Comments on: Barack Obama Wins Marketer of the Year http://marketingconversation.com/2008/10/17/barack-obama-wins-marketer-of-the-year/ Digital PR and Social Media Marketing Fri, 18 May 2012 23:54:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jonathan Trenn http://marketingconversation.com/2008/10/17/barack-obama-wins-marketer-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-3444 Jonathan Trenn Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:35:20 +0000 http://marketingconversation.com/2008/10/17/barack-obama-wins-marketer-of-the-year/#comment-3444 Let's see... I'll take this two ways. First of all, you've got a young, inexperienced on the national liberal level black guy, four plus years removed from being a local attorney, state senator, and community organizer, that's poised to become the 44th president of the United States. This is a country that's 12% black and 40-55 years removed from the civil rights struggle where, if he was the age he is now back then, couldn't eat at many lunch counters and drink out of the same water fountain. The country is undergoing much turmoil, with serious political divisions, as it fights two wars that have lasted longer than expected and, now finds itself itself in the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression. He did this by beating the frontrunner of his own party (Clinton) - a wife of the former president who has mega connections, access to money, a huge media market in her home base, and because of all of the above, POWER. And a reputation of playing dirty. He also beat out another young inspiring aspirant (Edwards) who already has had national exposure by being on the national ticket. He also beat out three foreign policy studs (Biden, Dodd, Richardson). He's been designated as being the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate - in a country that's supposedly still center-right. He's about to beat a nationally known war hero who has sacrificed greatly for his country and who has had a reputation of being independent minded. His record of achievement is thin - as that of most first term senators. And he's set to become the President of the United States of America. The Leader of the Free World. The Most Powerful Man on the Face of the Earth. And his middle name is Hussein. Yes, they did an excellent job in marketing Barack Obama. From A to Z. He's inspired millions, something that hasn't happened since Reagan got elected. Or maybe Kennedy. But it's not just marketing - I think it's genuine and not just a package. Having said that, I have no doubt that the good people over at Ad Age (including our ooVoo buddy Bob Garfield) are solidly liberal whose gut instincts are to be impressed by pretty much anything Obama does. That's basically the advertising industry. They're the type that would think any type of negative attack on Obama is despicable, while any negative attacks on McCain is "strong, tough politics", or, at worst, "inappropriate". Let’s see…

I’ll take this two ways.

First of all, you’ve got a young, inexperienced on the national liberal level black guy, four plus years removed from being a local attorney, state senator, and community organizer, that’s poised to become the 44th president of the United States. This is a country that’s 12% black and 40-55 years removed from the civil rights struggle where, if he was the age he is now back then, couldn’t eat at many lunch counters and drink out of the same water fountain.

The country is undergoing much turmoil, with serious political divisions, as it fights two wars that have lasted longer than expected and, now finds itself itself in the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.

He did this by beating the frontrunner of his own party (Clinton) – a wife of the former president who has mega connections, access to money, a huge media market in her home base, and because of all of the above, POWER. And a reputation of playing dirty.

He also beat out another young inspiring aspirant (Edwards) who already has had national exposure by being on the national ticket.

He also beat out three foreign policy studs (Biden, Dodd, Richardson).

He’s been designated as being the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate – in a country that’s supposedly still center-right.

He’s about to beat a nationally known war hero who has sacrificed greatly for his country and who has had a reputation of being independent minded.

His record of achievement is thin – as that of most first term senators.

And he’s set to become the President of the United States of America. The Leader of the Free World. The Most Powerful Man on the Face of the Earth.

And his middle name is Hussein.

Yes, they did an excellent job in marketing Barack Obama. From A to Z. He’s inspired millions, something that hasn’t happened since Reagan got elected. Or maybe Kennedy.

But it’s not just marketing – I think it’s genuine and not just a package.

Having said that, I have no doubt that the good people over at Ad Age (including our ooVoo buddy Bob Garfield) are solidly liberal whose gut instincts are to be impressed by pretty much anything Obama does. That’s basically the advertising industry. They’re the type that would think any type of negative attack on Obama is despicable, while any negative attacks on McCain is “strong, tough politics”, or, at worst, “inappropriate”.

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