The First Long Tail President?
- Barack Obama on Facebook
Long Tail has been a buzz word in digital marketing and the broader economy for some time. We have seen its effect in both search marketing and e-commerce; Interrogation of a site's analytics will often reveal a large number of search terms collectively delivering a majority of site traffic over a few key phrases. Likewise, the bulk of sales at online stores such as Amazon come from a large variety of titles rather than a small number of best sellers.
We have also seen this effect in the success of Barack Obama in terms of his political appeal. Whilst Bill Clinton’s success in 2 presidential elections was largely attributed to attracting key swing groups such as ‘soccer mums’ Obama is maintaining the momentum of his campaign through the recruitment of a broad base of support. The same is true of his record breaking campaign funding:
"Donations have been made by over three million Americans, with an average donation of just under $100. This seems to impress a widespread support among ordinary citizens, and an enthusiasm for political participation never before witnessed in the USA". (http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/10/29/campaign-finance/)
Social networking has been at the centre of this strategy ever since Obama launched his campaign for the White House. His official Facebook page now has over 2.3m fans and has spawned many other groups, pages and profiles on other social sites. These sites have also allowed the campaign to mobilise grassroots supporters who have organised events at a local level. This approach has required Obama and his team to relinquish central control, providing supporters with a range of tools which they can use as they wish. This is something that political parties and brands alike are having to come to terms with; with the best of them embracing the opportunities of social networks and user generated content to use it to their advantage.
More info:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/barackobama?ref=ts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Tail
http://blogcampaigning.com/2008/02/obama-ron-paul-and-the-long-tail-of-web-campaigning/
http://www.techpresident.com/blog/entry/21792/barack_obama_and_the_long_tail_of_politics
