The “email signature”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signature_block (“sig file”) is probably the oldest online marketing tool. Sig files originated when email did, way back in 1965. Originally the domain of geeks (and I use the term with the utmost affection), they often contained only basic contact information, but also elaborate creations of “ASCii art”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII_art, pithy quotes and self-classification systems (e.g. “The Geek Code”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek_Code — yes, this collections of numbers, letters and symbols actually means something to geeks, such as my feelings about Star Trek, my dislike of Windows and my level of education).
And then, the marketers invaded.
Well, invaded is a little strong. Marketers figured out that they could use that space for more than just basic contact information. So, forty-some years after the advent of sig files, where have marketers taken them? The earliest true marketing use of a sig file (and one that is still considered one of the “best uses of sig files as a viral marketing device”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing#Notable_examples_of_viral_marketing ) was by Hotmail; even prior to its acquisition by Microsoft, all Hotmail emails went out with an advertisement for the Hotmail service itself in the signature. This is now standard practice across email services and not nearly as effective as the early days. What has been the next step in the evolution of sig files?
Category: Kate Trgovac
Be sure to check out all five articles in this series:
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Liberals
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Green Party
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The NDP
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Bloc Quebecois
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Conservatives
Finally we review the Liberal Party of Canada and its use of social media. As the current party in power but with a minority government (and a scandalized one at that), they have a unique challenge in getting their message out to a jaded and weary Canadian public. Will they take advantage of social media to ensure that their support is shored-up and ready for the election? Or will they see their ruling party status as sufficient and ignore the power of the digital conversation?
OK, before we even get to the Liberals, hot off the press, the NDP has blog badges and MSN icons! These were not there a couple of days ago. And then my NDP article was published. Who says one vote, one voice in the wilderness, doesn’t make a difference? Right, on to the Liberals …
Be sure to check out all five articles in this series:
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Liberals
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Green Party
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The NDP
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Bloc Quebecois
- Election 2006 and Social Media – The Conservatives
If the NDP is the "little guy" on the national political stage, then the Green Party is still waiting to be given a ticket to the show. Fortunately, the Green Party can stake a claim in cyberspace that’s just as big, bold and interactive as any of the mainstream parties. OK, enough terrible mixed metaphors. Let’s see if the Greens do take advantage of social media to rally their candidates and their constituents in an effort to change the political landscape.
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