Obama, Obama, Obama! Three reasons he'll succeed

It's 6 am out here in Southern California. I'm in front of the TV ready to witness this amazing moment that I thought would never come - a president who understands what a republic means and knows how to lead it in the age of social media.

Obama earned his spot at the podium to be seen by billions around the world not because of his skin color, but because "Brand Obama" is social media proof.  Edelman provided an excellent summation by breaking down the tactical gains into repeatable chunks. Download the report here.

Brand Obama resonates out from his soul vs. having a marketing spin of "maverick" layered over top. McCain's Maverick label seemed contrived, "No Drama Obama" rings true consistently no matter what Obama did or which year he did it in. It sure helped that he and his family are about the most photogenic bunch ever to reach YouTube and Magazine covers.

All that consistency, transparency and accessibility translated into trust factors that resonated with women and men alike. Obama had five times the friends on facebook than McCain.

Everyone is worried about how Obama is going to pull it off, with so many issues facing him on day one - I'm not, for three reasons:

1. He has done more to bring women into the political conversation than any of his predecessors. As Best Buy figured out, the more women you have on the sales floor, the higher percentage of sales. It's not about one woman at the top, it's about all women feeling included.

2. With social media, we can self-organize and get things done. Look at all the work that has been completed on Climate Change without the Bush administrations help.  Obama knows how to leverage self-directed momentum.

3. He's going to pull it off by continuing his citizen engagement program started at www.change.gov. He's provided a place to air ideas, not gripes which sets the tone for positive action. As long as we have a way to participate and feel we are being heard, we tend to stay with the brand. That's been proven over and over on consumer sites listed on the left of this blog.
 
I'm going to close now and turn my attention to the moment and the man that has brought trust, honor and dignity back to Washington. Where did I put that box of tissues...

Comments

[Sharon Wilson]

Great article. I agree with your reasoning and especially your comment that "it's about all women feeling included, not about women at the top". Cheers to that.