Comments on: Election Marketing Sucks http://www.kevindhendricks.com/2008/11/04/election-marketing-sucks/ Thoughts, ponderings, reflections. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:55:58 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kevin D. Hendricks http://www.kevindhendricks.com/2008/11/04/election-marketing-sucks/comment-page-1/#comment-5068 Kevin D. Hendricks Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:30:37 +0000 http://www.kevindhendricks.com/?p=2563#comment-5068 And that says a lot about a candidate. I don't expect everyone to be a tech expert, but if they can't find someone to help them figure out technology, I question their ability to lead. And that says a lot about a candidate. I don’t expect everyone to be a tech expert, but if they can’t find someone to help them figure out technology, I question their ability to lead.

]]> By: Brian Hanf http://www.kevindhendricks.com/2008/11/04/election-marketing-sucks/comment-page-1/#comment-5067 Brian Hanf Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:05:05 +0000 http://www.kevindhendricks.com/?p=2563#comment-5067 Kevin, I just checked out your site. This post on election marketing is very close to understanding election marketing, but you need to understand candidates better. The main thing to understand is that most candidates are seriously technology impaired. Walk in to their homes and the VCR will be blinking 12:00. If the VCR is not blinking I guarantee someone like me is a good friend and set it for them. Most don’t know how to check (if they even have) email. I am reminder of this ever spring when some past candidate I gave a CD with contributors in a csv file asks me to send that same information to some other candidate. Who I will have to walk though opening it and explain a spread sheet can be used to mail merge, then of course I try and sell them my software that makes all there problems go away. Kevin,

I just checked out your site. This post on election marketing is very close to understanding election marketing, but you need to understand candidates better.

The main thing to understand is that most candidates are seriously technology impaired. Walk in to their homes and the VCR will be blinking 12:00. If the VCR is not blinking I guarantee someone like me is a good friend and set it for them. Most don’t know how to check (if they even have) email. I am reminder of this ever spring when some past candidate I gave a CD with contributors in a csv file asks me to send that same information to some other candidate. Who I will have to walk though opening it and explain a spread sheet can be used to mail merge, then of course I try and sell them my software that makes all there problems go away.

]]> By: Shaun Dakin http://www.kevindhendricks.com/2008/11/04/election-marketing-sucks/comment-page-1/#comment-5045 Shaun Dakin Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:35:23 +0000 http://www.kevindhendricks.com/?p=2563#comment-5045 RE: Robo calls. We are fighting back. The National Political Do Not Contact Registry is a non-profit, non-partisan group working to get political calls added to do not call registries. Join us. Shaun Dakin CEO and Founder StopPoliticalCalls.org RE: Robo calls.

We are fighting back.

The National Political Do Not Contact Registry is a non-profit, non-partisan group working to get political calls added to do not call registries.

Join us.

Shaun Dakin
CEO and Founder
StopPoliticalCalls.org

]]> By: Steph http://www.kevindhendricks.com/2008/11/04/election-marketing-sucks/comment-page-1/#comment-5044 Steph Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:02:56 +0000 http://www.kevindhendricks.com/?p=2563#comment-5044 Excellent thoughts and well stated, Kevin. In Silicon Valley, CA all of the candidates had websites, and pretty tolerable ones (if not really good ones). There were also sites that did an excellent job helping you compare candidates (like <a href="http://www.smartvoter.org" rel="nofollow">smartvoter.org</a>. Up here in Forest Lake, MN, there is no such luxury. Apparently I'm too out in the boonies for sites like that to help me out. So, I had to use the local paper to figure out who these people were. It was messy and it involved tape and scissors. And I struggled when I only had a few sentences to go on for some of the candidates. I guess I just did the best I could with what I had. Sidenote, does anyone else feel creeped out voting for people who have no opponent? Seriously, it could have been Freddy Kreuger and I would have been none the wiser. Excellent thoughts and well stated, Kevin. In Silicon Valley, CA all of the candidates had websites, and pretty tolerable ones (if not really good ones). There were also sites that did an excellent job helping you compare candidates (like smartvoter.org. Up here in Forest Lake, MN, there is no such luxury. Apparently I’m too out in the boonies for sites like that to help me out.

So, I had to use the local paper to figure out who these people were. It was messy and it involved tape and scissors. And I struggled when I only had a few sentences to go on for some of the candidates. I guess I just did the best I could with what I had.

Sidenote, does anyone else feel creeped out voting for people who have no opponent? Seriously, it could have been Freddy Kreuger and I would have been none the wiser.

]]> By: Nancy http://www.kevindhendricks.com/2008/11/04/election-marketing-sucks/comment-page-1/#comment-5043 Nancy Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:13:45 +0000 http://www.kevindhendricks.com/?p=2563#comment-5043 Gasp! What?!? The water and soil conservation district people were for clean water? Well, good for them. I didn't vote in those races because I was too lazy to do research. Now it sounds like I could have taken time to do research and found nothing. I agree with your Robo-call and mailings comments. I don't think we got an Al Franken multi-page thingie. Or it could have gone in the trash before I got home. And I never answer the phone unless I specifically know the caller, so I missed any Robo calls. So sad... Gasp! What?!? The water and soil conservation district people were for clean water? Well, good for them. I didn’t vote in those races because I was too lazy to do research. Now it sounds like I could have taken time to do research and found nothing.

I agree with your Robo-call and mailings comments. I don’t think we got an Al Franken multi-page thingie. Or it could have gone in the trash before I got home. And I never answer the phone unless I specifically know the caller, so I missed any Robo calls. So sad…

]]> By: Tim M http://www.kevindhendricks.com/2008/11/04/election-marketing-sucks/comment-page-1/#comment-5042 Tim M Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:04:47 +0000 http://www.kevindhendricks.com/?p=2563#comment-5042 Great points, Kevin. I was thinking the same thing regarding the local candidates and lack of info on them. But then, out of the entire back page of the voter sheet, there was something like 9 out of 12 that were running unopposed, so they obviously don't care at that point. Those candidates probably don't even have yard signs. It made me think, though, how easy it would be to get elected if going against someone who has no actual info that they're providing to the constituency. Great points, Kevin. I was thinking the same thing regarding the local candidates and lack of info on them. But then, out of the entire back page of the voter sheet, there was something like 9 out of 12 that were running unopposed, so they obviously don’t care at that point. Those candidates probably don’t even have yard signs.

It made me think, though, how easy it would be to get elected if going against someone who has no actual info that they’re providing to the constituency.

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