02/13/2008

SC #5 ... Friday, 1:00-3:00pm

Political Online targeting: From search advertising to social blogs

Short Course #5 ... Friday, 1:00-3:00pm

Political Online targeting: From search advertising to social blogs

Gloria Boone, Suffolk University; Linda Gallant, Emerson College

What do advertisers and politicians know about you?
Online media has revolutionized the targeting of personalized messages to micro audiences. Major Internet firms use search marketing and behavioral targeting to monitor communication in user generated social media to develop targeted political messages. Video and mobile messages provide new targeting possibilities. Political parties and politicians are using behavioral targeting provided by companies such as Double Click (owned by Google), Blue Lithium (owned by Yahoo), Tacoda (owned by AOL) and other companies to target political message to potential voters. The American online political audience is more active, more creative and more monitored than ever before in the history of communication. Online targeting in the 2007-2008 presidential primaries are examined. New Media theories by Sonia Livingstone, Berry Wellman, Ray Oldenburg and communicative informatics are discussed in exploring new political targeting and political engagement.