Digital Media
Peer-to-peer (P2P) Texting
With an estimated 3 billion political texts sent during the 2020 election – texting has become an effective weapon for political campaigns. This number is expected to grow as more campaigns include texting in their political digital media portfolio. Prepare to have a full inbox every other November.
What do us political digital nerds like about texting? Open rates and speed.
The average open rate for political texts sits around 70%-98%, which is much higher than the 15%-25% open rate for political email campaigns. In addition, campaigns are fast-paced and when opportunities arise, you have to act immediately. Unlike other forms of media, texting allows campaigns to send direct, personalized messages to targeted audiences within hours. In 2022, expect texting to be a staple of political campaigns.
Source for reference:
Political Research
While political texting is personal, direct, and effective – like all things – it isn’t immune to misuse and political shenanigans. Researchers at the University of Texas Center for Media Engagement studied texting shenanigans during the 2020 election. Although I do not endorse the conclusions of the authors, they do a great job providing examples of how political organizations and operatives are using political texting to communicate controversial – and sometimes unethical – messages with voters.
Negative Campaign Message Attacking Joe Biden:
“Joe Biden endorsed giving 8 and 10 year olds sex change treatments. This is way too extreme for me. I can’t support him.”
The study states, “this message, claiming to come from an unnamed ‘Democratic volunteer’, began lighting up on people’s phones in swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania the week before the 2020 election.”
The Beto O’Rourke Campaign “Imposter”:
“Hi, it’s Patsy here with w/ Beto for Texas. We are conducting an internal poll and would like to know your thoughts on the dangers of socialism.”
In this example, an individual volunteered for the Beto campaign with the intention of turning voters away from the Democratic candidate. Volunteer “spies” have always existed – be careful who sends texts for your campaign!
Byron Donalds Fake Dropout Text:
On election day, candidate and now Congressman-elect for Florida’s 19th District, Byron Donalds, was the victim of a black-hat, dark money texting campaign. The text told voters that Donalds dropped out of the race – which was not true.
There are plenty of other examples within the report. Whether ethical, unethical, controversial, or just good, solid messaging – political texting is a powerful tool for campaigns. We will see more of it in the coming years.
Glover, K., Gursky, J., Joseff, K., & Woolley, S. C. (2020, October 28). Peer-to-Peer texting and the 2020 U.S. election: Hidden messages and intimate politics. Center for Media Engagement.
Download the Report:
Political Data
How will the RNC use the “Trump-only” voter data?
Over the past 4 years, the RNC and Trump campaign have collected an insane amount of voter data. Particularly, I am interested in the data collected on individuals who have never voted in their lifetime until casting a vote for Donald Trump in 2016 or 2020. As 2020 showed us, Republicans cannot afford to lose voters in key states and districts. The RNC knows who these people are. It will be interesting to see how the RNC plans to keep these “Trump-only” voters engaged during the post-Trump era as we gear up for the 2022 midterms.
