Marketing and the 2008 Presidential Election

The Story Behind Your Slogan
You want a compelling brand with a real message to match. Both campaigns had strong, carefully crafted slogans: “Change We Need” and “Country First.” As marketers, we know that you’d better have a compelling, substantial story to tell that backs up your slogan and gets people interested in finding out more about your product. Regardless of the outcome, the “Joe the Plumber” story is a good example of applying a real life story to the point you’re trying to make about what you have to offer. Any time you can put a face on a concept, product, or service, you’ve taken the first step toward cultivating good impressions of your business.

Grow Your Customer Base, with Permission
We witnessed the exponential growth of a customer base through traditional and non-traditional methods. Direct mail continues to be effective as part of a well-rounded campaign, but the change we saw online was less spam and more permission-based. Both sides worked hard at growing their lists, trying to deliver more personalized, relevant messages as opposed to blatant fundraising. In contrast to 2004, messages were more customized, and open rates were carefully tracked, avoiding wasted effort and repetition and resulting in more precise targeting with better results. Remember, it’s easier to sell to someone who’s actually willing to hear your pitch.

The Power of Endorsements
When influential people say good things about a candidate, the popularity of that candidate soars and potential new “customers” are intrigued. The same thing happens when your marketing repertoire includes client testimonials. The timing and magnitude of major endorsements during the campaign may have contributed more than the millions spent on TV ads. The importance of cultivating your customer base for referrals and glowing testimonials cannot be overstated.

Pick the Right Tools for the Job
Successful political campaigns generally have a strong mix of traditional, new, and grass roots media. The tip of the iceberg in this campaign was the effective use of social media as a unifying tool to share the message, and more importantly to involve supporters in spreading the word. All you need is a core group of supporters who will actively recruit on their own. For marketers, it’s a bit more challenging. You have to help move things along by offering consistent, compelling value. From what we saw in the presidential campaign, the potential is unlimited.