What SA can learn from "Digital Obama"
It is difficult, indeed dangerous, to underestimate the huge changes this revolution will bring or the power of developing technologies to build and destroy – not just companies but whole countries." Rupert Murdoch
On November 4 I watched the results pour in and the announcement that Barak Hussein Obama would be the 44th president of the USA.
The revolution of ’Change’ had finally woken the world. It arrived in our e-mail boxes, and penetrated the screens of our computers via YouTube and Facebook profiles, our phones via SMS alerts, and even Xbox games.
The election confirmed that a new era in communication and engagement has arrived and offered a window into the future of politics and business.
Both in the USA and SA, a generation that had grown up immersed in mobile phones, the Internet, social media and other digital technologies – had given up on politics.
More aware of the truth due to increased engagement with information, this generation had lost trust and interest in politics – viewing it as corrupt, and ridden with false promises and hidden truths. The same can be said about advertising and marketing.
Obama realised that if he was going to have a realistic chance of becoming president, he was going to have to address this situation and find a way to mobilise this ’lost’ generation.
To do this, he implemented a completely new way of campaigning, marketing, mobilising, branding, and engaging. He succeeded in utilising digital marketing and media to its greatest potential.
Both John McCain and Hilary Clinton utilised digital media. Clinton announced her presidential candidacy online, and engaged on social media sites, while the McCain-Palin campaign ran an online presence, eMailers, SMS and promotion for the best user-generated Joe the Plumber video spot. However it was Obama who stood out and ultimately succeeded way beyond his rival parties.
The Obama campaign utilised the power of the mobile phone and e-mail by constantly staying in dialogue with millions of opt-in subscribers. Free ring tones and applications were developed. By cutting down spam and building up a large list of opt-in subscribers a successful link of engagement was set up with the people.
He proved the powers of social media by strategically incorporating points of contact with his groups on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and even succeeded in sponsoring the billboards and music in a virtual Xbox racing game.
On YouTube a number of celebrities recorded a music video on Obama, which was disseminated on YouTube, Facebook and across the Internet drawing views by millions of people. His Facebook and Myspace pages alone drew tens and millions of fans.
In order to raise money from his campaign without the traditional ways lobbyists did in the past, he implemented a method of fund-raising based on the micro financing principle. He requested small increments of donations, which resulted in over four million donors helping to fund what is said to be the largest amount ever raised by a political candidate. Utilising his direct ’link’ with his followers, he sent daily requests for small increments of money and volunteers. He provided incentives, information and even sweepstakes to attend rallies.
Today, more than ever, we have the resources and the knowledge to make such changes in SA. The US election teaches us about more than just change in politics. It teaches us the changes that we, as a global society today, are facing, the methods and means with which we communicate, and the importance of interactive dialogue.
The time has come in SA for the youth to rediscover their interest in local politics. As long as our nation lacks experience in new age global understandings and issues, the longer progress is delayed. South Africans need to engage in open forums and discussions with one another once again.
Through the use of technology, not only can a candidate truly gain the trust of the people, but the people can unite to support a common cause. SA has one of the largest penetrations of mobile phone users in the world, and an expanding digital media infrastructure. South Africans are the eighth largest users of the Social Media site, Facebook. The ability to engage in some way or another utilising digital media is available to almost anyone. If we are to see change in SA, we need to start planning the ways, paths and the tools with which to get there.
Obama’s team realised that the fundamental tools used in past elections, such as large-scale TV adverts and billboards, would play a much smaller role in achieving objectives. However, by engaging directly with the people through the mediums they most use and respect, would, and indeed did, encourage a viral growth of a movement that would vote and fundamentally bring in a new historic era.
The recent US election and the future of SA politics have many lessons and revelations. Firstly, it is important to realise the presence of change when it is clearly arriving and where it can potentially take us. Secondly, digital media is here to stay.
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