LibDems: SOS for the NHS

The UK’s Liberal Democrat Party launched another web-based campaign this week, aimed squarely at the Government’s National Health System. MessageSpace had previously helped the LibDems introduce and extend their Freedom of Information campaign to the blogosphere.

The campaign calls for an end to savage NHS cuts, for the Government to stop wasting billions of pounds of health spending and for local people to have more say over local health services. The campaign is being advertised and promoted heavily on the internet in the UK, a testament to the growing reach and influence wielded by new-media/blog sites.

The campaign will run on NHSBlogDoc, Guido Fawkes’s Diary, Wat Tyler’s Burning our Money blog, and PoliticalBetting.com

Liberal Democrats Embrace Web-based Campaigning

The UK’s Liberal Democrats have begun a web-based campaign against a recent proposal within parliament that would exempt MPs and Peers from the provisions of the 2000 Freedom of Information Act. The campaign is one of the first non-partisan campaigns to be advertised and promoted heavily on the internet in the UK, a testament to the growing reach and influence wielded by new-media/blog sites.

Mark Pack, the LibDems web-campaign coordinator, argues that “The real effect of the Bill would be to (a) prevent the disclosure of detailed information about MPs’ expenses claims and Parliament’s spending and (b) allow MPs to lobby public authorities in secret, in the knowledge that what they write could not be disclosed under the Act.”

He added, “one of the attractions of Messagespace… is the good onscreen location of the ads.”

The campaign will run on NHSBlogDoc, Guido Fawkes’s Diary, Wat Tyler’s Burning our Money blog, and PoliticalBetting.com

Xchangeteam’s Public Affairs Recruiting Services

Xchangeteam, the UK’s pioneering people resourcing company which provides talent across the freelance and permanent spectrum in marketing and creative services.public affairs is now advertising on select MessageSpace sites. They’re taking full advantage of the MessageSpace network’s reach within political Britain, and are promoting their up-and-coming Public Affairs, Policy and Government Relations recruitment services department.

Roger Majerski, an Xchangeteam member (and avid Guido Fawkes’ Blog reader) was enthusiastic about partnering with MessageSpace, and was thrilled at the prospect of utilising the MessageSpace behavioural targeting functionalities. “Xchangeteam is not a typical recruitment company - we use our industry backgrounds to cherry-pick talent rather than have a sales scattergun approach. We pride ourselves on our personal approach, industry knowledge and tough vetting procedures.”

Conservatives Abroad Reaches Out to Expat Community

Conservatives Abroad - an organisation within the Conservative Party aimed at the ex-pat community around the world - is now running adverts on MessageSpace sites with a conservative-leaning audience. The campaign aims to assist and enable those living throughout the world to continue participating in British politics.

A young Briton currently working in Prague commented on the ex-pat outreach effort, “The party of government for my home country is of great relevance - and I can’t get a vote here [in the Czech Republic] anyway.”

MessageSpace partner sites like Conservative Home and Iain Dale’s Diary attract a considerable international audience hailing from various parts of the world every day.

Conservatives Abroad’s attempt to reach an audience that is interested in their home country’s political discourse is a natural fit with MessageSpace’s existing online advertising facilities.

Beer Lobby Advertises on Blogs Pre-Budget

Britain’s brewing industry is facing an unprecedented set of challenges - yet is burdened with an unfair tax regime. The industry believes reforming the way beer is taxed needs a fundamental change of approach, to put an end to the unfavourable treatment of beer compared with other drinks.
The Beer and Pub Association chose to advertise on blogs in the run up to the Chancellor’s budget in order to reach readers in the Treasury and Whitehall.

Ulster Unionist Party Reaches Out Via Influential Blog

Ireland’s Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) began running a series of ads today aimed at directing potential supporters to their website, in conjunction with the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly elections.

The UUP’s decision to effectively and efficiently reach out to voters by advertising on Northern Ireland’s pre-eminent political blog Slugger O’Toole provides a glimpse into the future of political campaigning - and MessageSpace is both excited and proud to play its role. MessageSpace has also provided the UUP with the capability to tweak the blog advertising campaign in real-time according to various criteria.

Whilst there have been numerous complaints with regard to the general public being disenchanted and disenfranchised by the various political parties, the UUP has now become the UK’s first political party to embrace and utilise the concept of advertising to a mainstream audience by harnessing the power of weblogs.

MessageSpace and the Countdown to Northern Ireland’s Elections

Northern Ireland’s first dedicated lobbying and public affairs agency, Strategem, wanted to get the word out on their available services in the run-up to Northern Ireland’s upcoming elections. They came to us, and the MessageSpace team helped craft a campaign within 24 hours, targeted to their preferred audience. How’s that for efficient and effective?

Anti-Establishment Web TV Station Advertises Schedule

The controversial new online TV station 18DoughtyStreet.com has entered into an agreement with MessageSpace to advertise across both the blogosphere and across the political spectrum to grow their audience by targeting online readers of political blogs who are a key influential demographic for the fledgling station.

They kicked off their advertising campaign with an issue based advertisement highlighting the issue of tax.

MessageSpace built Doughty Street a custom access system to interface their adserving system with Doughty Street’s online team, allowing them to securely upload their advertising schedule in realtime.

MessageSpace’s Chief of Technology Jag Singh said “TV schedules change all the time without much notice because of news demands. When it does change 18DoughtyStreet.com can advertise their schedule change within minutes to thousands of potential viewers online.”

Policy Exchange Chooses Online Advertising Again

Policy Exchange, Britain’s think tank of the year, is once again using the MessageSpace network to promote a new publication. Here is there latest advert timed to coincide with the publication launch.

Stationery Office Kicks Off Major Online Advertising Campaign

TSO (The Stationery Office Ltd) decided to launch its new Have Your Say service, which rounds up the week’s key Parliamentary Papers, describing the background, context and likely impact, using MessageSpace adverts. In a competitive tender MessageSpace won the TSO mandate for their online advertising launch. Advertising on political blogs fitting their needs exactly.

Users of the free service keep up-to-date. Parliamentary publication alerts let you know as soon as a Paper relevant to you is published. Users can get involved - using Have Your Say Now to identify the relevant government body and to find out how to contribute to the legislation process.

Have Your Say is a free service from The Stationery Office (TSO) supported by the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).

TSO is Britain’s largest publisher by output, publishing 15,000 printed and electronic products each year, and has clients that include the UK Parliament, Government and Assemblies, the Office of Public Sector Information (formerly HMSO), the Office of Government Commerce, the Driving Standards Agency, the Home Office, Network Rail and the British Retail Consortium.

TSO was formerly part of HMSO and was privatised in 1996.