1. The Adaptive Eridani Baker, 08/11/12
Election Norm Johnston
Background
Barack Obama acknowledged his victory last Tuesday by sending a tweet to his followers and
posting a “hug” photo with his wife on Facebook. The result was the most liked and re-tweeted post
in the history of the Internet, and further proof of the power of social marketing and media. Just
consider this simple fact: in 2008 there were roughly 1.8 million tweets generated on election eve.
This past Tuesday over 31 million tweets flooded Twitter. This year’s campaign also saw a 250%
increase in digital advertising, mostly in online video and social networks. However, it wasn’t just
the increase in tweets and media spend, it was the approach to using it that was most notable.
Implications
At Mindshare we believe in Adaptive Marketing, an approach that uses real-time data to rapidly
integrate and optimize all types of media and creative. In 2012, both presidential campaigns largely
embraced an adaptive model, arguably one more successfully than the other.
 Integrate offline and online. Like many brands, the candidates understood that TV is more
important than ever in generating online engagement, particularly in social networks. While
both relentlessly used TV ads, arguably too much, the debates and news proved to be a
decisive online influencer. Unfortunately for Romney, his social bounce from TV was often
negative: he earned the highest amount of Twitter mentions on the same day as his “47%
video” was released, only to be followed by further social spikes with “Big Bird” and “Binders
of Women”. The lesson: what happens on TV via ads, programs, or news can have a major
impact on your online success. Proactively integrate offline and online to create social buzz
and engagement, and carefully monitor it to manage and mitigate any negative issues.
 Creative versioning. Both campaigns used real-time data, particularly online buzz, to
evaluate the success of various campaign messages. If a particular theme generated a
positive response, they quickly altered their creative assets and messages to reflect what
was working. Furthermore, both candidates developed micro-consumer segments, and
tailored their messaging to these respective audiences to build relevance and return. Obama
targeted Ohio voters with an auto bailout message, while Romney targeted Floridians with
messages about the Presidents’ relationship with Chavez and by default Cuba. Consider
advanced online targeting tools and data that enable real-time configuration and
optimization of your campaign to get the right message in front of the right person.
 Paid media generates earned media. The Obama campaign used paid advertising on
Facebook and Twitter to generate more fans and followers than Romney: 32m vs. 21m on
Facebook, and 12m versus 2m on Twitter. The President’s team then developed a sustained
and effective content plan on these social networks to generate further advocacy amongst
existing fans and to convert undecided voters, particularly important given that 88% of
American voters are social media users, 39% use social to discuss politics, and nearly 1 in 3
have been influenced by their friends and family’s socially shared content. The later statistic
is notable in that consumers are now using social to not only like but also to learn. In 2008
22% used places like Facebook to get info on candidates; in 2012 it’s over 50%. Use paid to
generate earned media and advocacy to solidify your fans, build advocacy, and persuade
others to buy your product or service.
Summary
This election has demonstrated that understanding an integrated an increasingly dynamic and
complex media ecosystem is crucial to winning. Brands can learn from both candidates, and can
also leverage an Adaptive Marketing approach to win over their undecided consumers.