UK Labour Party create Twibbon to encourage support on Twitter
Could ‘Twibbons’ be the secret weapon in Gordon’s online war?
The digital drama that has dominated the UK’s political coverage this week took another turn yesterday, as Labour politicians escalated their presence on social networking site, Twitter, by donning ‘Twibbons’ – small Labour Rosettes – in the corner of their profile pictures.
The Labour party’s decision to create a 20-page document outlining their strategy for communicating through Twitter, has been the subject of both positive and derogatory press in recent days.
The Twibbon was created by @david_taylor, a Labour activist, and was quickly employed by MP Kerry McCarthy, who was named by The Independent on Monday as the most influential minister on Twitter.
Within minutes, councillors, ministers and student Twitterers were adding the Twibbon to their avatar pictures and by late evening, John Prescott had adopted the Twibbon, following his blog on David Cameron’s now ignominious radio interview.
Curiously, there has been a half-hearted response from the opposition, with some Conservatives adopting their own Twibbon and giving credence to the perception that the Tories are unclear as to their own position on Twitter. This campaign has attracted support from the likes of South East Regional Chairman Paul Swaddle, but has not taken off with the vim of the Labour effort.
