social network

An election of commuincation

I know I get excited by the smallest things, but the up coming general election in the UK is really going to be something. Not for all the reasons of potential regime change, but the cascade of communications. The very nature of the state of politics in the UK at present means fractural opinions are being considered.

The main parties being so frighten of an original or different view. Even mainstream press are considering the whitterings of the nuttiest blogger as light relief from the blandness of central office party line. I quite warm to Gordan Browns inept PR skills, his advisors attempt to lighten his image are so ham fisted its got to be some kind of massive double bluff, surely he can't really be that way? If David Cameron does become PM at least we should get some decent satire from the left at last. Those of us who remember how good comedy was under the last Conservative government know that really British humour only works when we moan about stuff, as for music,  protest and anger songs have only ever worked under the Tories.

Social networks. The lack of American style fund raising will probably mean we won't see the cleverness of the Obama style social network activity. I would be surprised however if we don't see some pretty heavy weight SEO spending. What Obama did with Fox news misinformation so Labour should do with Cameron's media chums, However and its a big however. The modern Labour party is a world away from common sense and logical actions.

Humour

The early rounds of tit for tat ads are shaping up nicely. I do hope we'll see more of this. The ones shown on this page are all from the excellent Beau Bo D'Or

 

Barck Obama the gift to new business

I have been writing a whole bunch of presentations lately on the lessons we can learn from Barack Obama's marketing campaign. Pretty much all centred on the thought that the internet changed in October 2008.

There are so many things to draw on from the opening up of visual equities to the YouTube rebuttals linked to sites like Fightthesmears.com

Todays cut on the story is building around the thought about optimised search via brand negative terms

"Brand advocacy grows with quieter advertising and looser brand control –just ask Obama."

There are many elements to Barack Obama’s campaign that have changed the way online communications should now be used. The SEO element using supporters generated content should impact on any brand with an online presence. Most brand sites do not account for consumers current search behaviour. The internet changed in October have you explained to your clients why?

Good Obama case history

Barack Obama’s digital agency

Earlier version of social networking element

BBC article about changes in search patterns

Chris Hughes ex Facebook was behind the mybarackobama.com strategy