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Barack Obama`s Unique Selling Proposition

DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
edited February 2008 in Marketing
Despite the headline, this isn`t a political post. It really is about marketing - Barack Obama`s marketing strategy. I`m a huge proponent of having a USP - "Unique Selling Proposition." I think it`s important for businesses to effectively differentiate themselves from their competition. I discuss this in my latest article titled, "Barack Obama`s Unique Selling Proposition." You can read it here:
 

http://xrl.us/bgo42

 
As always, I welcome your comments and/or feedback.
 
Dale King

Comments

  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    As I stated, this is not a political discussion, so I`m not going to get into off-topic issues about whether or not Obama is a novelty. That`s debatable, but not in this forum. This is a discussion about marketing and positioning only, and that`s where I want to keep the focus. I only selected Brack Obama for this topic, because he`s a current example of a brilliantly conceived marketing and positioning strategy. Being a marketer myself, I can appreciate what he`s doing.
     
    The fact of the matter is you can have the greatest product in the world, but if you don`t market it effectively, no one will ever know about it. Conversely, Hillary Rodham Clinton has all the advantages of a powerful political name and brand recognition, but her marketing strategy has been flawed and incompetent at best. No one really knows what her message is, and that`s a problem. As a result, her campaign is on life-support. 
     
    Make no mistake, politics or otherwise, marketing makes all the difference in the world. The Obama, Clinton campaigns are perfect examples of that. As a marketer, I am personally inspired by Barack Obama`s brilliant marketing strategy. It`s a reminder to us all that with good marketing, anything is possible. A year ago, he was a complete unknown to most od the country. Now he has the whole world talking about his presidential campaign. That`s marketing! Even with all the money his campaign has raised, you simply can`t buy that kind of publicity and excitement. His marketing message is resonating in a big way. 
     
    That being said, while having a strong USP is important, at the end of the day you`d better have the ability to deliver what your marketing message has promised. Or the consequences will be totally counterproductive to what you`re trying to achieve. And that holds true whether you`re a politician or pretzel maker!
     
    Dale King
    DKing2/25/2008 4:23 PM
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    What worries me though, stepping back into reality, is that too many people DO seem to be seeing this as ONLY a marketing campaign.
     
     
     
    That`s the whole point. This is a marketing forum. And in this forum, I only want people to focus on and learn from the marketing aspect of Obama`s campaign, because it`s brilliant. If anyone wants to discusss the political aspects, there`s an appropiate forum for that. But it`s not here.
     
    Dale King
    DKing2/26/2008 9:41 AM
  • partymanpartyman subscriber Posts: 3
    Obama`s USP as I see it.  America was terrible until he rose up to bring about change. 
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141

    Obama`s USP as I see it.  America was terrible until he rose up to bring about change. 

       Hmmmmm....
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Okay, so you`re saying that the success of the Obama product is due, what...entirely?...to having a clear USP?
     
     
     
    No, that`s not what I`m saying. What I`m saying is I think it`s important for businesses to effectively differentiate themselves from their competition. That`s all I`m saying, nothing else. 
     
    Dale King
    DKing2/26/2008 11:07 AM
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Off the politics......I agree Craig, it dosen`t matter what you sell.  It matters how effecitvely you market it, and that it does need to hold up to the advertising message.

     
     
     
    Janie, if you want to take sides in this conversation, that`s fine. But at least give credit where credit is due. It was me who said, "You can have the greatest product in the world, but if you don`t market it effectively, no one will ever know about it."
     And it was also me who said, "While having a strong USP is important, at the end of the day you`d better have the ability to deliver what your marketing message has promised. Or the consequences will be totally counterproductive to what you`re trying to achieve. And that holds true whether you`re a politician or pretzel maker!" Dale King
    DKing2/26/2008 7:43 AM
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Do you think Obama`s differentiation is his message, or is it the purely physical differentation from Clinton on either racial features or gender?

     
     
     
    Craig, I honestly don`t think race or gender have anything to do with it. I actually think there is a spiritual element in play here. Let me explain. So often, luck and timing play a huge role in whether or not a marketing campaign is successful. For seven years, Americans have watched the Bush administration put our economy on the brink of ruin, and they`re tired of it. People are desperate for change. They`re ready for it. And all of a sudden, here comes Barack Obama out of nowhere, riding a white horse, preaching a message of hope and change. Obama`s USP was timely and it`s resonating with people. But he was also lucky to come along at the right time.
     
    But that doesn`t change the brilliance of his campaign. Because you can have the greatest product in the world, but if you don`t market it effectively, you won`t get the desired results. And as luck would have it, Obama turned out to be a brilliant orator as well. And as a result, he became a media darling, which gave him a huge assist in his ability to make his USP and message resonate with the voting public. The combined elements of luck, timing, media and a brilliant USP have all come together perfectly for him.
     
    Dale King
    DKing2/27/2008 10:32 AM
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Let`s just agree to disagree.
     
    Dale King
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