NDP gets all creative on the Internetz; Google Harper, get an ad for Layton

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The New Democrats have cut a deal with Google and Yahoo to grab Internet traffic in a marketing ploy that has some online experts impressed.

Type the names Stephen Harper, Stéphane Dion or Gilles Duceppe into the major search engines and an ad for NDP Leader Jack Layton pops up on the screen, along with the search results.

The NDP link reads: “Join Jack Layton’s team. Finally a PM who’ll put you and your family first. Donate now.”

The party’s plan to have a strong presence on major search tools was inspired by successful online strategies in the U.S. presidential race.

“We’ve been taking the best from all of them,” said Nammi Poorooshasb, the NDP’s online campaign director. “They know that this is one of the places that people go to search for information, to get the latest news, to entertain themselves. Whatever it is, people are going there and we want to occupy that space as well.”

Stuart Soroka, a political communications expert at McGill University, said it’s an unsophisticated, yet sly way to attract visitors to Layton’s site.

“Man, that is smart,” Soroka said. “I don’t know if it has any effect whatsoever, but that’s smart.”

He said the Internet has serious limitations in political campaigns because most people who visit party websites are already engaged with the parties and their campaign.

Most occasional visitors tend to head directly for their preferred party’s website, he said.

“That’s actually an interesting way to get around that problem isn’t it?” Soroka said.

Concordia University marketing professor Harold Simpkins said the Layton ad is well-positioned to attract “high quality” traffic.

“These are people who are going in the search box and putting in something that they’re really interested in finding stuff about, so their antennae are up.”

But he said the phrase “Donate now” up front could be a major turn off.

However, University of Toronto management professor Sandford Borins said the ad is likely a waste of money for the NDP.

“I think people have a reason to do their searches and they just filter out the advertising,” he said.

The NDP is charged each time a surfer clicks on the Google or Yahoo ad.

One published report said the NDP was paying $6 for “Stephen Harper” and 60 cents for a “Liberal party” search.

Poorooshasb wouldn’t divulge how much the party pays per visit, but said the number of people who click is “very high.”

“We’ve made this a significant part of our ad budget and I think that’s probably all I can offer you,” he said.

Poorooshasb said the NDP expanded its online campaigning after some 40,000 people joined a party Facebook group a few months ago to protest fees for incoming cellphone text messages.

Originally published in Marketing Magazine, September 2008