That’s a generational shift not to be underestimated, demanding some vision among sector leaders in the face of the older-skewing demographics of charitable donors.

since this isn’t the kind of phone that everyone understands how to pick up just yet, maybe a good place to start is by helping people confront the distinctions in this amorphous lump they refer to as the internet dept.

“an internet guy to handle what?”

The problem underlying the title and undervalueing your advise runs deep. Most the people talking to you (especially nonprofits) think of the web/internet as a tactical support for the rest of the operations.

They want the “web” guy to support our restoration initiative, the web team to support fundraising, the web team to support field, the web to support membership. Web is a tactic the departments should use.

The reality is that dominating the web conversation is now a strategic pillar that can drive success in influencing the politics, fundraising, field and other key elements of the operation. (examples Ilovemountians, AlexsLemonade, Ron Paul, GreenmyApple, etc)

A good strategist and senior management operative will need to look at the over all mission, understand the constraints of other managers, understand the path of the campaign and organizational culture. The good strategist will compete in a larger organizational context for funding and the freedom form other departments to begin to implement a plan to dominate web discussion.

Without someone shift the organization at that level of management process an organization would rarely do even simple house parties or bake sales (lots of energy investment low return) and never any of the things we see the big campaigns doing now (why should they pick a song? – because if the online community is engaged on our site they are not engaged on our opponets’ site…etc))

The problem with hire an “internet guy” is that it is rarely ever perceived as a senior management position. They are not asking you for a staffer that could actually alter the message, strategy of the organization. They are looking for glorified tech support.

The problem is not the title but the positioning in the organization. Few groups can pay for the skills for a new senior management staff position so they get lots of technical wizs with a million ideas and no skills to get the organizational culture to shift.

Hire staff that can shift your culture. Call them whatever…

There is still a need for Director of Communicaitons. One is about message and message frame. We are talking about networks and engagement.

If our people go in looking to be Director of Communicaiotn they are going to get asked about frames, polling, focus group work, working with reporters, care and feeding of the press, cable ads, TV production, advance, etc. How many of the great web strategist could even hold themselves in a TV interview to stay on campaign message (rather than talk about tech? (no offense to the BS interviews you all have done). Our people are not Directors of Communications. Our people are very important but so is communication.

The key to positioning it correctly is to explain culture is shifting. The campaign or nonprofit is organizing in our culture. The culture shift is changing everything. Our culture is increasingly networked and online. The organization or campaign needs a senior management team that works to capture and channel modern networks of supporters to create the change we seek.

There is a need for a Director of Network Operations that works on staff, internal culture, seeking online networks, and empowering them or “hacking” them to create the advocacy outcomes we seek.

This is the way we should be positioning the folks that we know. These are the skill set NOI and others should build.

Good riff Zack

Network Operaitons They should on balance work

I agree with your point, but it’s really nothing new. Years ago I worked in bank marketing and it became painfully obvious that the president/ceo was the real chief marketing officer whether or not he realized it.

When the organization (or in this case, the campaign) is process oriented, the process of campaigning becomes paramount. It’s all about the science, pulling in the numbers, and insiders scratch their heads and wonder why they can’t seem to make a real connection with voters.

When a campaign is marketing oriented, the candidate-in-chief and the marketing strategist function like dance partners. They elevate the level of campaigning from a science to an art — and that’s what it takes to inspire regular, everyday supporters to get out on the dance floor with them or at very least to cheer them on.

Tactics, techniques and trends change, but basic marketing 101 (putting yourself in the other guy’s shoes) is still what’s lacking in a lot of very “tech savvy” campaigns on both sides of the aisle.

When Quick Hits Attack! So much is going on this week that I’m splitting Quick Hits into a Presidential Edition and everything else:

Where Have All The E-Mails Gone? It’s all fun and games until someone gets subpeoned.
Hackers in Homeland…