What marketing should learn from the Obama campaign

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Barack Obama won the presidency on a combination of many factors, but one often overlooked by marketing is the absolutely essential use of data. Obama’s campaign under manager David Plouffe was a data machine. Consider:

1. Web sites, social media, blogs, etc. – all with Google Analytics, which you could see on page load.

2. The Biden SMS play was brilliant. Get a bunch of people to sign up for your text messaging service by revealing your VP pick on mobile first, and you’ve populated your database.

3. The iPhone app was brilliant. In this Newsweek article, the app’s back end arranged the “call a friend” by states where the campaign wanted to focus. What might have seemed random or casual was in fact well thought out.

4. Email, email, email. Think email marketing is dead? Tell that to the campaign, which sent out more email than I could count, with different voices, topics, subjects, and every combination you could imagine.

5. Word of mouth. The Obama campaign actively encouraged word of mouth at every opportunity, from telling supporters at rallies to call and text friends to encouraging sharing of media by posting to YouTube, broadcasting on UStream, every avenue available to it.

The clear winner in the Obama campaign was marketing. It helped that the product was worth talking about, but without the massive, well-run marketing machine, we’d be talking about a very different president elect today.

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Comments

16 responses to “What marketing should learn from the Obama campaign”

  1. Very good Chris. Check out today's article in Silicon Alley about the Obama campaigns online advertising spend. Very interesting and VERY effective IMHO
    http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/11/obama-s-onl

  2. Very good Chris. Check out today's article in Silicon Alley about the Obama campaigns online advertising spend. Very interesting and VERY effective IMHO
    http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/11/obama-s-onl

  3. Absolutely Chris.

    Here's where this gets *really* interesting. What will President-elect Obama and eventually President Obama do with this marketing power?

    I, for one, can't wait to see the results.

  4. Absolutely Chris.

    Here's where this gets *really* interesting. What will President-elect Obama and eventually President Obama do with this marketing power?

    I, for one, can't wait to see the results.

    1. Approve

      Sent from a mobile device – please excuse brevity & typos.

  5. The Obama presidential campaign will certainly go down in history for their use of new media and marketing tactics to reach voters as well as increase their databases. As we discussed on Twitter, it will be interesting to see what happens as he transitions from being a candidate to President-Elect to President. As President, he has the opportunity to bring all of this to mainstream and show the power of these platforms.

    I will definitely be looking forward to seeing how everything plays out!

  6. The Obama presidential campaign will certainly go down in history for their use of new media and marketing tactics to reach voters as well as increase their databases. As we discussed on Twitter, it will be interesting to see what happens as he transitions from being a candidate to President-Elect to President. As President, he has the opportunity to bring all of this to mainstream and show the power of these platforms.

    I will definitely be looking forward to seeing how everything plays out!

  7. I agree the marketing strategy was superb. I think the infomercial was the most brilliant tactic. The campaign also got me to donate an additional 30 dollars that I otherwise wouldn't have by offering a free t-shirt, which I still haven't received.

  8. Thanks for detailing just how the Obama campaign did use new media to reach young voters. I wonder what new technologies will be utilized in the campaigns four years from now?

  9. I agree the marketing strategy was superb. I think the infomercial was the most brilliant tactic. The campaign also got me to donate an additional 30 dollars that I otherwise wouldn’t have by offering a free t-shirt, which I still haven’t received.

  10. Thanks for detailing just how the Obama campaign did use new media to reach young voters. I wonder what new technologies will be utilized in the campaigns four years from now?

  11. It's also about branding. Quick – what was Obama's slogan for his campaign?

    What was McCains?

    Exactly –
    http://adage.com/columns/article?article_id=132

  12. It’s also about branding. Quick – what was Obama’s slogan for his campaign?

    What was McCains?

    Exactly –
    http://adage.com/columns/article?article_id=132237&search_phrase=obama+change

  13. Thanks for the post and letting us know about the ideas of the new US president.

  14. Thanks for the post and letting us know about the ideas of the new US president.

  15. Thanks for the post and letting us know about the ideas of the new US president.

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