U.S. Chamber Garners Two 'Pollie Awards' for Online Grassroots Advocacy Efforts in 2006

WASHINGTON, DC-The United States Chamber of Commerce announced today that it has been recognized for its online grassroots advocacy work in 2006 with two Pollie Awards, earning a 'silver' recognition for an email/viral marketing campaign and an honorable mention in the persuasion online advertisement category.

"Online marketing and messaging has become such an effective tool in grassroots advocacy and as a result, an increasingly larger part of the Chamber's political program in recent years," said Bill Miller, Chamber senior vice president. "These awards are an enormous source of pride for the Chamber and our members because they recognize that our messages are helping mobilize and engage the business community in a constantly changing political climate."

The Chamber earned the Silver award for its state specific viral campaigns leading up to the 2006 mid-term elections. These campaigns organized voter files to include email address for better message distribution through state-specific micro-sites and also sent voter education emails to participants. More than 12 million emails were sent in eight different states in the effort. The honorable mention was given for the Chamber's online advertisements promoting new early voting rules.

The Pollie Awards are the national showcase for political and public affairs excellence, hosted each year by the American Association of Political Consultants. While the criteria for recognition rotates annually between political and public affairs activities, this round of awards focused on achievement specifically in the political arena.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

www.uschamber.com

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