The Prosper Group - Results Empowered

Social Media: Connecting, Not Broadcasting

Thomas Roberts — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 13:32:16 +0000

Are you actually taking advantage of the social part of social media? It’s not uncommon to see political campaigns using Facebook or Twitter as just another broadcast medium: talking AT people instead of conversing WITH them. Campaigns use social media as an outlet for their press releases and wonder why nobody ever Likes, shares, or comments on their posts.

If you want to distribute a press release, email it to your media list. If you’re rolling out a 50-point policy plan, build out a dedicated website.

The (Almost) Paperless Campaign

Thomas Roberts — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:32:16 +0000

Paper has long been an important tool in political campaigns. Centuries after Benjamin Franklin used his printing press to shape our republic, direct mail and other printed materials still account for a large portion of every campaign budget. In 2016, digital advertising might finally end the reign of paper in politics.

In contrast to broadcast television, direct mail pieces can be highly targeted, sent to targeted voters with a mailing address. This is great for particular kinds of messaging, but still carries the risk of waste.

Things Are Getting Personal

John Porter — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:32:16 +0000

Earlier this month I had the privilege of attending the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s annual Mobile Marketplace conference. Some of the largest brands, sharpest agencies, and most respected publishers trekked to the ballroom of the Crowne Plaza in Times Square to talk about the latest trends in the mobile arena.

Digital is more of a "state of mind"

Kurt Luidhardt — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 18:00:58 +0000

Despite our recent advancements, I've noticed that there still seems to be something wrong with our GOP digital mindset. Certainly we've made giant leaps forward since Obama walloped us the first time in 2008. But there's still something missing that I haven't been able to put my finger on -- until now.

Voter Targeted Advertising and You

Thomas Roberts — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 15:19:24 +0000

In the old days of political campaigning (>10 years ago) "voter targeting" typically meant blanketing a geographic area with mail, phone calls, and volunteers. The targeted geographies were chosen based on assumptions about voter demographics, income, or nearby employers. It was better than doing nothing at all, but it was still far from efficient.

Advances in technology and data availability have made this type of targeting obsolete, even for the lowest-level office seekers.

Quality Content for a Target Audience

Samantha Osborne — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:28:49 +0000

Quality content is key to a strong online presence. Actually creating that unique, timely, relevant and frequent content is a challenge for all organizations. It requires an investment of time and resources that can be a drain, even at a large organization. Rarely do organizations make it a priority, yet it is the most important element to online success.

So what is the basis for creating quality content?

Walker's moment? Wisconsin governor builds on 2016 buzz, staffs up political operation

Kurt Luidhardt — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 16:28:49 +0000

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/03/walker-appears-to-be-making-best-sudd...

Our co-founder, Kurt Luidhardt, is in the news. Check it out:

Still, analysts suggest Walker’s record as governor is strong enough to carry him until he catches up on foreign policy.

“Walker’s recent rise is a culmination of years of just really hard work and really good campaigns in a tough state,” Kurt Luidhardt, co-founder of the Prosper Group, an Indiana-based, digital-strategy firm, said.

Should brands ditch the big show and take their ads online?

John Porter — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 18:28:22 +0000

By now we’ve all seen or heard about the funniest, catchiest and most impactful Super Bowl ads from last Sunday – at least those deemed as such by morning talk show host and our overzealous friends on social media. That, and of course, a million and one memes mocking Pete Carroll’s decision to throw the ball on the Patriots goal line and the oversized shark featured in Katy Perry’s halftime show.

The #SuperBowl Digital Game

Samantha Osborne — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 16:28:49 +0000

Apparently, the game is limited to the football field anymore. Here is a look of who won the digital match up during this year's game:

Super Bowl XLIX set a record as the most “social” Super Bowl to date on both Twitter and Facebook.

There were 28.4 million tweets during the game. That’s up 14% from 24.9 million tweets for last year’s Super Bowl.

Growing Up Digital - 6 Things that have changed since 2007

Kurt Luidhardt — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 19:49:38 +0000

I was recently asked a great question. What has changed about the business of digital for Republican campaigns since we started our firm in 2006? After some thought, I came up with six things that I think are different:

1. It used to be that no one wanted us. Now everyone wants to BE us.