The Obama Brand

Back in summer of 2007, while volunteering at a project with Seattle Works, a fellow volunteer made a passing comment that Obama campaign is hot. She went to see Obama speak in the city and saw the enthusiastic young crowd of volunteers cheering for him. The same was the reaction of almost every person I talked to about the event. There was a sense of curiosity everywhere around this young candidate – with a different set of credentials, amazing oratory skills and ability to connect with the masses – running for the highest office in the country. That led to the creation of the maven base for the Obama brand.

With an economy in trouble and the nation in two wars, Obama campaign was orchestrated around Change. The Change message had a two pronged objective – first change in the country and the way current administration was dealing with the war, and second change in the people running affairs in Washington which also differentiated him from his rivals Hillary Clinton and John McCain who have been players in Washington politics for decades. Change became the tagline for the Obama brand.

 The things that were supposed to play against Obama became his biggest assets in his path to the White House. His age, comparatively less experience of running an executive office and few years in Washington helped him stand out of the lot. While his opponents pointed them out as his weaknesses, they helped Americans identify him as someone who can really change the traditional functioning of the government. These “features” became the differentiating factor for the Obama brand.

Well, like in case of any brand, you cannot sell your product till the product itself is an outstanding one. Obama brand was very well marketed and it was coupled with his outstanding oratory skills, his ability to connect with people and energize them and his vision to lead the country…all together making Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States of America.