Mobile Marketing And Politics

Electoral politics has long been one of the most widely covered events in the United States

. The presidential election of 2008 is a prime example where the race for the White House captured the imagination of not just America but also the world. More than just bringing a new President to office however, 2008 represented a significant shift in the way mobile technology is used in an election campaign.

Previous campaigns have focussed upon attracting high turn out at rallies and fundraisers where they could register volunteers and receive donations. However the 2004 presidential campaign of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean made unprecedented use of the Internet as tool for fundraising and recruiting. This allowed Dean to amass a campaign fund far in excess of his closest rivals. Unfortunately the now infamous 'Dean Scream, amongst other factors, led to Dean falling short in his Presidential bid but regardless, the ramifications of his revolutionary campaign strategy proved to be huge.

The 2008 Presidential campaign saw the emergence of the then little known Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. Largely written off against the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of Hillary Clinton, the Obama campaign looked to the Dean strategy and used new media to build itself an extensive network of dedicated grassroots supporters. Mobile marketing proved a huge part in this. Mass texting allowed Obama to communicate directly with his supporters on a personal level free from the spin afforded by mainstream media. It was further used to direct supporters to online content where they could learn more about getting involved or how they could donate to the campaign. Perhaps the most notable use of mobile technology occurred when Obama announced Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. Prior to the announcement, the campaign gave supporters the opportunity to sign up for a txt alert the moment Obama made his decision. The response was huge and when the decision was made, the alert was delivered to over 2.9 million supporters.

The success of mobile technology in 2008 has meant that subsequent campaigns have looked for new and innovative ways to embrace the benefits it offers. In 2010 the senatorial campaign of Scott Brown, a Republican running for the late Ted Kennedy's vacated seat, created applications that provided instructions on how supporters could get involved and volunteer. It was no surprise that Brown's enthusiastic base of supporters helped him to a remarkable win in the traditionally Democratic state of Massachusetts.

Heading into the upcoming midterm elections, it is already apparent that the use of mobile technology will further evolve and offer new ways for candidates to engage the wider electorate.

by: Alastair Espie

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