Mitt Romney‘s campaign released a mobile app, named “Mitt’s VP,” early Tuesday morning. On its surface, the app has a single purpose: Users who register by giving their personal information to the campaign will get a push notification the moment Romney announces his long-awaited choice for vice presidential candidate and will be encouraged to share the news with their social networks.
The lack of real innovation in the new Romney app is highlighted by an unfortunate bit of timing: The Obama campaign launched a new app Tuesday morning that represents a real game changer in field organizing. Whereas Romney’s app is useful mostly to the campaign, Obama’s app empowers that side’s supporters to be more effective at reaching their goals.
Obama’s app also uses a supporter’s location data to show how Obama’s policies have affected the user’s immediate area, and it takes a page from digitally-savvy NGOs (non-government organizations) by providing voters with a mechanism to report potential voting abuses on Election Day, which could become an issue this year as several states are adopting stricter voting laws.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
The app released by Romney's campaign, "Mitt's VP," focuses on the former Massachusetts governor's imminent vice presidential pick. Users who download the app are prompted to enter personal information: name, email, address, zip code and, optionally, their mobile phone number. An account on MittRomney.com is automatically created, and users are simply presented with a screen that says "Coming Soon" and promises that the app will inform users of Romney's VP pick "before the press and just about everyone else (except maybe Ann)."
Romney's new app allows the campaign to collect personal information entirely within the app, as well as crucial location data that will allow the campaign to target subsequent email messages to swing state supporters. It's the Romney campaign's second app, with a very different focus than the first, "With Mitt." That app is an engagement tool (that was famously released with a spelling error) that allowed users to overlay campaign slogans on their photos.
I wonder if those mobile devices are subject to a virus and if so, maybe they'll see Romney will be running with Justin Bieber (not sure about the age requirement for a VP, though)?
