Consultants and political observers agree that Net advertising is the next big thing in promotional politics. ''Not in this election, but for the next presidential election, the next couple of elections, they'll be ready for it,'' said Ben Isaacson, a vice president of the Washington-based Association for Interactive Media. Internet and political experts say the rise of political advertising on the Internet will parallel technological advances in ''targeting,'' a marketer's ability to tailor the message to a narrow audience. Lynn Reed, the founder of NetPolitics Group, a Washington, D.C. firm that develops campaign strategies for the Internet, predicts big growth in the next few years. Campaigns are just now realizing that a Web site is essential for reaching voters, said Reed, who oversaw the launch of the official Clinton-Gore '96 Web site. I'm going to have to prove to my clients that this stuff works, and I haven't seen a good example yet,'' she said.
Companies are often willing to risk missing their targets.
Unsolicited e-mail, or ''spam,'' can be especially risky. Candidates in Orange County, Calif., and North Carolina recently sent unsolicited e-mail ads to thousands of recipients, infuriating many of them. By The Associated Press Copyright 1999 Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.