flash campaign
n. A lobbying effort that uses the Internet and other technologies to quickly establish an agenda and build support.
Examples
2000
The buzzword for this kind of digital activism is a 'flash campaign,' so named for the instantaneous mobilization of support that can be generated in the flash of a mouse click….Successful flash campaigns have been mounted for political fundraising and to drum up support for issues ranging from gun control to the E-rate.
—Marilyn J. Cohodas, “The speed and clout of the Internet let community organizers mobilize support in the flash of a mouse click,” Governing Magazine, August 01, 2000
1998 (earliest)
Censure and Move On is a bipartisan "flash campaign," made possible only through the organizing capabilities of the Internet. Using e-mail and the Web, the campaign aims to translate a broad and deep consensus in the American public into swift action by Congress and the President. The campaign began with an online petition drive to highlight public opinion.
—“'Censure and Move On' Online Campaign Collects 100,000 Signatures in First Week,” Business Wire, October 01, 1998
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