Buying an Election or Buying Attention?
NOTE: This post is not about the ideas or policies of any one politician. Yes, I have my opinions and I’m happy to share them, but not here or now. This is about communication, specifically the distribution of content through political campaigning.
Politics is marketing communication. And political campaigns are communication exercises in the purest form. Voters decide based on communication style and substance – along with lots of word-of-mouth endorsements, and the stereotype of party branding. But it’s mostly about communicating ideas. That’s why I love this season.
Any candidate currently in office, whether running for another term or vying for a new office, has a communication advantage over non politicians simply because the media talks to politicians in office. Senators like Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders, among others, have direct access to journalists and can discuss issues unrelated to the election while also talking about the upcoming vote. All of this is marketing communication, practiced and polished with political goals in mind.
The Distribution of Political Communication
Candidates without that “free” media connection have to buy their communication opportunities. (I put “free” in quotes because good media relations seldom happens for free, but that’s another topic.) It’s the same for any business marketer. During car show season, for example, auto makers can get “free” press coverage (same note as above) related to show attendance and new products. Most of the time, these companies are spending money to communicate with a target audience – direct mail, broadcast ads, social media and other digital opportunities.
This is the Distribution part of the three-component work we all do – content marketers, that is. Strategy (part 1) plans the communication effort. Creative (part 2) crafts the message before delivery. Distribution (part 3) is what we’re talking about here. Politicians, car makers, restaurant owners, everyone with a product or service to sell needs to do this – me too.
Bloomberg’$ Billion$
Billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg – like every other candidate for President of the United States – has likely put significant effort into the three areas of content marketing (strategy, creative, distribution). I get the mailers (addressed to “Current Resident” which is a mailing strategy on its own). I’ve seen the ads on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
I also hear the criticism. He’s “buying the election,” cry the competing campaigns.
Bloomberg is certainly using all the marketing communication tactics available to marketers today. One of the more interesting and newer digital ad initiatives involves “sponsored memes.” Those ubiquitous images are shared socially and meant to look grass roots, but many of them are simply content marketing, bought and paid for, and created by companies like Jerry Media, infamous for its work on the Frye Festival fiasco. Widely reported, Bloomberg also doles out higher-than-average salaries to his large campaign staff – that would be part of the Strategy third of content marketing.
This post, let me repeat, has nothing to do with Bloomberg’s policy ideas. (Actually, I support a different candidate for President.) I might get into those ideas and others (when the candidate field thins a bit) in a discussion about the Creative segment of a content marketing plan.
Candidate and marketer, Bloomberg is making good use of distribution tools available. He is, however, leaving himself vulnerable right now by not addressing – at least not that I’ve seen – the attacks his competitors make on him “buying the election.” We will see that response soon, perhaps, with Bloomberg earning a spot on the debate stage in Nevada.
Power of the Purse
Is Bloomberg buying this election? No, in my opinion. First, money’s impact on elections is debatable. That gets into a question of Causation vs. Correlation. Second, no marketing communication effort forces people to buy, or to vote a certain way. Bloomberg is buying attention, that’s for sure.
What can business marketers learn from Bloomberg and other Presidential candidates? Easy. Remember that content marketing and communication plans have three distinct phases: Strategy, Creative, and Distribution. It’s not all about the message. These thirds are weighted equally, and “distribution” takes many different forms. It’s your job (and mine) to know how to use them to reach your goals.