Posted on 08/27/2004 1:38:36 PM PDT by mnehring
Have you noticed similar political comments strewn through message boards around the Internet? Do you think it is ironic that many average folks seem to come up with the same thoughts? This is no coincidence! In 2004 the Democratic party is capitalizing on the newest marketing trend, viral marketing. Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence.
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm
This is not happenstance either. I have been an almost religious lurker on DNC message boards and have even sat in on party strategy conference calls, thanks to some of my Democrats for Bush friends forwarding e-mails invites to me. I noticed about six months ago comments coming up about some new strategies the DNC was planning and ways to maximize these social engineering techniques learned from viral marketing firms.
The following are just a few of the current viral marketing and social engineering strategies the DNC is using and ratcheting up to levels never seen before:
o Fake Blogs- Have you noticed the consistency of the messages many bloggers have, especially from the hate-Bush crowd. There is actually a group of Democrats who are creating hundreds of fake blogs, each with a unique identity, repeating the same message. Many of these blogs have even inspired news editorials. Read any articles by Molly Ivins lately?
o Urban Legend E-Mail Campaigns- We have all received e-mails with some, completely false urban legend, such as the President closing hospitals or cutting vet benefits. Typically these were sent by someone you knew, and received by someone they knew. The hope behind these e-mail campaigns is not to alert people of facts, but instead to spread as much doubt as possible, even though it is spread by obvious falsities.
o Message Board Artists- The message board ‘artists’ main goal is to, according to DNC strategy, is to frequent common right-wing sites, such as the Free Republic, and post comments or the aforementioned urban legends. The focus is to create splits within the Republican ranks. There is a focused effort to create rifts in the Republicans by bringing up issues, such as immigration or balanced budget, that they know are hotspots and could cause many Republicans to doubt the party and possibly not vote. These artists even frequent non-political sites inserting comments here and there, spreading the virus of their lies.
Be aware that the entire focus of this viral marketing strategy is to have the threads of doubt spread throughout the voting public. They don’t care if the information is false. To the left, it is all about power.
Be aware of these strategies, and instead of ignoring them, fight! Do not let urban legends go unchallenged. Challenge message board posters who you know are wrong. Use truth to challenge the lies. Lets keep this thread going with any and all suspected dirty marketing tricks. Knowledge is power. It is time to expose the lying left!
(steely)
This was from my own research, however, it is easy to find references to this:
http://www.politicalinformation.com/features.html
Yep my local paper is full of letters with the DNC talking points. Bush sat for 7 minutes, Iraq is for oil or Daddy, tax cuts for the rich, he ruined Clinton's sterling economy and yada, yada, yada, same old, same old. Some are from the usual local liberal suspects but most seem to be first time writers, no doubt a paid part of this campaign
Some may be paid DNC members, others could be those 'infected'. The main point of viral marketing is to start the virus, and let the gullible pass it along.
Joseph Gobels is alive and well and on the DNC payroll. Be careful out there fellow FReepers.
GRAVITAS......
old news, new package
I would like to emphasize the point that a main strategy (one that they kicked up a few notches last month), is not to pass along Democrat talking points, but instead to pass along modified Republican talking points that are reworded to create rifts in the Republican faithful. This is their biggest push right now.
My emphasis was on the "Interesting" part, not the "if true" part.
If it is true that you have picked up on an actual phenomenon, then this is one part of the left's counterattack against the new media (specifically the internet), which has hurt them so badly in recent days. They are apparantly going to try to muddy the waters by spewing all kinds of misinformation and disinformation into cyberspace in an effort to diminish its power.
This strategy will only increase the value of FreeRepublic (and whatever other similar sites exist, although I admit I know of none). Because FR is moderated by responsible people who care about the truth, it will serve an increasing role as a gatekeeper and truth filter.
I didn't mean any offense to you personally.
(steely)
Hope you're getting paid. I question the timing of this story.
Seriously, "viral marketing" is a meme with infinite definitions. Nothing more than a new tactic, nothing more. Agitprop is an old game.
As long as these "viral messages" spread lies, we will win with the truth.
How about some viral message truths from our side?
This probably started the same time as the Democrat "seminar caller" phenomenon on talk radio.
In a way it is sort of like spam, and no more effective in the long run. Its like those PETA people who lurk outside theaters in which The Nutcracker is playing and try to hand out scary literature to children. Really a pathetic desperation play, more a signal of how close to madness the swing of history's pendulum is driving these folks.
As has been said so many times by so many people, the internet is huge. It is changing everything, including the terms of the deal the left made with the media long ago.
Think about it. Liberalism is based on a fantasy view of the world, of reality. It really exists only in the world of words and pictures and ideas. The media consists entirely of words, pictures, and ideas, and therefore is the only place that liberalism can really take root. Which it has.
The internet is an antidote to this.
I wonder if the left will figure out a way to take over and subvert the internet the way they have with the old media. They're thinking about it; you can take that to the bank.
(steely)
Man, that is truly bizarre.
I don't know what to make of it. It sounds like an absolute desperation play, based on a misreading of human nature.
I can't wait to see how it plays out.
Why doesn't Proctor and Gamble market Crest toothpaste this way? Why doesn't Budweiser? I don't know... maybe they do!
(steely)
Actually they do..
There was a segment on Dateline or 20/20 (cannot remember which) about six months ago about a couple of these firms. They marketed everything from Vodka in a bar to movies in bookstores and on the net. They even hired kids to post positive messages on the net about some anime movie. I will try to find a link to this.
OK, I lied, it was 60 minutes and it was almost a year ago...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/23/60minutes/main579657.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories
If this is true, then the marketing firms are getting paid for nothing. Think about it, what kind of people hangout in coffee shops? Liberals do. Conservatives can usually be found at work, not killing time lounging around a coffee shop.
So in essence, the DNC is paying a marketing firm to "preach to the choir".
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