The Change Mariner

Internet Lessons From the Dean Campaign

Mercury News:

But [Joe Trippi, Howard Dean's former campaign manager,] was right about plenty of things last year. He bet that savvy use of the Internet, plus unprecedented reliance on and trust in people at the edges of networks, could help turn a "who's he?" candidate into a genuine contender for the nomination.

The forces the campaign unleashed -- and the people who discovered they had a chance to change things -- aren't going to be rebottled anytime soon. Those forces have big implications for businesses, not just politicians. For example, a genuine conversation with customers and suppliers, whether through Weblogs or other means, can soften the cold exterior most companies expose to the world. Asking for ideas from the edge of the customer and supplier network can bring better ideas into an organization.

The broadcast style has failed the American people, Trippi says, because it crowds out serious debate about serious issues, focusing instead on entertainment.