Stars, Stripes and Social Media: Presidential Race Contenders Use Web Strategies

While I was thinking of what topic to blog about this week, I stumbled upon this article. In his Fast Company column, "The Scoble Show," Robert Scoble sheds some light on what the candidates are doing to reach out to supporters. What you can learn from the presidential candidates and their promotion tactics may not only surprise you but inspire you to take your company's marketing strategy to the next level.

In addition to what Robert points out, here are a few bits to chew on.

In my blog, I've talked quite a bit about your target audience. It's so important and drives your whole marketing strategy. In the race for the highest office in the land, the candidates, or perhaps their campaign managers, really get that. Businessweek notes that "the candidates seem to understand that the Millennials could have a disproportionately loud voice in November and are starting to target them more assiduously. Note the near-comic zigzagging of campaigns after Iowa, when politicians refined their talking points to appeal to Gen Y."

Crafting the right message, one that your audience cares about and compels them to action, is crucial. While on the campaign trail, the candidates are choosing to say things like "join me, and together we can change this country and the world" because they understand that this is the type of rhetoric their audience will rally behind.

Any good marketing plan includes a positioning strategy. All the presidential hopefuls are claiming to be digitally aware. Businessweek reports that Mike Huckabee lists his favorite movies on his Facebook page and Mitt Romney's MySpace page features photos of backers.

While we are on the topic of the Web, it's worth noting that the Clinton campaign is utilizing their website to its fullest potential. To appeal to the much sought after younger voter, Hillary added a feature called "Ask Hillary" to her website. It allows visitors to pose questions directly to the candidate.

Finally, Obama realized early on that mobilizing support among young voters was going to be essential in the '08 bid for the White House. His staffers and volunteers started combing college campuses for support, collecting names, building databases and in the process created a monster social networking system.

Wow! Who knew the marketing of politics could be so cutting edge and a topic I'd cover in a marketing blog for small biz?

Click "read more" for the Fast Company article.


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