Barack Obama’s Interactive Campaign

Shiba C.E. Palmer

Web Information Specialist

University of Detroit Mercy

Marketing & Public Affairs Department

March 9, 2009

The “Obama Brand”• Across print, web, mobile, merchandising and all

other interactive media, the Obama campaign used grass-roots and for-profit marketing strategies to communicate campaign (marketing) messages, capture and mobilize potential/current voters and volunteers

– Social Networking– Email– Mobile Devices– Electronic Placement

• These channels were used to direct targeted audience to the http://www.barackobama.com website, that provided a comprehensive interactive campaign for the election and is still being used as a tool during the administration.

• Within the Obama web site, the campaign created http://my.barackobama.com (social networking site) to further engage users

Obama’s Social Networking Campaigns“Obama Everywhere”

• Fully-functional web profiles on all relevant social networking site (general and demographically based) used to communicate marketing messages and lead users to http://www.barackobama.com and

– Register as a supporter– Donate money & volunteer– Purchase merchandise

• All profiles follow the “Obama Brand”, with similar navigation, graphic, CSS (color, typesetting) and writing style design

“Obama Everywhere”: YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/BarackObamadotcom

• Registered as a “campaign” to received formatting and link benefits

• Links on channel homepage direct users to YouTube specific URLs: www.barackobama.com/YoutubeGoTV/

• Recorded/uploaded 1,836 videos as of 3/3/09, each with links to issue-specific URLs within www.barackobama.com

• 166,719 subscribers as of 3/3/09 who upload their own videos, embedded and link videos in other sites, & (most importantly) spread marketing messages from the campaign & cabinet

• The cabinet now records/uploads Obama’s weekly (previously radio) address & all his appearances proactively, then onto http://www.whitehouse.gov/

“Obama Everywhere”: MySpace Profile(s)

http://www.myspace.com/barackobama • Registered as an “IMPACT” profile to take

advantage of formatting, search & promotion options

• Created multiple profiles, representing all key constituents:

• Links on profile homepage direct users to MySpace specific URLs

• Offered code & links to users to embed images &RSS feeds, register to my.barackobama.com (MyBO) & “Obama Mobile”

• Provides links to all the campaign profiles on other social networking sites, videos, blogs and interaction opportunities.

“Obama Everywhere” con’t

Obama’s Email Campaign

• Email Campaign– Email subjects were formatted

to be from a variety of Obama representatives (Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, campaign reps, etc.)

– The mailing list is currently being used by the administration and stakeholder to work to inform and mobilize constituents for the budget, stimulus package, etc.

“Obama Mobile” Cell/Mobile Devices

Cell Phone/Mobile Device SMS Text Campaign “Obama Mobile”

– All modes previously discussed lead to the registration page that enables users to receive messages via SMS Text on mobile devices (with coordinating registration numbers)

– Messages are sent on a regular basis (up to daily, based on the campaign activities) for a variety of marketing messages and announcements of interest to the campaign and presidency

Obama’s Electronic Placement

• Targeted marketing on a variety of web-based and desktop utilities

– Flash banners on relevant websites– Commercials on video streaming site;

www.comedycentral.com, www.hulu.com, etc.

– Pseudo” product placement• Pandora Music• Xbox 360• Guitar Hero• Madden 09

www.barackobama.com

www.barackobama.com/downloads

my.barackobama.com

• The Obama campaign created a pseudo social networking site within the website

– Profile creation– Blogs / communication with other

supporters– Create/attend events– Donate / volunteer– View content– Buy branded merchandise– Suggest interactive campaign

activities