Episodes

#24: Donald Trump and Scott Walker’s Digital Strategy on Social Media, with Matthew Oczkowski

May 29, 2017 Digital Strategists

Matthew Oczkowski, (former) Head of Product at Cambridge Analytica, joins the show to discuss his experience heading digital strategy for the Scott Walker primary campaign and Donald Trump general election. We discuss how the candidates used Snapchat and other social media, the differences between primary and general election campaigning in terms of digital strategy and marketing, and we also discuss how microtargeting works in practice.

This episode was featured in the Financial Times and American Majority.

#23: Snapchat and the Marco Rubio Campaign, with Eric Wilson

May 22, 2017 Digital Strategists

Eric Wilson, Digital Director for the Marco Rubio for President campaign, shares his expert insights into how the Rubio campaign used social media in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. We focus on Snapchat and discuss how the platform was used to reach voters, how the campaign crafted Snapchat stories, and where Snapchat fit into the campaign’s overall social media strategy. Eric also discusses how Snapchat was used to promote a ‘Vote Early Day’ initiative that set off media coverage and tweets from Donald Trump on Twitter, as well as how a Snapchat lens was used in the Australia federal elections the same year. You can follow Eric on Twitter, @EricWilson, and check out his weekly newsletter: www.learntestoptomize.com.

#22: American Politics and Social Media, with Dr. Alan Rosenblatt

May 15, 2017 Academics

Dr. Alan Rosenblatt, Director for Digital Research at Lake Research Partners and Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy at Turner4D, shares his insights into how politicians have historically used the internet to campaign, going back to the first campaign websites. We discuss how social media influences campaigns and advocacy, the current state of opinion polling, and the 2016 U.S. elections between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

#21: The French Elections and Social Media Part 2: Le Pen versus Macron and Predicting Election Outcomes, with Dr. Antoine Bevort

May 4, 2017 Academics

Dr. Antoine Bevort, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at le Cnam, gives his take on what a Marine Le Pen or Emmanuel Macron victory in the French elections would mean for France. We discuss Dr. Bevort’s research into how social media can be a predictor for public opinion, and we also touch upon how bots and fake accounts fit into the sociology theory of social capital.

You can find out more about Dr. Bevort and his research at www.antoinebevort.blogspot.com.

#20: The French Elections and Social Media Part 1: What News are Citizens Sharing on Social Media?, with Daniel Fazekas

May 1, 2017 Digital Strategists

Daniel Fazekas, founder of Bakamo Social, discusses the findings of his recent research into the French social media landscape leading up to the 2017 French presidential election. We discuss what types of news sources French citizens are sharing, Russian influence on the elections through social media, and the polarization of news consumption patterns among the public. Check out Bakamo’s study, ‘French Election Social Media Landscape’.

#19: World Leaders on Instagram: Governing through Photography, Selfies, and Live Stories, with Matthias Luefkens

April 23, 2017 Digital Strategists

Matthias Luefkens, Managing Director of Digital Strategy for EMEA countries at Burson-Marsteller, comes on the podcast to discuss his ‘World Leaders on Instagram 2017′ Twiplomacy study, which examines the ways governments and heads of state are using Instagram. We discuss some of the findings of the study, including who has the most followers and drives the most engagement, and we also chat about how politicians and institutions are using the Instagram Live Stories feature in the early stage of adoption. Matthias places world leaders’ use of Instagram in context by also sharing insights from his research on other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Periscope, and Vine.

You can find all these studies at www.Twiplomacy.com.

#18: Dark Social Media like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat: What do they mean for Politics and Marketing?, with Paul Hurley

April 17, 2017 Digital Strategists

Paul Hurley, digital marketing expert and founder of Frictionless Social, guests this week to discuss how Dark Social networks may be influencing politics. Paul discusses how platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and others can be used by politicians and political campaigns, and we talk about how these networks may have effected the outcome of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. Paul highlights how communication in Dark Social networks tends to be more honest, among close friends or those with a shared interest, and may build strong communities of users that can mobilize politically.

#17: Social Media and Politics in Nigeria, with Yomi Kazeem

April 10, 2017 Civil Society

Yomi Kazeem, a Lagos-based writer of politics, entrepreneurship, and sports business, joins the podcast to share his insights on social media’s impact on politics in Nigeria. We discuss the role of social media in the latest 2015 Nigerian elections, and how Twitter was used by citizens to guard against government manipulation of the vote. Yomi also brings up the topic of dual sim cards, elaborates on NIgeria’s data infrastructure, and explains how political leaders have a love/hate relationship with social media.

#16: Challenging Nancy Pelosi for Congress: Social Media’s Role in Grassroots Campaigning, with Preston Picus

April 2, 2017 Politicians

Preston Picus, an educator and coach who challenged Nancy Pelosi in California’s 12th Congressional District, guests to discuss the role that social media played in his running his grassroots, progressive campaign. Mr. Picus highlights some of the disadvantages facing an average citizen running for office against an established politician, shares his experiences using Facebook for digital advertising, and gives his take on why Twitter is less effective than Facebook for campaigning. We also discuss how the Bernie Sanders had similar struggles against the establishment favorite, Hillary Clinton, in obtaining the Democratic nomination for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections.