A great example of how to use Twitter as a campaign tool

I'm rather impressed by the Follow the Money Twitter app created in response to the allegation that The News of the World was involved in hacking Milly Dowler's voice mail account.

You can read more about it in Melissa Harrison's article in The Guardian, Why I set about hitting the News of the World where it hurts – its advertising.

Like most good ideas, it's very simple and could be inexpensively copied by campaigning organisations.

It's a web page with tweet me buttons that allows any twitterer to pose a suggested question to the Twitter accounts of the brands who are advertising in (and selling) The News of The World.

Take the country's largest newsagents for example. With a click of a button you can add your voice to the growing number of people who are deeply unimpressed with the paper's actions by asking @WHSmithcouk if they "consider it ethical to stock a newspaper prepared to hack a murdered girl's phone?"

I've just done it and am waiting for an answer. But looking at the number of people who've asked the question before me, I may be waiting some time. Click here to join the list.

Here's a screen grab of the site in case it gets taken down.

Comments

[Laurie Pringle]

Hi Mark:

I agree that they've done a good job, but one side-effect of their good work, is that I'm ready to pull my hair out due to the number of people tweeting this message to multiple organizations.

One person tweeted this to over 6 organizations. I normally enjoy this persons tweets, but I almost unfollowed them when it seemed like it was never going to end.

I am not sure how successful a campaign is, if the people tweeting on behalf of the campaign lose followers over it :)

[Stan]

I agree with Laurie, similar experience. This is a pretty aggressive mean of communication very much open to exploitation... I'd say it's very dangerous to be implemented in the our sector!