In January 2008 a well-known U.S. Senator became the front-runner in the Presidential election with some very smart campaigning and an excellent campaign slogan – Change We Can Believe in. President Barack Obama changed the communication landscape in political campaigns by using new and creative ways to fuel and grow his community. In creating a concise and clear message that resonated with the temperature of the country and cut through race and gender, he was able to engage and energize a community of change makers that wanted to make a difference.
Political campaigns are about making personal connections with voters that will leave a positive impression until Election Day. Realistically candidates are unable to shake everyone’s hand, kiss each baby’s forehead, and sit down at the kitchen table of every home. But instead they create a communication strategy that allows the candidate to “touch” each voter in some fashion before they go to the polls. And Obama’s campaign revolutionized a new medium that will forever change the political scene.
“Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not be president.” said Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of The Huffington Post. YouTube allowed Obama free advertisements with his commercials. Facebook and MySpace provided a platform for people to talk about the issues relevant to them and their families. And the campaign used an assortment of websites to leverage small donors and collect millions in online donations of less than $100. In other words, Obama became a one-man viral marketing campaign.
Two years later Obama’s administration continues to use these channels to communicate to their constituents. They believe, just like many of us do, that the family no longer congregates at the kitchen table, or in front of the TV, but rather online.
e: emccaffrey@goibelieve.com
t: @GOiBELIEVE
Eddie is a Government Relations professional working at The California Group, a public affairs firm located in San Francisco, CA
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment