Conservatives and the New Media

1
Conservatives and the New Media

• Donal Blaney
• Atlas Liberty Forum, April 2008

2
New Media Tools

• Video
• Audio
• Email
• Internet
• Social Networking

3
Video

• Case Study Can America trust the BBC?

4
Video

• Recognizes importance of visual stimuli
• Rapid rebuttal
• On-demand preferable to live stream
• Embedding in host websites and blogs
• YouTube
• Viral campaigns
• Case Study Hillary in Bosnia

5
Video Equipment

• Outsourcing to specialists to handle filming,
  editing, clipping and uploading
• In-house technology dont be scared!
• Digital VCR (JVC GZ-HD7 1,700)
• Microphone, Lighting, Set
• Mac Pro with Final Cut Pro
• Consider end-user bandwidth capability
• Budget 15,000 to 25,000

6
Video Content

• Case Study Livingstone Ad
• The shorter, the better
• Download speed impatience of viewers
• Clarity, humour, graphics, music
• Graphics www.istockphoto.com
• Music www.freeplaymusic.com

7
Video Content

• Case StudyTax Ad
• TaxPayers Alliance
• Total Cost 10,000
• Case Study Gordon The Bogeyman
• Total Cost nil

8
Audio

• Case Study Tory Radio (www.toryradio.com)
• Equipment Marantz PMD 660
• Host www.podbus.com
• Phone-in/rant line, iTunes
• Audio podcast resources
• www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com
• www.jakeludington.com/podcasting
• www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html

9
Email

• Data Protection - consider offshoring?
• Drive traffic to website links
• Clarity of design, pictures, avoid wordiness
• Software www.constantcontact.com - tracks
  click-throughs, manages lists, templates
• Surveys www.surveymonkey.com

10
Internet

• Free speech - consider offshoring?
• Online payments www.paypal.com or Google
  Checkout
• Blogs Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad
• Blogging pyramid, importance of links, driving
  traffic

11
Brand Development

• Front groups, SPVs
• Case Study ConservativeHome.com
• The Fisk
• CentreRight.com
• The Wrongman.com
• LabourDoNotDo.com
• FirstTheyCame.com
• ChameleonArmy.com
• BritainAndAmerica.com

12
Social Networking

• Facebook (www.facebook.com)
• Set up groups, plan events, online payments
• Trawling groups for members and adding as
  friends/to your group
• Improper to harvest email data
• Unreliable yesmaybe maybeno
• Great for recruiting volunteers/raising candidate
  awareness less good at getting votes or GOTV

13
Conclusion

• The World Without America Ad

14
Contact Details

• Donal Blaney, Young Britons Foundation, 50
  Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent
  ME19 4YU, United Kingdom (donal_at_ybf.org.uk)
• Murray Gough, Suite 404, Albany House, 324 Regent
  Street, London W1B 3HH, United Kingdom
  (murray_at_mgidirect.tv)