Barack Obama is more than just the next president of the United States, he's become a cult hero - a super brand of proportions rivalling that of David Beckham and Coca Cola. But how from relatively unknown just a year and half ago to popculture deity today was the brand built.
Right from the beginning he recruited the co-founder of Facebook Chris Hughes to help create the first ever socially-networked presidential campaign and encouraged 3.1 million people to donate as little as $5 to have a vested interest in a positive outcome.
Overall he managed to raise nearly US$650 million in funding [of which $240 million was spend
on advertising] as opposed to John McCain's budget of just $358 million.
The marketing attack was so comprehensive, on so many media channels and so socially connected with American youth culture - that it was almost impossible for him to lose.
The Obama campaign even bought a channel on the Dish Network to screen Obama ads 24/7.
Yes we can...take a lot, marketing wise, out of how they did it.
Here's what we had to say about it on Cape Talk 567 this morning. [hit the latest podcast button for this morning's audio]
More:
Barack Obama on YouTube
Barack Obama surfs the web to the White House - AFP
The '08 Campaign: Sea Change for Politics as We Know It - NYTimes
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