President-elect Barack Obama
President-elect Barack Obama’s hard-fought and well-deserved victory over John McCain, Hilary Clinton and dozens of other talented political contenders has confirmed some of the things my most trusted mentors have always told me:
1.) Even that which we perceive as impossible can be achieved. Most people had serious doubts that an unknown black man with a funny name could EVER be president…yet here we are, less than 70 days from one of the most promising presidential administrations in history. Is that exciting or what!
2.) Average people can make a difference if they commit to a common goal. President-elect Obama’s fundraising strategy broke every record imaginiable. He raised more than $600 million dollars, most of which came from small donors who gave less than $100 at a time. That means that people wanted to see America move in a new direction so badly, many of them sacrificed their modest incomes to make it happen…and they did!
3.) America truly is a cultural melting pot, where people of all backgrounds can come together for one goal and live in peaceful co-existence. I was amazed at the diversity of faces at the election-night Obama celebration in Chicago’s Grant Park. It literally brought tears to my eyes.
Given the socio-economic “pneumonia” America is currently suffering from, these things are exactly what the doctor ordered. However, if we as a nation are going to bounce back, smaller business owners must take the lead. I believe that if they are smart, small business owners should take a serious look at Mr. Obama’s strategy as a means to get our country back on track. Where should a business owner start? Follow the “Obama model” and make the following things top priority:
1.) Clearly identify your audience. Obama knew who he wanted to reach: Middle-class Americans who were being hit hardest by Bushes tyrannical policies. He also wanted to reach young people. As a result, approximately 25 million new voters registered to cast ballots in this election. Obama mobilized the most complacent and apathetic members of our culture. Why? Because he was very clear about who was speaking to and they got the message. Who is your target audience?
2.) Create a focused message that resonates with your audience and stick to it. Early in his campaign, Mr. Obama started using the word “CHANGE” as his rallying cry. Later, Hip-hop artist Will.i.am made a song about it. Suddenly, people all over the country started believing that Obama represented and could bring about the kind of “change we could believe in.” That $h!t worked flawlessly! What’s your message? Are you articulating it consistently?
3.) Connect with your market on a personal level. Social media outlets like FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube make this easy and fun. This is more than just networking, this is relationship building and when a relationship is good, it’s hard to abandon. President-elect had hundreds of thousands of loyal followers in all these outlets. How could your business benefit from having a strong social media presence?
Over the next few weeks, I will continue to explore the strategies President-elect Obama used to win and how you can apply them to your business and your publicity efforts as well.
What other strategies do you think helped Obama and how can they be applied to your business?
1 Comment
November 19, 2008 at 11:56 am
Yes we can. yes we did. Thiis is good Monique. I have a friend, Melissa Johnson who wrote a book, “Brand Me” and did a blog post called – BRAND ME LIKE OBAMA. You’d like it. See http://www.brandmelive.com and see her blog. She’s in ATL and a good person to know. She’s like us!
God bless you.
Pam
Reach out when you get a second via http://www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com to see how we can really help more folks with this PR thingy.