This is *NOT* Breaking News, newbie.
Posted on 04/25/2003 9:56:28 AM PDT by bakerborder
INTERNET MARKETING AND ACTIVISM ONLINE
By definition, an activist uses direct, often confrontational action, such as a demonstration or strike, in opposition to orsupport of a cause. The Internet has been a growing channel of communication for activists groups as a means of reaching both the global audience and their next door neighbor. Through the Internet and all in one fell swoop, activist organizations are now able to promote their causes, collect signatures, raise money, plan rallies, or disseminate leaflets and other electronic documents. And activism is actually marketed online. How? Let's find out.
More often than not, activism is marketing online through grassroots means, starting with an organization's web site. The web site is the resource and community tool. The public can go there to learn more about the organization -- its cause, its message, its goal, and ways to provide support. Organization members use the web site as a way to access stored information, to discuss, through bulletin boards, forums or chat, forefront issues or upcoming events.
Email, The Darling Child
Private email lists are also a vital tool for activist groups online. Through email lists, activist groups are able to distribute updates and announcements quickly - allowing and encouraging members to pass them on to everyone else they know. In fact, activist groups depend upon this kind of viral marketing almost more than any other means. Viral marketing can get a message out and around the world in less than 24 hours. It's a very powerful tool when it works, and it works with activism.
Email lists are also the usual means of delivering an organization's action alerts. Action alerts are detailed calls for some immediate action to be taken in a timely fashion to further the cause. Action alerts may ask for a member to write their congressman or representative about an upcoming vote, to boycott a certain brand, to attend a rally, etc. They are typically time-sensitive and therefore usually include a cut-off date near the beginning of the message. People for the American Way (PFAW) uses email to push members to its site where they can fax their latest concerns to their senator simply by entering their zip code. The PFAW site is rich with many other examples of how the Web is being harnessed as an activist's tool.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is another example of a site which integrates their action alerts right into the structure of their site. They devote an entire section to current alerts, even including a guide to letter writing as part of the section. This allows the general public, as well as members, to become instantly aware of current issues as well as the specific actions that can be taken to help aid the cause. There is also an action alert subscription directly on this page.
Activist groups also use direct email marketing campaigns to promote awareness of their cause and generate some form of action. For example, a direct email marketing campaign may bring supporters out to an event, help build donations, sell merchandise whose proceeds benefit the cause, gain viewers for a television program or interview, add subscribers to an off-line magazine or newsletter, or generate an action such as phone calls to officials or politicians.
Email newsletter sponsorships can be another effective mean to promote a cause to the public. E.g.:
**************SPECIAL WEB AD.VANTAGE PSA*****************
Support TheBreastCancerSite.com
No forms. No cost. Just click and help save a life.
The Breast Cancer Site was founded to help offer free
mammograms to underprivileged women nationwide.
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com
*********************************************************
Other Tactics
Some larger organizations actually purchase online advertising. The World Wildlife fund (WWF) uses Google's AdWords program to promote their site and their cause. One current campaign urges the public to ask congress to help protect rhinos, tigers, elephants, great apes and neotropical migratory birds.
The WWF tries to encourage sign-ups by giving members access to a "personal action center" that can track efforts and a success section to see how those efforts are effective. WWF's viral campaign encourages visitors and members to send e-postcards to friends to let them know how they can "get involved and make a difference."
Rock the Vote, founded by members in the recording industry back in 1990 and aimed at protecting the freedom of expression, has become more political over time, encouraging young Americans to make a difference by registering to vote and actually voting. To attract this target demographic, Rock the Vote offers free MP3 downloads on their site (Lenny Kravitz is the current offering).
Some activists capitalize on search engine results to get their message heard by the masses. For example, if you search for "home depot" on Yahoo or Google, you'll see that the #3 result is a listing for HomeDepotSucks.com, a web site developed by Rainforest Relief and Living Jungle Alliance. HomeDepotSucks.com contains information on protesting and boycotting Home Depot because the company stocks and sells wood which originated in endangered forests. The site includes guides to building supply alternatives, class action suit information, and forest destruction statistics.
As you might imagine, the Web is chock full of resources for start-up activist organizations. NetAction's Virtual Activist Training Guide is a step-by-step guide to using the Internet as an activist tool. Another "how to" guide can be found in One/Northwest's Activist Took Kit. We have provided a more complete list at the bottom of this article.
The activist's online arsenal of tools is really only just beginning to blossom. The Internet's ability to blend technology, communication and community is the key. Grassroots efforts, such as those undertaken by these kinds of organizations are often on the cutting edge of Internet marketing, and therefore, observing what activist organizations do can be foreshadowing of mainstream online marketing. We can be sure that the future will hold more and more creative uses of the Internet by these organizations from which we can learn.
Related WebAdvantage.net articles:
The Hunger Site- An Internet Marketing Case Study - August, 24, 2000
Emarketing On A Shoestring Budget - July, 25, 2002
Viral Marketing - May, 2, 2002
Related Links:
PFAW (People For the American Way)
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
World Wildlife Fund's Conservation Action Network
Online Resources for Start-Up Activists:
NetAction's Virtual Activist Training Guide
One/Northwest's Activist Tool Kit.
This is *NOT* Breaking News, newbie.
It is if you're a liberal - imagine that, using the internet for activism! What will they think of next?
Oh, I don't have a problem with the libs using the internet for activism - I just find it hilarious that this newbie comes here and posts into breaking news at FR how you can use the internet for, gasp, ACTIVISM! Like we wouldn't have any knowledge on the subject, other than the fact that we've pioneered the concept.
Yeah, and every friggin' group mentioned is a bunch of liberals. Makes me wonder what your political orientation is.
The problem is NOT the information, but how and where you posted it, newbie.
It's telling that PETA feels compelled to educate their members on how to write a letter.
Well, at least you partially answered the question as to what your politics are. Once again, what is your political affiliation?
I guess you missed the survey on Latests Posts - you know, the one that says 78 percent of respondents on this forum think the UN should be shut down. Care to call all of them idiots?
Considering that France withdrew from the Nato command structure decades ago, that's a pretty funny attempt at a putdown.
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