Borrowing a page from candidate Barack Obama, the Anthony Foxx mayoral campaign says it will rely heavily on the Internet to keep in touch with voters.
On Friday, the campaign launched a new Web site, www.AnthonyFoxx.com. It also has listed itself on a host of social media sites, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Utterli (for audio sharing), Flickr (for photo sharing), Black Planet, MySpace and Bebo.
“This campaign will be the most accessible in Charlotte’s history,” said campaign manager Bruce Clark. “We will use every communication tool available to make sure that people are connected.”
Clark told Qcitymetro.com the sites will be updated regularly, “pretty much from sun up to sun down.”
As more people go online, the Internet has emerged as a powerful tool in politics, allowing candidates to bypass traditional media to get their messages directly to voters. Perhaps no politician has used the Internet more effectively than Obama, who used online outlets to raise unprecedented amounts of campaign donations from individual supporters.
As president, Obama has even revamped the White House Web site.
Foxx, a Charlotte attorney and at-large member of city council, announced plans in November to run for mayor, vying to replace seven-term incumbent Pat McCrory, who will not seek re-election. A formal announcement is planned for April 16.
Clark said the Foxx campaign was impress with how effectively the Obama campaign used the Internet.
“In any business model you’re going to look back at things that people have done that worked,” he said. “People are paying attention in so many different ways. If we’re not able to connect with people in they way they want us to connect with them, then we are not going to be effective.”
The new Web site, he said, would be the “hub of our online communications.” The site currently allows visitors to contribute money, volunteer or get information about the campaign. Clark said Foxx also will use it to solicit feedback on various issues important to Charlotte voter.
“We want people to know there are ways to connect with Anthony Foxx that fit their lifestyles,” he said. “So that they don’t have to adapt to us, we are adapting to them.”
