The Adaptive Election
By Eridani Baker & Norm Johnston, Mindshare
BackgroundBarack Obama acknowledged his victory last Tuesday by sending a tweet to his followers and posting a “hug” photo with his wife on Facebook. The result was the most liked and re-tweeted post in the history of the Internet, and further proof of the power of social marketing and media. Just consider this simple fact: in 2008 there were roughly 1.8 million tweets generated on election eve. This past Tuesday over 31 million tweets flooded Twitter. This year’s campaign also saw a 250% increase in digital advertising, mostly in online video and social networks. However, it wasn’t just the increase in tweets and media spend, it was the approach to using it that was most notable.
ImplicationsAt Mindshare we believe in Adaptive Marketing, an approach that uses real-time data to rapidly integrate and optimize all types of media and creative. In 2012, both presidential campaigns largely embraced an adaptive model, arguably one more successfully than the other.
- Integrate offline and online. Like many brands, the candidates understood that TV is more important than ever in generating online engagement, particularly in social networks. While both relentlessly used TV ads, arguably too much, the debates and news proved to be a decisive online influencer. Unfortunately for Romney, his social bounce from TV was often negative: he earned the highest amount of Twitter mentions on the same day as his “47% video” was released, only to be followed by further social spikes with “Big Bird” and “Binders of Women”. The lesson: what happens on TV via ads, programs, or news can have a major impact on your online success. Proactively integrate offline and online to create social buzz and engagement, and carefully monitor it to manage and mitigate any negative issues.
- Creative versioning. Both campaigns used real-time data, particularly online buzz, to evaluate the success of various campaign messages. If a particular theme generated a positive response, they quickly altered their creative assets and messages to reflect what was working. Furthermore, both candidates developed micro-consumer segments, and tailored their messaging to these respective audiences to build relevance and return. Obama targeted Ohio voters with an auto bailout message, while Romney targeted Floridians with messages about the Presidents’ relationship with Chavez and by default Cuba. Consider advanced online targeting tools and data that enable real-time configuration and optimization of your campaign to get the right message in front of the right person.
- Paid media generates earned media. The Obama campaign used paid advertising on Facebook and Twitter to generate more fans and followers than Romney: 32m vs. 21m on Facebook, and 12m versus 2m on Twitter. The President’s team then developed a sustained and effective content plan on these social networks to generate further advocacy amongst existing fans and to convert undecided voters, particularly important given that 88% of American voters are social media users, 39% use social to discuss politics, and nearly 1 in 3 have been influenced by their friends and family’s socially shared content. The later statistic is notable in that consumers are now using social to not only like but also to learn. In 2008 22% used places like Facebook to get info on candidates; in 2012 it’s over 50%. Use paid to generate earned media and advocacy to solidify your fans, build advocacy, and persuade others to buy your product or service.
SummaryThis election has demonstrated that understanding an integrated an increasingly dynamic and complex media ecosystem is crucial to winning. Brands can learn from both candidates, and can also leverage an Adaptive Marketing approach to win over their undecided consumers.