Chris Dodd Campaign (Fake?) Email "Reply-All" Oops as Viral PR Tactic?

An associate alerted us Friday to an as-yet-unobserved (at least by us) clever/lame/unethical(?) email marketing tactic that it appears Chris Dodd's campaign implemented last week to get the word out.

The email in question appears to be an inadvertently Reply-All'ed "test" email to the entire Chris Dodd email subscriber base with campaign manager "suggested edits" to a forthcoming official Dodd fundraising mail, which is itself attached in full HTML below the "suggested edits". In tone, form, and content, it looks just like the kind of "oops-they-meant-to-send-this-to-just-him-not-everyone-in-the-database" that we have all gotten at one point or another.  However, our associate expressed strong skepticism about the mail, believing instead that the Dodd campaign had intentionally sent the mail to everyone as designed to simply appear like a mistake... in the hope that it would prompt recipients to at least give it more regard (the looky-loo effect, i.e. "I'm not supposed to be receiving this, so I'll actually read it") and at most to get a forward-on to someone else ("hey check out this goof!").

Well, whatever the case, we're blogging about it, so it's having the intended effect... if indeed this was an intentional "error-copycat".  2008, the year of Election 2.0.

For your review and own assessment, dear readers, attached is the mail in question.  And for further consideration by the cynics out there, note that (a) only our associate's email address was on the "To:" line, and, (b) Sheryl's "edits" appear a little more booster-y than feedback-y, to our (admittedly skeptical) eyes.

Accident?  Disengenuous new spin on old-school email fundraising?  Potentially unethical use of an opt-in list?  Wildly clever push into a bold new frontier of email marketing?  You be the judge.

But if this turns into a more widely utilized email marketing tactic over time, we want first dibs on naming it.  We'll submit, "The Fake Oops".

And we guess that like any other Web marketing campaign, the proof is in the pudding... i.e. in the CTR's and the Conversion Rate.   Hey Sheryl, SCG wants to know if you got your $40k this weekend or not.  Send a campaign fundraising status update email to Tim this week (oops, plus the whole subs base too!), so our associate can let us know...

From: Sheryl Cohen [mailto:scohen@chrisdodd.com]
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 9:38 AM
To: EMAILADDRESSINTENTIONALLYREDACTED
Subject:

 

Tim,

I made a few small changes to your email draft -- you'll see them below.

Would have sent to the entire list myself, but I could only figure out how to send this test.

I know you're concerned about sending another fundraising email, but we're only $40,000 short of hitting our November goal, and that money will help keep us on the air and talking about ending the war in Iraq and the Constitution. And honestly, our supporters online are so terrific and have come through for us every time.

Plus, with votes on the war and retroactive immunity coming up, our leadership will help keep the pressure on other presidentials to keep their word.

Ask people to give at this link so we can track the goal publicly.

http://chrisdodd.com/goal

Thanks,

Sheryl Cohen
Campaign Manager, Chris Dodd for President

On Nov 30, 2007, at 10:53 AM, Tim Tagaris wrote:

>

Dear Friend, Think about it for a second. Do you truly know what you'll get from the other candidates if they win the nomination? If you really want the answer to that question, don't ask a person where they are going -- ask them where they have been. Why do some candidates spend as much time apologizing for a career full of bad votes as they do talking about how they'll remedy the fallout if elected? Why can't we get the simplest of answers to the straight questions from others? And why do some just flat out skip the tough votes? From authoring the Family and Medical Leave Act to his often single-handed efforts to restore the Constitution, you know what to expect from a Dodd Administration. We set a goal about a week and a half ago to raise $100,000 online and we'll need your help right now if we're going to meet it. Please get us there by contributing $25 right now. http://chrisdodd.com/goal Thirty-four days. If you feel strongly about our fight to end the war in Iraq, prevent war with Iran, and restore the Constitution, we need your support right now. Our field operation is humming along and our current "Restoring the Constitution and Rule of Law tour" is drawing larger crowds than we've seen at any point in the campaign. But we need your help to keep it going. Thirty-four days. Your contribution right now will ensure we have the resources necessary to continue the fight through January 3rd. http://chrisdodd.com/goal You've come through for us every time. Not much time left. Let's get it done. Tim Tagaris Chris Dodd for President Paid for by Chris Dodd for President, Inc. PO Box 51882 Washington, DC 20091 Info@ChrisDodd.com To stop receiving email from Dodd for President, Inc., unsubscribe here.