Obama's Marketing Strategy - 2008-10-27

No one initially gave him a chance. But Barack Obama, the relatively inexperienced African-American senator, born of a Kenyan father, has since gone past that stage to put himself in pole position to become the next president of the world's most powerful country- the USA. How come? Ralph Tathagata reports that the answer lies in the branding and marketing campaign strategy of the man who may well become the first American president of black extraction.

He has already made history by becoming the first African-American to fly the flag of a major political party in the US presidential election. Next week Tuesday, November 4, 47-year-old Senator Barack Obama may well make the ultimate history if he beats Republican rival, Senator John McCain in the presidential ballot.

For weeks, Obama, the Democratic Party flag bearer, has led in opinion polls, widening the gap between him and McCain as the days go by.

Last Monday the Gallup Poll daily tracking survey showed Obama leading McCain nationally by 11 percentage points, 52-41. Before then, an October 17-19 CBS-New York Times poll of registered voters showed Obama with 54 per cent to McCain's 41 per cent.

In addition, Obama was said to be holding more than the number of Electoral College votes necessary for victory if the election were held as at M2’s press time, leaving the 72-year-old McCain battling against the clock to win back states that once leaned in his favour.

A New York Times analysis of the electoral map showed Obama narrowly exceeding the 270 Electoral College votes needed for victory. The analysis showed Obama with 277 votes to 185 for McCain, with only Nevada, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida still considered toss-ups. The 277 came about by adding the states solidly in Obama's corner and those that polls showed were leaning to the Democrat, including Virginia.

Away from the opinion polls and on to the soap box, McCain, last Monday, spoke to a crowd of only 2,000 in St. Louis in the hotly contested Missouri. On the other hand, Obama drew 100,000 when he spoke in the same town two days earlier.

To come this far in the race to the White House, Obama has had to overcome what even he himself at a time considered seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Apart from being black, he also has names closely associated (rightly or wrongly) with international terrorism. But attempts to use any of such against him have so far failed.

Analysts say this is because Obama has so far run an unassailable campaign not based on race but on what he has to offer to the American people. He knows that the American people desire change and he is offering them “Change you can believe in.” He has eloquently articulated the problems of the electorate and what he would do about them. At a time when America, like the rest of the world, is contending with economic recession, he has presented convincing possible remedies. 

That is not all. Obama does not gloss over his deficiencies but acts to make up for them. He also does not allow room for undue sentimentalism. This explains why he acted against popular opinion which wanted him to choose, as running mate, Senator Hillary Clinton, the immediate past First Lady, who gave him a run for his money in the party primaries. Obama rather settled for veteran Senator Joe Biden, a foreign policy expert, to make up for his (Obama's) lack of foreign policy experience.

Also, in a country in the grip of growing religious disinterest and declining family values, Obama has effectively marketed himself as a committed Christian (contrary to speculations that he is a Muslim) and a man with deep family values. Even at the peak of campaigns, he took a two-day break on October 18 and flew to Hawaii to visit his suddenly gravely ill 86-year-old grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, a central figure in his life. This immediately consolidated his image as a compassionate, caring man with strong family values.

Branding, marketing and PR professionals largely agree that Obama's upscale position in terms of appearance and gift of the garb have also played a major role in positioning him as the brand of choice among the socio-economic strata. They hold that the economic strata he now represents cuts across the ideals and aspirations of American people.

Obama's campaign strategy is hi-tech, fully exploiting the potentials of electronic marketing, and portrays pitch-perfect understanding of the keys to appealing to the youngest voters (irrespective of colour) quite unprecedented in US presidential politics.

Young people want to be in control of their relationship with a brand. They want to customise and personalise, as they can on iTunes, Mobile Me and YouLocate among others. Expert campaign watchers say that Obama's campaign website (Obama.com) allows this with its use of tagging, discussion boards, photo uploads and other interactive elements.

However, even most young Americans who will never find their way to the Obama site, in one way or the other relate with the brand. But those that do have helplessly become Obama's hi-tech power users and commercial brand ambassadors.

One of the most impressive elements of Obama's online marketing campaign strategy is the reach achieved through social networking, which is one of the fastest growing and far reaching methods of online exposure available today.

No matter what page you are visiting on the Obama web site, the red 'donate now' button draws your attention. It is essentially the only red image on a blue, grey and white web site, which is a very subtle, yet powerful method of encouraging people to take the action.

