Digital Politics With Karen Jagoda

Daryl Cagle of Cagle Cartoons Syndicate has a keen eye for detail and brings a strong sense of humor to the world of editorial and political cartoons. He is also the host of the video podcast Caglecast, available on YouTube, where he talks with the cartoonists. Political humor is an increasingly challenging topic, and Daryl confirms that there is not much that Democrats and Republicans agree about, including what is funny. We talk about: What catches the political cartoonist's attention to drive home a point The right way and wrong way to characterize Donald Trump The challenge of drawing Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and JD Vance The role of cats and dogs in expressing political humor #CagleCartoons #PoliticalCartoons #EditorialCartoons #PoliticalHumor CagleCartoons.com YouTube.com/CagleCartoons  

Sean Duggan owner SD Media, a media and entertainment consulting firm, has seen the media landscape for targeting voters shift dramatically, requiring a broader view of where and when to reach voters. Attending the DNC Convention in Chicago, Sean was struck by the mix of entertainment and content and the range of speakers and talent under 40 in the Democratic party. With the end of the election season in sight, new approaches to finding likely and persuadable voters through streaming services, social media, audio networks, and influencers are key to engagement. We talk about: How the DNC Convention reached out to multicultural and young voters How media buying in the last part of the election season has been a new challenge for content creation and ad placement Where the new infusion of campaign dollars will be spent Advertising on YouTube to audience segments otherwise unreachable Mistakes campaigns make about how voters get their news #SeanDuggan #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalAds #TargetingVoters #Spott

Eitan Koter is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Vimmi, which brings next-generation e-commerce functionality to digital video content. With its video commerce platform, audiences can engage with video, make purchases, and contribute within the context of the video.  Applications can include digital feeds of live events and social media posts. We talk about: How interactive videos transform the way candidates and advocates can build relationships with their target audiences How Vimmi's platform overcomes the challenges of seamless social commerce Rising expectations for the availability of shoppable videos Strategies for driving digital engagement #Vimmi #VideoCommerce #SocialCommerce #ShoppableVideos #PoliticalCampaigns #VoterEngagement vimmi.net  

Lauren Benedict is Spotter's Chief Revenue Officer and a media ecosystem professional. She has been at the forefront of the consumer shift to streaming services and CTV and understands the value of content to attract a diverse audience. Spotter invests in content creators to help create a robust landscape of long-form videos on YouTube and provides sophisticated targeting tools for advertisers to reach desired affinity groups. This approach is particularly effective for reaching cord-cutters and low-information voters with a YouTube first-viewing behavior.   We talk about: The content creator economy How consumer media consumption habits are changing Value of targeting voters on YouTube Political advertising in a streaming media world #Spotter #YouTube #PoliticalAds #Voters #ContentCreators #GOTV #Election2024 #VoterPersuasion #LowInformationVoters spotter.la 

Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, attended the DNC Convention in Chicago and came away with a strong sense of the energy that will be applied to Democratic campaigns moving into election season. Deepak was struck by the crowd's diversity, particularly the younger multi-cultural attendees. He also points out the historical views that were driven home by the diverse speakers. We talk about: The role Project 2025 played in the narrative of the Convention The new format of the Roll Call of States and the other entertainment and social media content the Convention organizers made available Most productive actions volunteers are taking to get out the vote Turning enthusiasm into votes   @TheDemLabs #VoterOutreach #VotingMatters #GOTV #Democrats #Canvassing #FieldOperations #Mobilization #Organizing #CampaignVolunteers #Project2025 #DNCConvention #Election2024 TheDemLabs.org  

Jamie Miller is a political consultant, field operations expert, and author of Reasonable Arguments @ Substack and the book American Speeches that Changed History. As a leader in the Florida Republican party and director of the Florida statewide field operations for the 2000 election and recount, Jamie brings unique insights about Florida voters. He is also exploring the use of AI to improve predictive models of voter behavior and field tactics. We talk about: Innovations in field operations  Voter segmentation Persuadable voters Best practices for field operations in the final stretch #FloridaVoters #RepublicanVoters #FieldOperations #VoterSegmentation #GOTV American Speeches That Changed History ReasonableArguments.com

Reid McCollum, Program Outreach Director for Progressive Turnout Project, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss tactics for getting out the vote in swing states by paying canvassers. This approach to door-knocking is particularly effective in small towns where people from the community use technology to create walk lists to find likely Democratic voters. PTP will invest $35 million in programs to rally Democrats to vote through direct voter contact. The paid door-knocking program pays $125 for every completed list of 50-60 doors. Deepak and Reid talk about: Who are they paying to canvass, and what are the advantages over using volunteers Adding value to the large apparatus of state and national party field operations Postcarding success Value of a conversation with a voter Emphasis on creating the social norm to vote #TurnoutPAC @TheDemLabs #VoterOutreach #VotingMatters #GOTV #Democrats #Canvassing #FieldOperations #Mobilization #PaidCanvassers #PhoneBanking #Postcarding   Turnoutpac.org

