Electionmall Technologies*
Company Review Rating
Bob Filner for Congress, Socas for Congress
While CEO Ravi Singh aims for his company to be a market leader in the field of tech vendors serving political clients, the approach ElectionMall Technologies has taken to serving the market is unlike that of other vendors. The company’s name is no accident. Indeed, ElectionMall’s products are sold individually via an online storefront, and paid for via an ecommerce transaction that enables consumers to choose individual tools off the virtual shelf, downloading them for a relatively small, one-time cost.
While CEO Ravi Singh aims for his company to be a market leader in the field of tech vendors serving political clients, the approach ElectionMall Technologies has taken to serving the market is unlike that of other vendors. The company’s name is no accident. Indeed, ElectionMall’s products are sold individually via an online storefront, and paid for via an ecommerce transaction that enables consumers to choose individual tools off the virtual shelf, downloading them for a relatively small, one-time cost. By focusing on selling inexpensive, compatible tools, and Web basics like selling domain names, Singh hopes to better serve the large number of candidates running for local political offices—the political customers with small budgets often forgotten by other technology vendors. “We’re focused on the ABC fundamentals,” stresses Singh.
Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, and Monterey, Mexico
Like a real-world shopping mall, ElectionMall has been designed as a shopping center for all the products a political candidate or issue group might need for its online campaign. The company sells its own java-script-based tools which have been developed in-house, as well as partnering with other technology and Web services vendors. ElectionMall makes its software available in the form of separate scripts, or lines of computer code, for each tool which can be integrated into customer’s
pre-existing website code. Some of the firm’s applications are also offered in ASP form (meaning they can be accessed directly on the web).
Taking the soup-to-nuts approach, ElectionMall offers individual tools for website content management, online constituent registration, blogging and advertising. Tools are sold separately and priced from $295 and up and most can be renewed for an annual $99 fee. Its $295 e-Campaign Scheduler allows customers to add events a website calendar and enables event goers to RSVP online. Its e-Pop Up Video tool, $395, automatically opens a Web video pop-up on a campaign website for commercials or other video footage. The company’s Command and Control software allows users to build, maintain and brand a website. Using the company’s Get Out the Email (GOTEmail) product, clients can create, target, deliver and track email campaigns, as well as store and segment databases. Reports monitoring email and website interactivity are also available. Customers can pay to license ElectionMall’s tools on a monthly or annual basis. The firm also offers Get-out- the-Vote services that include automated and live operator phone calls, blast faxing, email blasting, and personalized direct mail pieces.
ElectionMall partners with Intranets.com to offer customers Intranet capabilities for $10 per user per month. In addition to offering domain name purchasing through its ElectionDomainServices.com site, the company is developing a shopping section where vendors can create accounts, set-up virtual storefronts and offer their wares -- from campaign bumper stickers and yard signs to software. Though the ElectionMall shopping site is in development, the company currently deals directly with customers to provide its products.
According to FEC filings:
- Bob Filner for Congress spent over $1,700 for Election Mall robo telephone services during the 04 cycle (robo phone services include straight messages, live pick-up messages, or live operator phone calls).
- James Socas for Congress spent over $28,000 for telephone services during the ’04 cycle.
Though ElectionMall will not name specific clients, the company claims that the number of clients who have downloaded its products is “in the thousands.” ElectionMall’s primary market is comprised of candidates for small municipal offices, as opposed to statewide or national candidates with large databases and larger campaign coffers. Says Singh, “These guys just don’t have the staff” to afford some of the other software products and services available to the political market. He adds, “Everybody’s gone with the Mercedes Benz level. Let’s teach them how to drive first.”
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