MediaPost Publications Breaking New Battleground 10/27/2008

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Breaking New Battleground

by Eric Franchi, Monday, October 27, 2008, 2:15 PM

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With only a week left in the 2008 election season, we can begin to take a look at the role online marketing played in the candidates' overall strategies. While the total amount spent online will likely disappoint those in the industry who thought this would be an absolute breakout year from a spending allocation perspective, on balance both candidates have taken advantage of the latest online has to offer.

We have seen good examples of using standard display space and e-mail to drive fundraising, awareness and support. We have also seen surprisingly good use of newer Web 2.0 tools such as Twitter and Facebook to further engage potential voters. But, this being the Video Insider, we have to review the candidates' utilization of our favorite medium: online video. Aside from creating good YouTube channels, there hasn't been much done outside the box from either candidate.

That is, until the week before last. That's when billboard ads started popping up across popular online versions of "Madden NFL 2009" and "Guitar Hero," informing gamers that "Early Voting Has Begun" and showing Barack Obama's face and Web site URL. That's right; Obama is reaching the coveted gamer group, directly on their games. I have been interested in the potential for online video game advertising since Microsoft's Xbox announced its online play option several years ago. Talk about an incredible audience; you don't get much more engaged than a hardcore gamer. We are now starting to see the potential of this format come to life, as we have reached critical mass in broadband adoption, and the newest versions of popular consoles allow gamers to play each other online and download regular updates.

The online play option, combined with ad-serving technology not unlike what is used for display and video, affords advertisers the ability to reach users in a unique way. Billboards on a "NBA Live 2008" basketball court or roadside on "Burnout Paradise" are as addressable as banner space on a Web page. Someone in Obama's camp has been paying attention, as the campaign seems to have been executed as well as any media plan. They selected 18 relevant and popular titles to reach a targeted demo (males, 18-34) and in key battleground states only by leveraging geo-targeting.

Who knows what else the candidates have planned in the last week. However, this campaign may go down as one of the most memorable of 2008 spanning any category. Most relevant for the Insider, it brings another interesting opportunity in online video advertising to the forefront.

This commentary is insightful. I recommend it to others.

1 person recommends this article.

5 comments on "Breaking New Battleground"

Randy Barton from My Inbox News

commented on: October 28, 2008 at 12:51 AM

While not a national player, we were able to offer voice over sponsorships to local county candidates that play in bumpers before our content. It was a great, inexpensive and easily implemented method for local politicians to get their name, face and message out to a local audience using online video. May not be presidential but it was very political and very local.
Scott Broomfield from Veeple, Inc.

commented on: October 27, 2008 at 7:24 PM

Two quick comments.
1) I will be glad when all the hoopla is over, we have a new president, and we can get back to focusing on what we all do well.
2) I agree with Grant, at ReelSEO, that people are not taking advantage of what is out there today. The video experience can really be improved from today's baseline. It is what we try and help with for the benefit of the publishers and vloggers.
Grant Crowell from ReelSEO.com

commented on: October 27, 2008 at 4:25 PM

As someone who covers the online video marketing space for ReelSEO.com, I have not come across any campaigns on the congressional level and lower levels that have made a good use of video for online marketing beyond the standard repurposing of television commericials. I covered the Search Marketing Expo East conference in New York on October 6th, where I heard several search marketing managers for their respective U.S. Presidential candidates tell me that they weren't familiar of any such video campaigns from the congressional-level on down, themselves. Would anyone know of an existing example that I can refer to for my article of coverage this week? Please contact me at grant@reelseo.com
Walter Graff from Bluesky Media

commented on: October 27, 2008 at 2:57 PM

I believe online ads had little to do with decisions but rather helped solidify the emotional attachment to candidates. In my opinion, elections are about emotion and not about facts. As I listen to people talk about candidates, I don't hear anyone discuss what candidates stand for, rather I hear: "Did you see the faces McCain made? Obama doesn't look black! McCain is so old! Obama looks like a liar! McCain can't raise his arms above his head!" Over and over the bread and circus look at the non consequential tics of the candidate they 'hate', physical abnormalities that amke a candidate not worthy, and ear other sequiturs. Never do I hear anyone talk about what the candidates history as a politician are, nor about what their record is, or even what they stand for. In fact as I ask most people to tell me about what their candidates stand for, all I get are blank stares or verbatim responses that are taken directly from political analysts on TV or NPR, which are presented as if first person. What a perfect example of why we live in a republic and not a democracy. It would be anarchy if this was a democracy as we'd vote for people based on little more than what chimps in 'push-button' laboratory experiments base their decisions on picking sugar drinks over potatoes. Wait! We already do, we don't need a democracy. Emotion drives most decisions as to candidate 'qualifications' in this election as I see it and that makes me think of the question; The last time you were emotional, were you thinking strait? This is why the first thing someone says when you get emotional is â€œCalm Down, you are not thinking clearly!â€� Like Chimps, the images in banners online with four word phrases help us push "the button" that gives us the drink we want for immediate satisfaction, but will do little for our future.
Walter Graff Bluesky-web.com
Jonathan Hutter from Garrand

commented on: October 27, 2008 at 2:55 PM

Way to jinx the whole effort, by referring to it in the past. "With only a week left...we can begin to take a look at the role online marketing played..." One of the things online marketing can do is have an effect on the final week of the campaign. Let's see what happens before we start calling the race before the polls even open!

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	ERIC FRANCHI
	Eric Franchi is senior vice president of business development at Undertone Networks. Contact him here.

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