Analysis of the integrated marketing communication components of a political campaign. Brand, brand values, logo, target audience and creative strategy of the Obama's campaign in 2012 were examined.

1. Barack Obama
Elections 2012

2. The Brand
Goals
Brand Values
Target Audience

3. GOALS OF THE CAMPAIGN
“…We are not going to
repeat the mistakes we
made in the past…”
• Keeping vivid image
and success of the
first elections
• Going Forward
• Trust worthy

4. Obama’s Packaging: the LOGO
• Symbol of HOPE
• “O” of Obama’s name
• Idea of rising sun
• Colours of the American
flag

5. BRAND VALUES
EQUALITY
• Progressive tax system
• More affordable education
• Gender equality (women, homosexuals)
• Job equality
• Fairer healthcare system (healthcare, insurance)
• Attention on “weakers”

6. BRAND VALUES
HUMILTY, FAIRNESS, SINCERITY
• Closeness to common
people
• Idea of “one of us”
• Evening with president
• Personal conversation with
the audience (social
media)
• Informality in behaviour

7. BRAND VALUES
“I’m not fighting to create
Democratic jobs or
Republican jobs. I’m fighting
to create American jobs “
President Obama in Milwaukee
UNITY

8. BRAND VALUES
FAMILY
• Image of himself and his family
• Attention on the family needs

9. From Brand Values
to a Branded Candidate
“The Brand Obama”

10. Reflection
Culture
Personality

11. The Critiques of the Brand
• Consumer-oriented criticism:
Excessive emphasis on Family value 
overexposure of his own family
• Social criticism:
Dangers linked to candidate branding*:
1. Presidential commodification
2. Political marketing
3. President as simulation
* Zavattaro, “The implications of a branded president”

12. • Geographic
• Demographic
Women
Seniors
People
with
disabilities
Young
Americans
Parents
Catholics
LGBT
Latinos
African
Americans
TARGET
AUDIENCE

13. HOW (evidence from website )
Very accurate & updated profile
Interactive, dynamic webpage*
Letter from National Catholic
for Obama; mainly rational *
Stressing equality, fairness
Website in Spanish; images,
bright colours*
http://www.barackobama.com/groups?source=primary-nav
WHO
Women
Young
Americans
Catholics
African
Americans
Latinos
WHAT
Abortion-related legislation;
loss of favorability
Principal social media audience
& achievement
Hardest target group to
persuade
Great supporters
70% Latinos voting Obama
Target Audience in Brief

14. Young Americans

15. HOW (evidence from website )
Very accurate & updated profile
Interactive, dynamic webpage*
Letter from National Catholic
for Obama; mainly rational *
Stressing equality, fairness
Website in Spanish; images,
bright colours*
http://www.barackobama.com/groups?source=primary-nav
WHO
Women
Young
Americans
Catholics
African
Americans
Latinos
WHAT
Abortion-related legislation;
loss of favorability
Principal social media audience
& achievement
Hardest target group to
persuade
Great supporters
70% Latinos voting Obama
Target Audience in Brief

16. Catholics – LETTER FROM NATIONAL CATHOLICS FOR
OBAMA

17. HOW (evidence from website )
Very accurate & updated profile
Interactive, dynamic webpage*
Letter from National Catholic
for Obama; mainly rational *
Stressing equality, fairness
Website in Spanish; images,
bright colours*
http://www.barackobama.com/groups?source=primary-nav
WHO
Women
Young
Americans
Catholics
African
Americans
Latinos
WHAT
Abortion-related legislation;
loss of favorability
Principal social media audience
& achievement
Hardest target group to
persuade
Great supporters
70% Latinos voting Obama
Target Audience in Brief

18. Latinos

19. The Critiques of theTarget Audience
• Too many groups, very different among them
to gain favorability
e.g. Catholics vs. LGBT, same-sex marriage,
abortion releated legislation
Lack of credibility

20. Creative Strategy
Creative Approach
Executional Elements
User-Generated Content

21. CREATIVE APPROACH
1. Emotional Appeal
WHAT:
 Fear
 Positive feelings: Empathy ,
understanding, solidarity, sense of
belonging, trust

22. Emotional Appeal
HOW:
Social media
• Massive visual impact
• Video, pictures, images
• Colours
• Music

23. Emotional Appeal
Speeches
• Effective use of language (repetition of key
words, inclusive “we”)
• Effective use paralanguage (facial expressions,
gestures, eye movements, “thumbs up”)
• Change of voice and tone
• Respect of pauses
• Shared and common feelings and topics

24. CREATIVE APPROACH
2. Spokesman
Celebrities
• Ricky Martin (LGBT, video message)
• Scarlet Johansson (young Americans, women)
Musicians
• Jay-z’s pro Obama video: The Power of Our
Voice
• Bruce Springsteen (2 concerts)

25. Celebrities co-chairs for the campaign
• Kal Pen (Associate Director
in the White House Office of
Public Engagement)
• Eva Langoria (speaker at the
Democratic National
Convention in Charlotte,
North Carolina)

26. Experts’ Opinion
US ex-presidents:
• Jimmy Carter
• Bill Clinton
Businessmen:
• Bill Gates (founder and CEO of Microsoft)
• Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google)

27. The Critiques of the Creative
Approach
• Sometimes too emotional affecting the
rational content  speeches, videos
• Excessive use of celebrities (overshadowing;
inappropriate endorsements)
• Low negative ads*: e.g 1st debate in Denver
*Quelch, J. (2008) “Going negative in political Advertising”

28. 3. User generated content
Top contributors of fundraising
• University of California - $1,092,906
• Microsoft corporation - $761,343
Women supporters
• Live video chat , saying Obama will always held
your hand
Youth Americans
• Wearing t-shirts , badges , making posters , usage
of social media to increase awareness

29. MEDIA - INNOVATION
TOOL TARGET
Internet (website, socialmedia, youtube
video, email, flickr)
Young generation, business man
TV ads Families, housewifes, seniors
Speeches Families, seniors, immigrants
Newpapers and magazines Business, educated social class
Technologies (phones , applications) Young generation, people with disabilities

30. EYES ON PRIZE

31. 332 for Obama
vs. 206 for
Romney votes.
The goals of the
2012 campaign
were achieved
successfully

32. Thanks for you attention
Giulia Babolin 1750142
Valetina Kopaliani 1756585
Neha Bhat