• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, March 16, 2006

The general perception in 2004 was that Howard Dean and his zealous supporters had successfully harnessed the Web to their advantage, and thus, transformed U.S. politics for good. Indeed, as most of Madison Avenue now knows, the Internet was recognized as a key marketing tool because of its power to raise targeted awareness on a large scale at a fraction of the cost of TV.

For this reason alone, some might be surprised to learn how many political planners continue to see the Internet as little more than a funnel for campaign contributions.

"Campaigns and advocacy groups still want to see the Internet as a cash register--nothing more," said Michael Bassik, vice president for online advertising at MSHC Partners, John Kerry's online agency of record during his failed presidential bid. "Most campaigns allocated about one-tenth of 1 percent of their budgets in 2004, and there are no indications that that trend is going to change in 2006."

Total estimated spending on CPM-based Web advertising by the public services-government industry this February was $1.6 million, according to Nielsen//NetRatings AdRelevance. That compares to $2.9 million in February of 2005, and $1.6 million in February of 2004.

Leslie Laredo, president and founder of The Laredo Group, said that of the thousands of corporate executives she has trained in the nascent art of online marketing and advertising, political planners lag way behind the curve. "The online strategies that we're teaching--blogging, search marketing, even simple banner advertising--are not on their radar," said Laredo.

With mid-term elections approaching, the Laredo Group this week held a training seminar for political consultants, agency executives, and advocacy groups about online advertising. Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive--the online publishing subsidiary of The Washington Post Company--sponsored the event.

One attendee, Richard Fawal, senior client manager for OnPoint Advocacy, LLC, strategizes online and grassroots campaigns for trade associations and groups organized under Section 527 of the tax code. He told OnlineMediaDaily that he now recommends his clients use the Web to achieve their goals about 15 percent less frequently than three years ago.

Fawal echoed some of the concerns that political planners, including himself, have with the Web: "Contrary to the perception outside Washington, people here don't think Dean proved the Internet's value at all."

"Sure, he [Dean] raised plenty of money and drummed up lots of support, but in the end his Internet army didn't materialize into a voting army."

Ernest Lendler, president of the New York City-based political consultancy Branford Communications, said he admired Dean's use of the Web, but is advising his clients--14 campaigns at present--to proceed online with extreme caution.

"I'd never have my candidates do a blog," insisted Lendler. "Dean's campaign had a lot of potential, but you have to control your message from the top down."

Added Lendler: "The leadership is pretty incompetent when it comes to the Web, and I don't see a lot of them rushing out to understand it."

MSHC's Bassik said that consultants still remain focused on traditional media, even though the Internet is radically altering the social landscape. Unlike marketing a candy bar or car insurance, politics is a zero-sum game--and consultants don't want to take a risk on an emerging medium. "You either win or you lose, you either get 51 percent or not--campaigns don't have the luxury to gamble with something they don't think is proven to work."

But, while online brand building is hardly an exact science, few would debate the Web's potential for political influence. Indeed, 75 million people used the Web to educate themselves on the 2004 Presidential campaign, the candidates, and the issues, according to a report released last year by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press.