s nice to have them respond to our emails and tweets and blog posts, but damnit, there are more important things to do than take the time to stroke our egos. In case no-one’s noticed, the country’s kinda falling apart, and I’d much rather have them attacking that problem than spend time wondering how to title a blog post for maximum retweet value.
So instead of all this petty bashing (which really just equates to a lot of hot air, and doesn’t change a thing), can’t we rather work with the DA (flawed as their SM strategy is), and in our own ways help to make it better?
Or are we really that pathetic?
matt 9:23 am on February 24, 2009 Permalink
Eish Nic, your thumbsucking, guessing numbers don’t really make a strong argument. I’m looking for something a bit more nuanced than the same old mantra that talks about how small the net is and we shouldn’t bother (etc etc, blah blah) — we’ve been hearing that for the past 10 years. I’m also looking for analysis that’s a bit less obvious than “we’re not the same as the US”.
I think I make a pretty good point when we compare the internet audience size and mobile audience size with that of the actual electorate (only 16m). You could argue internet penetration is higher in this case. Will also be interesting to see how many votes the ANC and the DA actually got too? Furthermore, what party can afford to ignore 5-million votes, never mind even 100 000 votes.
The DA’s site won’t be that effective, possibly because I think they missed a few tricks around functionality, and they’re launching it two months before the elections(!!) I guess they could argue that it’s an investment for many years to come.
So I beg to differ with you that it’s “relatively insignificant”. I think it’s pretty significant that they’re a political party engaging with social media and social networks like this (for better or for worse) — and I think that’s worthy of comment.
PS: I blogged about the ANC SM launch too
Nic 9:35 am on February 24, 2009 Permalink
Hey Matt – As I said, I stand to be corrected but I don’t think that you have done a particularly good job of correcting me however. OK so we take down the population of ±48m to a voting population of ±16m. Can you tell me of those 16m VOTERS how many have internet via PC or use their cellphones to access the internet? If you can give me those numbers then I concede your point. But to even think that there are 5million South Africans with Broadband access capable of actually interacting sufficiently with the DA’s campaign online via PC, not mobile, is a bit mislead. Do you honestly think that the campaign has effectively targeted 100 000 never mind the 5m you say are potentially out there?
I really struggle to agree that the online portion of the campaign is more significant than, say, the mobile campaign that should be active or even, dare I say it, the above the line marketing or on the ground marketing. 48m potential voters, 5m online… 43m marginalised if online is seen as significant over or adjacent to other campaigns.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying drop the ball with online AT ALL. I am saying that the “observers” online need to keep mindful of the greater context of SA. The greater context is not online. In fact even to say that a minority is online is an overstatement for the time being, it’s less than a minority.
One thing we agree on Matt is that this campaign could have been a whole helluva lot more effective if it was launched about a year ago and built upon, listen to, spoken with and interacted with. But a two month “flash campaign” online is probably not going to serve a great purpose any which way.
matt 9:50 am on February 24, 2009 Permalink
Who knows what the penetration is on that 16m? My point is that when viewing the actual size of the electorate, than say the overall population figure that the picture changes. That’s my point.
By the way the ANC received just over 10m votes and the DA just under 2m votes in last year’s elections: http://www.elections.org.za/Elections2004_static.asp
I’d be interested to argue with anyone who thinks either of these parties can ignore not only an online audience, but a mobile audience too. Mobile is often held out as promise to a bigger audience, but remember it’s dominated by youth (many non voters) and by the networks and handset makers.
And who said online was “more significant” than other mediums? (Well you did, actually — I didn’t). Obviously you look at it in context of the electorate and other mediums too. And there you go mentioning the “48m potential voters” figure again. (They are not “potential voters”, cos 48m aren’t voting in THIS election.)
I’m a bit baffled why we’re still having these irrelevant debates about whether the medium is significant or not. Not quite sure why this is still an argument actually — I thought we’d moved on (Well I had).
Nic 10:00 am on February 24, 2009 Permalink
No Matt, we’re not having that argument, we have moved on, that wasn’t my focus of the post. My focus was the following in summation: Social media is cutting edge, relevant and important enough to be in the space, active and engaging. Yet I am not going to be bleak when Helen Zille doesn’t @reply to my tweet because I think that she has better things to do than respond to me. In fact, I HOPE she has better things to do than respond to my tweet. If she didn’t, I’d be confused.
Lastly, you are preaching to the converted Matt, I know that online is the way forward and the shining light so to speak. It’s strange how our roles have reversed, normally you are the one stating that online will not kill print! – that was a joke.
It’s interesting to me looking through this whole thread how many people commenting on the post interpreted what I said in many different ways and then shifted the discussion towards that topic. I think that many were right and it’s been a great debate so far.
But you’re right Matt, online is not more significant (even if I said that) than other mediums, nor is mobile and with the DA winning just under 2m votes in the last elections maybe they should begin to target the 5m people online and win every one of those votes… but as we’ve both agreed, that wont happen in two months.
matt 10:10 am on February 24, 2009 Permalink
hmmmmmmmm
supercopygurl 1:09 pm on February 24, 2009 Permalink
I still feel its a little too late, maybe the campaign would matter if it were launched a tad earlier. Also, are the DA going the smart route with SM? Aren’t the votes that need to be converted offline. I dunno, I like the idea, I like the plan. The timing is lacking.
wikidknickers » THE DA WEBSITE - MY TWO CENTS 8:15 pm on May 10, 2009 Permalink
[...] (self named?), bloggers and geeks whom I all love very much, but some of whom (as Melissa said on Nic’s post) “are so far up there arses that they are out there to slam and test and poke holes in any [...]