Today, in the US, if a prominent politician schedules a major event, news venues will analyse the speech from every angle before it has been drafted. Social networking sites will come to a consensus about what he or she should say, and the politician will speak against the backdrop of a plethora of expectations. Obama has made maximum use of this.

“What the Obama campaign has done so far,” said one analyst, “is to leverage many of the social-networking kingmakers who have been so supportive of the campaign to date. Its messages have been goal-oriented, changing minds and getting supporters to the polls, producing a steady drumbeat of positive discussion.”

Analysing Obama's campaign style, the international magazine, Newsweek, noted that he is the first US presidential candidate to be marketed like a high-end consumer brand. The report observed that Obama's rising-sun logo echoes the one world iconography of Pepsi among other leading global brands. It said that some design gurus have admitted that Obama's online look and feel make him the first candidate with a coherent, top-to-bottom, 360-degree system at work.

Here in Nigeria, marketing communication experts have also been analysing the factors responsible for the making of the Obama phenomenon. One of them, Mr. Kola Ogunshote of Synergy Consulting, told M2 that “The Obama campaign epitomises importance and the strategic use of market research and analysis to identify basic values that meet the intrinsic needs and aspirations of a defined target audience.”

According to Ogunshote, “From the onset, the Barack Obama campaign was able to correctly identify the main defining issues in the 2008 election, which are the economy, the war in Iraq and the need for change in the direction of American politics. On the basis of this, a strategic and consistent (emphasis on consistent) communication programme was put in place to highlight Obama's position on these issues starting from the campaign slogan “Change We Can Believe In.”

Ogunshote described Obama's position on bringing the troops home and revitalising the economy by imposing more taxes on big business as a good strategy. “Obama's position on bringing the troops home and revitilising the economy by imposing more taxes on big business is very strategic,” he said. “Since these are issues which cut across the social or racial divide, it is no surprise that Obama has been such a hit with many Americans, whether old or young, black or white, conservative or liberal. There is also no doubt that the Obama strategists have been able to build a strong and appealing brand personality for their candidate.”

On the Obama brand appeal to the youngest American voters, Ogunshote had this to say: “Yes, the Obama campaign has been able to appeal to the youngest American voters because of its understanding of their social behaviour and psychographics. Since young American voters are internet devotees and communicate mainly through this medium, the decision to massively use this media to campaign and raise funds has met with unprecedented success. Everyday they come across communication messages on the candidate which they naturally find hard to ignore.

“This success has clearly demonstrated the awesome power of new media in today's information age. But we must acknowledge and commend Obama for the creativity and courage required to tread this hitherto unknown path,” he enthused.

Speaking further, he said: “In hi-tech terms we must look at the creativity in web design, the powerful  and persuasive communication messages, interactivity and the ability to raise massive campaign funds online in trickles (some less than $1), yet resulting in the highest campaign fundraising in American history.”

 Ogunshote has no doubt in his mind that Obama has been effectively marketed as the real deal. “This also highlights the power of Integrated Marketing Communications in brand and reputation building,” he said. “From what he wears, where he appears, what he says, how he reacts to issues and the consistency of his message, Obama has been able to use Public Relations in conjunction with other elements of the marketing mix to win the hearts and minds of the American people. A case in point is his refusal to be miffed in the face of provocation by John McCain in the final Presidential debate. His campaign has been focused on the issues, on truth and on consistency, very important elements of a good PR campaign,” he passionately professed.

He concluded that these are very important lessons for brand and marketing people on these shores who still miss out on the power of strategic and integrated communications, especially in their lack of acknowledgement of the focal power of PR in building reputation and credibility, and ultimately market share, for their brands.

To Mr. Charles O' Tudor of Adstrat Communications, the Obama brand is verging on iconoclasm. “The Obama brand toed the iconoclastic line in terms of branding and positioning. His strategic focus was based on building equity around his 'intellectual depth and realism' platform. This to me is a strong platform because it positioned him as deeply cerebral and in tune with global and American socio-eco-political realities,” O' Tudor said.

He added that “Obama's iconoclastic pattern of branding and his 720 degrees positioning ensured his brand is holistic in terms of approach to issues. This also ensured the following brand attributes were projected; The icons (Leader- firm and decisive, Father-strong and Caring, Friend-Empathy to listen). These are strong Brand Platforms that has come to bear in his political positioning.”

Indeed, that Obama has run a good race and achieved the unimaginable is obvious. That this has been largely achieved through the development and execution of an unbeatable marketing communication strategy is not debatable. The meaning: His campaign strategists have every reason to hold their heads high no matter which way the wind blows on November 4.