May the best brand win. And he did. - Three Great Branding Lessons from the Campaign Trail

Guest post by: Ed Delia
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May the best brand win. And he did. - Three Great Branding Lessons from the Campaign Trail - By Ed Delia

The party is over. The people have spoken. Only time will tell if President-elect Barak Obama will live up to high expectations in a challenging economic climate. Those of you, who know me well, know where I stand politically. This article is not one of political debate or ideology. Rather, it provides an opportunity to extract some important lessons about branding and online marketing that surround us every day, whether you’re on the left, the right or somewhere in-between.

Barack Obama won a decisive victory. Political pundits have cited a flurry of political, social, and economic reasons why. I suggest that there is a larger, more fundamental and compelling reason, one that permeates just about every aspect of our culture: Barak Obama represented the better quality brand, and therefore the better choice for the majority of Americans. Americans buy, believe in and celebrate brands. Period.

So how was this achieved?

1. A simple, focused and decisive message.

The message of Change was everywhere. A simple message, one that resonated with target audiences nationwide. Coupled with smart, equally direct symbolism, the O for Obama, with a rolling flag in the center. The mark of the brand emblazoned on every ad, at every rally, in direct mail, in your sleep. While some argued that the message of Change lacked depth, he nonetheless stayed “on message.”

In a presentation about 4 years back, I made the same case for President George Bush’s decisive win over rival John Kerry. Bush’s message: Protecting America. Kerry’s message was less defined. People didn’t quite know what he stood for. He was regularly accused of flip-flopping on issues, never really re-defined his brand, and lost.

2. Harnessing the power of online marketing

Barak Obama defined and marketed his brand like no other candidate in history. Facebook, blogs, online donations, a powerful website, and on and on. He reached the largely democratic youth demographic en masse by bringing his brand message to the Internet, right where they ‘hang out’.

In a time when consumers were and are pulling back on the spending reigns, they passionately invested in this brand. People will buy – whether in good times or bad – if they strongly believe in your brand, and believe that it offers them decisive and unquestionable value.

3.Investing heavily and wisely in delivering the message at multiple touchpoints

Barack Obama invested in the delivery of his brand, raising an astounding amount of campaign funding to fuel his message, even allowing him to run a 30-minute ‘infomercial’ on the major networks to help seal the deal.

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May the best brand win. And he did. - Three Great Branding Lessons from the Campaign Trail - By Ed Delia

About the Author: Ed Delia

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Ed Delia grew up in the dynamic and challenging world of marketing. In 1998, he was named president of Delia Associates, assuming full control of the company founded by his father in 1964. Delia Associates has directly contributed to the success and growth of a wide varitey of clients, helping businesses expand their sales opportunities through the development and implementation of highly successful branding campaigns. In 2007, Ed became only the ninth professional in N.J. to earn the Professional Certified Marketer designation from the American Marketing Association, Joing an Elite group of just 250 marketing professionals in the U.S. who hold that designation. Ed was honored as one of New Jersey's 40 under 40 for 20069, an annual designation by NJBiz, the state's leading business publication. He also was named 2006 Outstanding Business Person of the Year by the Somerset Business Partnership. Ed is a frequent speaker on branding, marketing, advertising, and technology-driven communications. He is an Expert Speaker for Vistage International, the largest peer-to-peer learning organization for CEOs. Ed earned his BA in English from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.
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May the best brand win. And he did. - Three Great Branding Lessons from the Campaign Trail

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