An Educated View

Putting political views aside, no one can argue that Barack Obama didn't run a masterful campaign. The way he engaged voters, the press he generated and the overall public relations aspect of his campaign was brilliant. As he sets to take office and gives his inauguration speech on Jan. 20, the question looms - does the "Obama Brand" wear off?

One of the keys to Obama's successful nomination was his campaign's use of social media. His status was constantly updated via Twitter, his Facebook profile was filled with thousands of "friends" and his supporters were constantly reached via email. I firmly believe that any chance Obama has of maintaining his positive image, or of his "brand" continuing to be at an all-time high, is to continue to capitalize off the success social media brought. The tools and resources are already in place. They have contacts and they have lists. Why throw these valuable tools away? If I had any direct involvement with Obama, I would highly recommend the continued used of Twitter and Facebook. Why not update supporters of policies via Twitter? How about using Facebook to gauge public opinion? His email list is gold - a perfect way of getting direct feedback about how his term is going.

Obama's campaign was historical in the fact that it got the country involved. It got people out of their seats and finally got people to voice their opinion. It would be a shame if Obama didn't harness what every marketing and advertising company dreams of - verifiable data that generates results.

- Happy Hunting

Labels: Barack Obama, Facebook, Inauguration, Obama, Social Media, Twitter