Star-Spangled B2B

I admit it. I’m a political junkie, so I am loving life right now with the U.S. presidential primaries just ended and the nominating conventions about to start. So far, the process has been a tour de force of both online and old line marketing—all of it intended to build awareness, create preference and forge a strong and lasting relationship. Do those objectives sound familiar?

There’s a lot that B2B marketers can learn from the current presidential campaigns. Here’s a look at what the politicos are doing right that you can use in our own efforts to win the vote—for your products and services.

Cultivate, cultivate, cultivate
The lifeblood of any campaign isn’t red, white or blue. It’s the green, as in financial contributions. And smart campaigns know that what triggers a donation from one person will be totally different for another. So they reach out. Constantly. Every news release emailed out to the base is accompanied by a strong call to action. Donate now. Make a difference. While some politicians are more successful at this than others, what we can take away from this is that frequent communication coupled with a clear action path results in conversion.

Mix your media
It’s a switched-on, 24×7, YouTube world. Embrace it. That’s what the savviest campaigns are doing, and it’s yielding benefits galore. Blogs are just a starting point. The most successful campaigns are also incorporating:

• Mobile updates
• Twitter tweets
• Cell phone ring tones (check out these from Senator Obama’s campaign)
• Videos of speeches and behind-the-scenes meetings
• Mashups of all kinds (video, audio, technological)

The barriers to entry are low and the tools for creating compelling content are robust, which gives you the freedom to experiment with a wide variety of media. See what resonates with your audiences. Test, tweak and repeat.

Unleash your customers
Related to mixing your media is letting your customers create content. Politicians are notorious for thick skins and turning missteps into advantages. Most companies are more timid when it comes to letting go of the reins a bit. But as these videos show, when people create content around your product, service or message, you stand to gain increased awareness and evangelism—or at least a reputation for having a sense of humor.

Barack Obama: This ad was created in response to a contest to present the candidate in 30 seconds.

John McCain: Comedian Stephen Colbert created a “green screen challenge” in response to the speech McCain gave against an unfortunate green background. This is one of the entries.

Market to your audience, but surprise them too
The Web sites for the two presumed nominees shed light on how they each perceive and reach out to their constituencies. Barack Obama’s site has the Web 2.0 user in mind. It features YouTube-like videos, an interactive map, and lots of quick ways to enter into the information. Our B&J web designers are particularly charmed by the “Powered by Hope” box at the lower right side of the homepage. This knowing nod to a web trend spoke to them on their terms and made them laugh not what you expect from a political site.

John McCain’s site plays on his military experience with its star and flag theme. Senator McCain has a banner ad that links to videos rather than the familiar video player, and while McCain links to his presence on Facebook, Myspace and YouTube (several clicks into the site), his primary way of engaging is through constituency groups such as veterans, women, sportsmen available through the navigation.

In the end, good political marketing, like good B2B marketing, is a game of strong fundamentals. Know your audience. Have a clear message that can morph and remain relevant in different situations. Tell the story as you want it told. And communicate often. Of course, as B2B marketers, we don’t have the luxury of planning for four years between campaigns.

That’s where the Agile Agency comes in. No matter how often your company or your customers encounter change, we can help you formulate the strategies you need to run successful campaigns now and in the future.

I’m Jean Fleming, and I approved this blog post.