Well, it’s officially done. Obama won and our country has been turned on it’s ear.
While there’s plenty to say about what this election means and will mean to the history of this country there is one observation I’ve made about the marketing brilliance of Obama.
As a MavHERick marketer, you can bet I was watching the campaign trail from a branding and marketing perspective and noted a few intriguing strategies and lessons you may wish to model:
1. No more hype! How refreshing to follow a campaign that didn’t air out dirty laundry, finger point or jump on any opportunity to make an opponent look bad. When asked how he felt about Sarah Palin’s young pregnant daughter, Obama merely commented, “My mother was 18 when she had me..” That short and honest statement was enough to make even the toughest reporter blush in shame.
2. Don’t confuse your market: While a simple website, he kept is message concise and focused with only one call to action (make a donation). It’s great to want to offer lots of value to your market but there is a fine line between value and overwhelm. Keep your offer ‘clean’ and lead your market to make only one choice. Like Obama, who raised more funds than his opponent, you’ll find your audience more apt to take action. Remember…a confused mind, does nothing.
3. Be consistent: It’s difficult to elicit trust when you say one thing and do another. This is one of the biggest brand offenses you can commit. You can say you are conservative and wish to breathe life back into the economy but taking in excess of $100k to clothe a candidate seems a conflict of message, not to mention questionable judgment. On the other hand, if you claim you are conservative and believe in investing wisely then proclaiming that you shop conservatively, like Target for instance, supports that statement. While you may think no one is watching, true brand loyalty is in the fine details.
No matter your political preferences, when you look at the execution of the Obama campaign with your brand and marketing goggles on, you have to admit…his approach was fresh, and unexpected.
Is a return to honest, consistent marketing with integrity profitable? Well, the country voted and numbers don’t lie.
Until next time…
Love and thanks,
Liz
Tags: brand, branding, branding maven, liz pabon, liz pabone, marketing to women, mavherick, obama, small business marketing