Daniel Scantlebury, Vice President of Data Science and AI at Resonate, is eager to dive into the data he is collecting about voters and where they find information. With the explosion of affinity groups mobilizing to support the Harris-Walz campaign, Daniel is using his insights to better understand and predict voting behavior and targeting opportunities. Existing voter segments used for messaging and targeting are under the microscope and subject to change.  We talk about: Self-organized groups and reaching these niche audiences What the term Progressive means Which candidates are considered old  Media bubbles  Impact of grassroots activity on voter turnout #Resonate #Voters #Progressive #VotingBehavior #Grassroots #VoterTurnout #Organizing #VoterSegmentation #HarrisWalz #Election2024 Resonate.com  

Andrea Miller, Center for Common Ground, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss tactics to encourage voters and volunteers in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, particularly in rural areas, to get involved in campaigns. With an emphasis on grassroots organizing, training for effective phone banking, and activities such as postcarding that can be done at home or in small groups, this Center is mobilizing voters and eager to get out the vote in November 2024.  Deepak and Andrea talk about: Voter outreach in rural areas Postcarding to BIPOC voters using cards designed to be culturally motivating  Turning excitement into action Project 2025 implications for Black and other Voters of Color #CTR4CmnGround @TheDemLabs #VoterOutreach #VoterTurnout #RuralVoters #Election202 #Voters #VoterSuppression #BIPOC #GOTV #Postcarding #Postcards #CampaignVolunteers CenterforCommonGround.org TheDemLabs.org  

Varun Nikore, Executive Director of the AAPI Victory Alliance, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the voting habits of Asian American or Pacific Islander voters and how to increase turnout. With an eye on overcoming resistance in the AAPI population to voting, the Alliance offers various activities to encourage involvement in campaigns and excitement for voting. Deepak and Varun talk about: Where the AAPI population is growing the fastest Raising awareness about Kamala Harris, who is part of the AAPI community The impact of Trump on the enthusiasm of AAPI female voters Project 2025 implications for the AAPI population Social media initiatives to engage the AAPI community #AAPIVictoryAlliance @TheDemLabs #AAPI #AAPIVoters #Voters #AsianVoters #AsianAmericanVoters #PacificIslanderVoters #Election2024 AAPI Victory Alliance TheDemLabs.org  

Greg Miller, Co-Founder, COO, and Chair of the OSET Institute, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss using innovative technology to support election administration, including using AI to support call centers to address voters' questions.  OSET has also built an AI model to analyze the text of Project 2025 to connect the dots and cut through the coded language to identify potential risks. Deepak and Greg talk about: Challenges to managing elections in 2024 Types of technology being used to enhance election administration  Building a generative AI model to evaluate Project 2025 and Agenda 47  The future of elections #OSETInstitute #TrusttheVote @TheDemLabs #ElectionAdministration #Project2025 #Agenda47 #AI #VoterSuppression #Voters #Election2024 OSET Institute TrusttheVote.org TheDemLabs.org

John Fitzgerald is EVP, AD Sales, DAX US part of Global Media & Entertainment Lmt and associated companies, and an audio ad expert. Digital audio ads expand the universe of people who can hear a candidate's message thanks to the proliferation of devices that can be used for real-time and on-demand listening. Digital audio ads can also be produced quickly and tweaked to personalize messages for targeted audiences. We talk about: Politicians as brands and what they can learn from advertisers of trusted consumer products The unique characteristics of digital audio ads and where they are being heard Targeting opportunities for digital audio ads Why campaigns need to include advertising on podcasts to their media mix to reach niche audiences #DAXUS #DigitalAudioAds #PoliticalAds #TargetingPoliticalAds dax.global.com/us/

Mark Galvin, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of TALON, discusses the Transparency in Coverage rule in healthcare. This rule was added to the Affordable Care Act and requires commercial health plan sponsors to provide transparency in the costs of tests, procedures, and other medical services. Despite the sharp divide in Congress, this rule received bipartisan support through several administrations. It seems most can agree that providing patients with information on pricing and out-of-pocket costs before committing to medical services allows them to make smarter healthcare decisions.  We talk about: How this rule got bipartisan support The impact of moving from total opaqueness in prices to transparency in the costs of tests and procedures The lack of awareness and understanding of the rule due to the vested interests of stakeholders such as insurance companies Educating patients, doctors, and employers about the Transparency in Coverage rule #TALONHealthtech #TransparencyinCoverage #MedicalCosts #Patien

