The Marketing of Barack Obama
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Themes: Marketing
Pub Date : 2009
Countries : US
Industry : General Business
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Case Code : MCS0016
Case Length : 7 Pages
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media. McCain failed to recognise that the context of our times had completely changed. Obama's
grassroots strategy was also in striking contrast to Clinton's strategy, which aimed to leverage high
name recognition, large donors and strong support among established Democratic leaders. Axelrod
planned to start his ‘bottom-up' grassroots campaign style by creating short television biographies
that projected Obama as the quintessential face of the American dream.15
Axelrod's television
biographies would instantly popularise a virtually unknown Obama and assure the nation that Obama
would be the right choice. Axelrod also planned to promote Obama as an agent of change through an
elaborate use of modern technologies and the internet. The Obama campaign would mobilise huge
pockets of traditionally overlooked voters through the internet and cellular phones, turning countless
citizens into grassroots volunteers.16
The strategy of getting volunteers involved in large numbers
became the legacy of the Obama campaign.17
Obama segmented his market by combining several segmentation variables rather than relying
on a single segmentation base. Such a hybrid segmentation18 of the market was essential to focus on
the key demographic and psychographic target groups. While the key demographic segmentation
variables were age and race, the key segments Obama targeted were young and minority voters.
The strategy to target the youth segment in the age groups of 18–29 and 30–44 paid rich dividends.
Exit polls showed that 66% of the 18–29 age group and 54% of 30–44 age groups would vote for
Obama.
19 CNN exit polls20 showed that voters in the 18–24 age group broke 68% for Obama to
30% for John McCain and those in the 25–29 age bracket went 69%–29% in Obama's favour. The
only age group where McCain prevailed was 65 and over, and that by just a 10-%point margin,
54%–44 %, the CNN exit polls showed. Being a black man, he found it easy to target minority
segments like Blacks, Latinos and Asians. The CNN exit polls showed that minorities went heavily
into the Obama camp. Blacks, 96% Obama to 3% McCain; Latinos, 67% Obama to 30% McCain;
and Asians, 63% Obama to 34% McCain. His psychographic segmentation of the market allowed
him to focus on moderates and liberals who were eagerly looking for change. Exit polls showed that
60% of the moderates and 88% of the liberals would vote for Obama.21
15]
“David Axelrod Biography”, op.cit.
The Marketing of Barack Obama
Market Segmentation and Market Targeting
16]
Ibid.
17]
Dickinson Tim, “The Machinery of Hope”, http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/19106326, March 20th 2008
18]
“Obama the greatest marketer of them all!”, op.cit.
19]
Ibid.
20]
“Exit polls: Obama wins big among young, minority voters”, http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/exit.polls/
index.html, November 4th 2008
21]
“Obama the greatest marketer of them all!”, op.cit.