Page 86 - Marketing the Basics 2nd

78 Marketing: the Basics
collect funds from corporate donors who can make significant cash contributions. In 2000, George W. Bush broke donation records by reaching out to high-powered CEOs and lobbyists. His tactic was to commit these individuals to raising a minimum of $100,000 by ‘bundling’ their personal networks. While this fundraising effort was successful for Bush, Obama chose a grassroots approach. Obama bundled the efforts of stay-at-home mothers and young professionals, eager to solicit their friends and families by hosting individual web pages. Each campaign raised several hundred dollars; a seemingly small amount. He attracted more than 1.7 million contributors, with 93 per cent of the $2.9 million online donations totalling less than $100. Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, also took advantage of viral campaigning by launching ‘Club 44’. The objective was to build low-dollar fund-raising networks of young women who liked the prospect of the 44th President being female. Candidate John Edwards created a video, appearing on YouTube, in an effort to also tap into low-dollar donations. The clip shares the recipe of the candidate’s favourite pecan pie in return for a minimum donation of $6.10. This campaign attracted almost $300,000 in a week. The cost was a mere $20, required to buy the pie ingredients. That’s a high return on investment!
The advantage of a viral marketing campaign was not restricted to the large sums of money that was collected efficiently and effectively but also to the 10 million email addresses harnessed. These were leveraged into creating relationships between Obama and US citizens. These ordinary citizens, in turn, used modern media to communicate their desire to have Obama as president. People like the ‘Obama Girl’ displayed their support for the candidate by creating YouTube videos, attracting thousands of viewers. Celebrities like Will I Am of the Black Eyed Peas and Scarlett Johansson rallied in support of Obama by filming online music videos that garnered millions of hits. Obama used MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, where he capitalized on the Internet’s speed, to maintain constant contact with his supporters. With one click of a button, he informed millions of his choice of running mate and seconds before being declared the next president, he told followers that ‘they made history’. No other type of marketing campaign could have forged such a personal bond between a candidate and the population at large.