Election 2012 lessons for effective political media and campaign ads

Joe Biden and Barack Obama in Springfield, Illinois, right after Biden was formerly introduced by Obama as his running mate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

There were significant lessons learned from Election 2012 for effective political media and campaign ads.

JIM MESSINA WON BIG FOR OBAMA

In the words of a winner, Jim Messina, manager of the Obama Biden campaign:

A decade ago, the average voter got most of their information from the  evening news, Messina said. Now, the average voter gets their news from 15  different sources, he said.

Like the individually targeted fundraising appeals, the Dashboard system also  allowed them to generate tailored voter appeals.

The campaign shifted some of its resources to online advertising, an arena  that provided more targets and a wealth of specific users.

“Television is still the dominant media, but I think online will catch up  very quickly,” Messina said. “I think it already is for young voters out there.  The next presidential, whoever has my job the next time, is going to have to  decide what percentage you spend online.”

The shift to online was even more dramatic between 2008 and 2012, Messina  said. On Election Day in 2008, the Obama campaign sent out one tweet on the  social networking site Twitter.

In 2012, the campaign not only had a Twitter team but also had a Facebook and  Tumblr, as well as additional online social media presence.

Read More: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84103_Page2.html#ixzz2CsND38b0

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLOSION

As noted by David Zurawik, baltimoresun.com, the explosive growth and use of social media in Election 2012 was indeed staggering:

Tuesday night’s election generated a record-setting political conversation of 28.5 million social media comments, according to Bluefin Labs.

The previous high was 12.2 million social media comments made in connection with the second presidential debate, according to the Boston-based firm that specializes in social-media metrics.

The first debate drew 11.2 million comments

Read More: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bal-social-media-comments-election-night-bluefin-20121107,0,2827252.story

GOING FORWARD

The landscape for effective political media and campaign ads is ever changing.

It poses major challenges for candidates, political campaigns and their strategists in future elections.

Related Articles

• Jim Messina: Jeep ad was Romney’s biggest mistake (washingtonpost.com)

• How Social Media Became THE Destination for Election 2012 Predictions and PR Lessons (sterlingpr.com)

• The 3 biggest social media takeaways from Election 2012 (prdaily.com)

• Election 2012 and Social Media in 20 infographics (inspiredm.com)

• Top Aide: Obama To Keep “Social Movement” – And Use It (buzzfeed.com)

A headline that is shocking: BLOGGER BEHEADED!

I’m not making this stuff up. An activist blogger was beheaded in Mexico.

Headline: Gang sends message with blogger beheading

Quote

Gangsters killed and beheaded an Internet blogger Wednesday in Nuevo Laredo, the fourth slaying in the city involving people associated with social media sites since early September.

“This happened to me for not understanding that I shouldn’t report on the social networks,” advised a note left before dawn with the man’s body at a key intersection in the city’s wealthier neighborhood.

xx xx xx

“No matter, I have to die of something,” said one post. “It will be for my people.”

With mainstream newspapers and broadcasters terrorized by the criminal gangs, whose violence has killed upward of 50,000 people across Mexico in five years, social media networks have become key information sources in many towns and cities.

 

Source: Read  DUDLEY ALTHAUS, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

What a tragedy!

This story should be a sobering reminder to us all of how valuable and precious our constitutional rights under the First Amendment to free speech and a free press really are in America!