Fadi Micaelian, CEO of SPARKDIT, is an AI strategist who brings insights into using generative AI to support political consultants and voters. These voters are weighing choices and making tradeoffs as they decide who to financially support and vote for. Using additional data points to predict voting behavior is increasingly essential as voters become more partisan and face pressure from friends and family to make decisions about candidates and issues.  We talk about: Training AI to think like humans Using tradeoff criteria to improve predictive models to identify likely voters How voters make decisions Helping voters make smarter decisions about candidates in their own party Single-issue voters #SPARKDIT #AI #VoterSegmentation #PoliticalMessages #Voters SPARKDIT.com

Daniel Scantlebury, Vice President of Data Science and AI at Resonate, is a seasoned observer of human behavior. He uses his insights to better understand and predict voting behavior. In this age of media bubbles, how voters consume news and form opinions creates even more challenges for campaigns to reach them. We talk about: Use of Predictive Resonate Elements to target specific voter segments Persuadable, swing, and disengaged voters Educating clients about the use of AI in developing campaign media plans Near real-time analysis of online voter behavior #Resonate #Voters #AI #VotingBehavior #VoterSegmentation Resonate.com  

Ryan Davis, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of People First, brings voices from diverse and specialized communities to campaigns to promote candidates and causes. The role of individuals with social media followers and the skills to create content is increasingly relevant to political campaigns trying to reach targeted voters. Influencer marketing is filling the need to find the most trusted voices. We talk about: Differences between influencers Recruiting authentic voices to work with campaigns How campaigns can work with influence marketers Meta modifications to handling political content Underutilized digital platforms for reaching voters #PeopleFirstCC #InfluencerMarketing #Influencers #PoliticalCampaigns #AdvocacyCampaigns #MetaPoliticalContent peoplefirst.cc    

Wendy Pickering Sullivan, Pickering Sullivan Investigations, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to pull back the curtain on the job of a private investigator. While a great deal of information is available online, PIs have access to proprietary sources, hard-to-find public records, and the right people to access the right resources. Deepak and Wendy talk about: White-collar crime and fraud investigations Finding out facts about the opposition Determining what facts the opposition might discover about a candidate Need for background checks for candidates and campaign workers Finding crumbs and following footprints online and by talking to people #PickeringSullivan @TheDemLabs #PrivateInvestigators #PI #FraudInvestigation #WhiteCollarCrime #CampaignFraud #ElectionFraud PickeringSullivan.com TheDemLabs.org

Daniel Barvin, Founder of the End the Legacy Foundation, is also the VP of Operations and Patient Advocacy at Coya Therapeutics.  Coming from a family with a genetic predisposition to develop ALS, Daniel has brought together a community of activists who are intent on educating doctors and patients about early diagnosis and testing.  This organization is also raising awareness about the need for more research and funding to cure genetic ALS and FTD. Coya Therapeutics is developing diagnostics and treatments for genetic ALS and FTD, and Daniel is bringing the voices of the patients and family members to the table. We talk about: Why there is a need for another ALS organization How the End the Legacy Foundation is using social media to build awareness and supporters The Genetic ALS and FTD Community Summit Building partnerships with researchers, industry and government Implications for families with inherited diseases #EndtheLegacy #ALS #GeneticALS #ALSandFTD #GeneticDiseases #RareDiseases #Activism #Inherited

Ray Kingman, CEO and Founder of Semcasting, emphasizes the need to use an issue-based approach to reach and motivate voters instead of using traditional voter segmentation to categorize those likely to vote. Rapid response to current events is a key opportunity for candidates and advocates to express their views on issues and provide accurate information in targeted digital campaigns.  Ray and I talk about: How issue-based audiences differ from those defined by voter files and related demographic data Identifying issue-based voters Issues driving the conversation with voters in 2024 Message testing and measurement in a thematic or issue-based digital campaign Targeting tools and digital channels to drive fundraising and persuasion #Semcasting #TargetingVoters #IssueBasedAudiences #Voters #Fundraising #Persuasion #Advocacy Semcasting.com

Janice Gay, Phonebank Manager at Center for Common Ground, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to address efforts at the local level to reach out to the BIPOC communities where voting is inconsistent. By including familiar faces in the outreach efforts of local Democracy Centers, residents are encouraged to vote, speak up, find resources, and contribute to bringing change to their communities. Deepak and Janice talk about: How community activism leads to voting Who is included in the Black Indigenous Other People of Color (BIOPC) community Building trust and encouraging repeat involvement in community activities Using social media and phone banks to recruit volunteers and attendees for events Development of the FindMyBenefits app to help at-risk communities  #CenterforCommonGround @TheDemLabs #CivicEngagement #Activism #BIPOC #VoterOutreach Center for Common Ground FindmyBenefits.info TheDemLabs.org