Weekly Report: Alberta Election for Week of Feb. 29, 2008

Going into the final day of the Alberta election campaign the Liberals have out of all of the political parties used the YouTube platform the most effectively, with their messages predominantly reaching the most viewers. The Alberta NDP video "In Your Corner. On Your Side" was the most viewed YouTube video during the last week of the Alberta Election campaign, and this week saw an increase in views of all NDP videos for the first time in the campaign. In fact, all of the parties with the exception of the Alberta PCs have positive viewership trends via the YouTube platform. The Alberta PC's messages were drowned out by videos from the Albertans4Change interest group. With the exception of the Alberta PCs, shades of the Albertans4Change "Ed Stelmach: No Plan" targeted campaign have been visible throughout the Alberta media and from all of the political party campaigns during the election. The Green Party also had an increase in the viewership of the AlbertaVotes2008 videos that were posted over a week ago. Since the Greens started with no videos circulating on YouTube, the AlbertaVotes2008 independent group should definitely be credited with helping to circulate the Green Party's message.

These final week YouTube trends reflect the growing consensus in the media that the Alberta political landscape has changed drastically since the Klein dynasty. The growing prediction among Political Scientists is that Albertans should be prepared for a more diverse Legislature after March 3rd, 2008. The significant increase in YouTube viewership during this last week of campaigning in all of the party videos could be an indicator that the increased number of Albertans who are still undecided voters are still searching for the party they will vote for come Monday. Overall, the YouTube viewership for the four weeks of the Alberta election campaign has jumped into the tens of thousands when aggregated, and can definitely be viewed as a vital source of web campaigning in the province under the logic that every vote counts.

Very little change occurred throughout the election campaign in the Facebook Top Five Groups. All but one of the top groups have consistently remained anti-PC. This indicates that the Web 2.0 front was used by the opposition and other parties' supporters for an attack purpose. One new group added to the Top Five Groups in the last week was "I'm voting for Ed Stelmach and the Progressive Conservative Party", which bumped the "Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta" into sixth spot.

NOTE: The Infoscape Lab will post one last week of Alberta Election analysis following the Monday election.



Facebook

Party Leader Facebook Supporters

  1. Kevin Taft Personal Profile (Alberta Liberals): 743 friends (up by 13 from last week)
  2. Ed Stelmach Fan Club (Progressive Conservatives): 461 member (up by 12 from last week)
  3. Re-Elect Brian Mason, Edmonton Highlands-Norwood (NDP): 378 members (up by 15 from last week)
  4. George Read (Green Party of Alberta): 227 members (down by 1 from last week)
  5. Paul Hinman (Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta): 162 members (up by 51 from last week)

Top Five Facebook Groups for the Alberta Election

  1. I’m Voting for Kevin Taft and the Alberta Liberal Team: 764 members (down 2 from last week)
  2. Liberals in Alberta – We Do Exist: 504 members (no change)
  3. Ed Stelmach is “Trying” to Destroy Alberta: 458 members (down 1 from last week)
  4. Re-Elect Brian Mason, Edmonton Highlands-Norwood (NDP): 378 members (up by 15 from last week)
  5. I'm voting for Ed Stelmach and the Progressive Conservative Party: 365 (new to the top five)
  6. Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta: 360 (up by 7 from last week)

Other Facebook Groups of Note by Party

  1. My Vote is for the Environment in the 2008 Alberta Elections: 248 members (up by 26 from last week)
  2. Progressive Conservative Youth of Alberta: 207 members (down by 3 from last week)
  3. Support Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta: 163 members (up by 38 from last week)
  4. Alberta NDP: 135 members (up by 20 from last week)


YouTube

Ed Stelmach (Leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party)

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
1. TV Ad "Money" February 19, 2008 898 Lobby Group: Albertans4Change Negative
2. Ed Stelmach - Don't Worry Be Happy September 25, 2007 293 Lobby Group: RealABPC Negative
3. TV Ad "Ed Stelmach -- No plan? No way!" January 14, 2008 288 Lobby Group: Albertans4Change Negative
4. "Plan" January 25, 2008 252 Lobby Group: Albertans4Change Negative
5. TV Ad "Health Care Question for Stelmach" February 20, 2008 240 Lobby Group: Albertans4Change Negative

Kevin Taft (Leader of the Alberta Liberal Party)

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
1. Kevin Taft: The Next Alberta February 13, 2008 908 Alberta Liberal Party Positive
2. Alberta Liberal TV Ad #2: "It's Time" (30 sec) February 28, 2008 680 Alberta Liberal Party Positive
3. Meet Kevin Taft February 5, 2008 494 Alberta Liberal Party Positive
4. Alberta Liberal TV Ad: "It's Time" (15 sec) February 28, 2008 210 Alberta Liberal Party Positive
5. Kevin Taft: Our Position on Royalties October 23, 2007 128 Alberta Liberal Caucus Positive

Brian Mason (Leader of the Alberta NDP)

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
1. Alberta's NDP - In your corner. On your side. February 22, 2008 937 NDP Positive
2. Alberta's NDP - Taking Big Money out of Politics February 26, 2008 282 NDP Positive
3. Alberta's NDP - Message from Brian Mason February 21, 2008 264 NDP Positive
4. AUPE Labour Rally - Brian Mason October 28, 2007 104 Vlogger Positive
5. Who Is Tim Stock-Bateman? I'm Tim Stock-Bateman February 3, 2008 93 NDP Positive

George Read (Leader of the Alberta Green Party)

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
1. PART 1/11: Alberta Leaders Debate - Opening Statements February 22, 2008 364 AlbertaVotes2008 Neutral
2. PART 5/11: Alberta Leaders Debate - Oil Sands Development February 22, 2008 313 AlbertaVotes2008 Neutral
3. PART 2/11: Alberta Leaders Debate - Need for Change February 22, 2008 299 AlbertaVotes2008 Neutral
4. PART 6/11: Alberta Leaders Debate - Environment & Economy February 22, 2008 280 AlbertaVotes2008 Neutral
5. PART 4/11: Alberta Leaders Debate - Need for Leadership February 21, 2008 238 AlbertaVotes2008 Neutral

Paul Hinman (Leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta)

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
1. Closing Statement February 22, 2008 311 Wildrose Alliance Party Positive
2. CBC's Politics - Paul Hinman's Debate performance February 15, 2008 230 Wildrose Alliance Party streaming CBC Media Neutral
3. STALEmach February 14, 2008 117 Wildrose Alliance Party Positive
4. Infrustruction February 22, 2008 114 Wildrose Alliance Party Positive
5. A Message for Ed February 14, 2008 94 Wildrose Alliance Party Positive

"Alberta Election"

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
1. Alberta's NDP - In your corner. On your side. February 22, 2008 937 NDP Positive: NDP
2. Kevin Taft: The Next Alberta February 13 2008 908 Alberta Liberal Party Positive: Kevin Taft
3. TV Ad "Money" February 19, 2008 898 Lobby Group: Albertans4Change Negative: Ed Stelmach
4. Alberta Liberal TV Ad #2: "It's Time" (30 sec) February 28, 2008 680 Alberta Liberal Party Positive: Kevin Taft
5. Meet Kevin Taft February 5, 2008 494 Alberta Liberal Party Positive: Kevin Taft

2 March, 2008 - 12:49