The Obama campaign's victory in 2012 can be attributed to three key factors: (1) their early investment in building grassroots infrastructure long before the election, (2) their understanding of shifting voter demographics through data analysis, and (3) their localized campaign strategies tailored for each swing state. In contrast, the Romney campaign took a more top-down national approach with less emphasis on ground operations. The Obama campaign's disciplined long-term strategy focused on engaging supporters at the local level proved decisive on election day.

1. DECONSTRUCTING THE OBAMA VICTORY
What You Can Learn from the 2012 Election
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2. 2012: ANOTHER CHANGE ELECTION?
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3. PREVIOUS POST-ELECTION THEMES
2004 2006 2008 2010
The Impact of Election as a Harnessing Rise of the
Micro-targeting Referendum on the Power of Tea Party
War in Iraq Social Media
The theme for 2012…
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4. POWER OF THE GROUND GAME
4

5. KEY TENANTS OF THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN
Timing: Ground game Investment Grassroots Execution
The Incumbent heavy of significant operations
Advantage campaign plan resources in key
over time swing states
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6. OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
Whoever is first in the field
and awaits the coming
of the enemy,
will be fresh for the fight;
whoever is second in the field
and has to hasten to battle
will arrive exhausted.
- Sun Tzu
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7. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• The “permanent” campaign
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8. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• The “permanent” campaign
• Team Obama opens brick and mortar
in-state operations and hires state
directors as Romney campaign is still
trying to secure the nomination
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9. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• The “permanent” campaign
• Team Obama opens brick and mortar
in-state operations and hires state
directors as Romney campaign is still
trying to secure the nomination
• Leveraged existing online presence
for ongoing message delivery
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10. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• The “permanent” campaign
• Team Obama opens brick and mortar
in-state operations and hires state
directors as Romney campaign is still
trying to secure the nomination
• Leveraged existing online presence
for ongoing message delivery
• Obama for America Community
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11. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• Start early
– Build the army before you need it
– Define your opponent before he can define
himself
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12. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
White Black Hispanic Asian
• Start early
100
89 89 – Build the army before you need it
87 85 87
– Define83your opponent before he can define
81
77
80 himself 74 72
60 • Understand the shifting dynamics of
the electorate
40
20 13 13
9 10 9 10 10 10 11
8
10
2 2 3 2
1 8
5 6 9
0 1 2 2 3
1 2
1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012
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13. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• Start early
– Build the army before you need it
– Define your opponent before he can define
himself
• Understand the shifting dynamics of
the electorate
• Find and register new voters—engage
those who have previously remained
unengaged
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14. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• Start early
– Build the army before you need it
– Define your opponent before he can define
himself
• Understand the shifting dynamics of
the electorate
• Find and register new voters—engage
those who have previously remained
unengaged
• Analyze the data, believe what the
data says, act on the results, repeat
over time
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15. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama
Campaign was built
from ground up
Paid Media
Social Media
Ground Operations
Local Message
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16. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama
Campaign was built
from ground up
Paid Media
Social Media
Ground Operations
Local Message
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17. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama
Campaign was built
from ground up
Paid Media
Social Media
Ground Operations
Local Message
If you have any questions, please contact webinar@ddcadvocacy.com. 17

18. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama
Campaign was built
from ground up
Paid Media
Social Media
Ground Operations
Local Message
If you have any questions, please contact webinar@ddcadvocacy.com. 18

19. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama Romney
Campaign was built Campaign was built
from ground up from the top down
Paid Media
Social Media National Message
Lean
Ground Operations
Efficient
Local Message
Paid Media
If you have any questions, please contact webinar@ddcadvocacy.com. 19

20. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama Romney
Campaign was built Campaign was built
from ground up from the top down
Paid Media
Social Media National Message
Lean
Ground Operations
Efficient
Local Message
Paid Media
If you have any questions, please contact webinar@ddcadvocacy.com. 20

21. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama Romney
Campaign was built Campaign was built
from ground up from the top down
Paid Media
Social Media National Message
Lean
Ground Operations
Efficient
Local Message
Paid Media
If you have any questions, please contact webinar@ddcadvocacy.com. 21

22. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama Romney
Campaign was built Campaign was built
from ground up from the top down
Paid Media
Social Media National Message
Lean
Ground Operations
Efficient
Local Message
Paid Media
If you have any questions, please contact webinar@ddcadvocacy.com. 22

23. CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES
Obama Romney
Campaign was built Campaign was built
from ground up from the top down
Paid Media
Social Media National Message
Lean
Ground Operations
Efficient
Local Message
Paid Media
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24. IN THE END…
• The Obama campaign never
got impatient and stayed
committed; knowing the
product of the ground game
would only matter on
Election Day.
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25. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM
THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN’S VICTORY?
25

26. TAKEAWAYS
• Invest early.
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27. TAKEAWAYS
• Invest early
• Figure out who your folks are, what they
care about, where to find them, why they
will get active, and how to engage them at
the most basic level
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28. TAKEAWAYS
• Invest early.
• Figure out who your folks are, what they
care about, where to find them, why they
will get active, and how to engage them at
the most basic level
• Stick to the plan. Use information to inform
your decisions and never stop getting
smarter about your advocate base
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29. TAKEAWAYS
• Invest early.
• Figure out who your folks are, what they
care about, where to find them, why they
will get active, and how to engage them at
the most basic level
• Stick to the plan. Use information to inform
your decisions and never stop getting
smarter about your advocate base
• Grassroots infrastructure isn’t built to
deliver immediate returns, it’s built to
deliver winning ones
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30. QUESTIONS?
Email us at: webinar@ddcadvocacy.com
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