Obama Wins Marketer of the Year

Try marketing yourself and your policies – to a nation. Swimming with sharks sounds less like a challenge. Some of the best and most effective marketing campaigns are simple, consistent and relevant. Obama’s team leaned on these fundamentals.

What Marketers Can Learn From Obama's Campaign (click for article)

What do you think?

Here are a couple comments from astute Marketers who are in agreement that Obama pulled off an amazingly strategic and effective campaign:

• Regardless of your voting direction, his marketing was extremely compelling. "Change" "Yes you can" "Unity" all very powerful symbols. And his team has already laid the groundwork for moving from campaign one, "take action for change by voting for Obama," to campaign two, "take action to achieve change together." Subtle but very strategic in maintaining a brand connection and reliance on his audience.


• What I thought was most genius was how he branded himself and his campaign for office. He had his own logo, without any words, and you soon knew who it stood for and WHAT it stood for. Also, it was pure genius how he ran/executed his campaign – from text messages (I got one this morning even), involvement on Twitter and other social media sites, and visits to strategic locations (e.g. Espanola, New Mexico).

So, it’s not always what you say; it’s how you say it. It’s not always what you do; it’s how you do it.

I could go on and on about Obama’s campaign and how his staff revolutionized how one runs for the Oval Office. Just look at the photos from Grant Park last night. Talk about thousands upon thousands of people having clearly heard Obama’s message. Loud, clear and with hope. “Yes, we can.”

Also, something I heard on NPR the night before Election Day gave me chills. (Beautiful, moving writing is one thing; a great delivery is what feels like a much-appreciated kick to the gut.)

“Rosa Parks sat so Martin King Jr. could walk.

Martin King Jr. walked so Obama could run.

Obama is running so we all can fly.”

Talk about a powerful soundbite!

And for some political fun, check this out: http://labs.google.com/inquotes/ (Google, you’re awesome.)

Your Style of Expression

Writing. Drawing. Dancing. Painting. Taking photos. Making music. Designing buildings. Listening to music. Wearing clothes that give you confidence. These are types of creative expression. And I love them all. I admire people who strive to be individuals, not for the sheer fact of standing out (or not fitting in) but for the genuine desire to be a whole, fully-understood person. Everything we do says something about who we are—from the shoes on our feet to the cars in the street. And I think that’s what makes Marketing so powerful. You can make a statement to get a consumer to, well, make their own statement. Want to be successful, politically outspoken, taken seriously, healthier, in love or better organized? Then this (insert specific product here) is for you! I’ve always been fascinated about the psychology that goes into Marketing. The want’s, got-to-have’s, need’s and can’t-live-without’s are what drive Marketing and its creative efforts. And at the bottom of all this is you, the consumer, the individual. You’re looking to express yourself, to own something that feels, sounds, tastes and looks like you (or part of you). Besides, Marketing isn’t telling you what to do; we’re telling you to tell yourself.

Consider the interior of a friend’s house. Do you get a good picture of who that person is when you visit? From the couch style and color to the messy cabinets full of plastic containers, you start to build a picture of who that person is to you, while, let’s be honest, that person has their own perspective of themselves. The cabinet may be messy to you. Maybe it’s not to your friend.

Amazing how perception alters our reality. And Marketing can do a fantastic job of altering our realities or encouraging each of us to alter our own, simply by changing our perception. Yet, at the core level of each of us is an individual with unique thoughts, interests and tastes. You’ll never be me (thank your lucky stars for that) and I’ll never be you. And that’s a-okay. Sure, I envy my designer friends when they create something so amazing that all I can do is stare wide-eyed, as if I’m a child who just found a four-leaf clover. I’m amazed at musicians who craft songs out of thin air. I am enthralled by artists who draw and paint, for that’s a talent I will never have, no matter how many ART 101 classes I take. Each of us has our own talents, and often times, when we are creative people, we use these talents to express ourselves—to send a message into the world about who we are and what we stand for. And that’s why I love expression. It’s why I love creativity. Those who strive to capture their muse and exercise the wilder parts of their imagination get my full-on, five-star respect.

By working in Marketing and trying to get inside a consumer’s head, I have grown to appreciate individuality even more. I know people are getting constantly bombarded by messages—a lot poorly written—that we often lose sight of what is the fundamental message: live, be, enjoy, prosper.

So, if you dance, dance. If you draw, draw. If there is something you do well, then do it and do it, of course, well. For the world needs more creative people. And you could be one of them. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to the Eiffel Tower, attend a Broadway musical, enroll in an art class, keep a journal, or learn to play piano. Nothing’s stopping you except for you. And take it from me—somebody who feared she’d never land a copywriting job, let alone be working on multi-media projects—you can, if you only try.