Campaign Trail

Convention Shores Up Obama Brand

Posted by Joe Erwin on 08.29.08 @ 12:32 PM

Joe Erwin

In previous posts, I've talked about the great job the Barack Obama team did building a brand -- building one of the strongest brands in American political history, I'd venture. Quickly, firmly, nationally. So I haven't been surprised to hear people wonder lately: With the powerful ascendancy and strength of the Obama brand, how could it be that for a period in the last several weeks, we've seen Obama's lead in the polls fall?

Erwin: Obama Building a Brand Like a Smart Marketer

Posted by Joe Erwin on 07.08.08 @ 06:00 PM

Since Barack Obama's announcement last month that he would forgo matching public funds for his presidential campaign, the decision has raised many questions ... and a lot of eyebrows.

Some have hailed it as the beginning of the end to a flawed process, created in the wake of Watergate crisis, to eliminate the influence of special interests. Others have suggested Obama is changing the rules by employing a populist strategy that circumvents the spending limits that accompany public financing.

How They Grew Brand Obama

Campaign Excelled in Traditional and Untraditional Marketing

Posted by Joe Erwin on 02.27.08 @ 11:28 AM

Joe Erwin

The Obama brand evangelists continue to make a real difference, boosting the senator's ascension in the polls and his momentum in the primaries. As the Clinton campaign now realizes, being behind in organization on the ground and further behind in using the Internet (to both raise money and to build a community of believers) have been the biggest differences in these two campaigns.

How Do You Maximize Momentum When There's So Little of It?

Primary Candidates Grapple With Wide-Open Primary

Posted by Joe Erwin on 01.28.08 @ 01:04 PM

Joe Erwin

Well, the Super Bowl's less than a week away, and already it seems there's more anticipation for the battle of 30-second supremacy than the gridiron showdown between the Patriots and the Giants. I'm less interested in the ads themselves and more curious to see which marketers will maximize their time in the spotlight to create a truly sustainable advantage -- which is precisely what the leading presidential candidates will be trying to do as we head toward Super Tuesday.

Brass Knuckles and Kid Gloves

The Trick? Bloody the Other Guy While Keeping Your Nose Clean

Posted by Joe Erwin on 01.09.08 @ 02:52 PM

Joe Erwin

For the presidential candidates, Iowa and New Hampshire are now in the rearview mirror as attention turns to Michigan, South Carolina and the bounty of Super Tuesday states. Already the pundits are breathlessly anointing winners and losers, suggesting strategies and attempting to predict what happens next.

Former S.C. Democratic Chairman: I'm Endorsing Obama

Joe Erwin Explains That He's Getting Off the Fence

Posted by Joe Erwin on 12.19.07 @ 11:00 AM

Joe Erwin

What are political endorsements worth? Hard to say, really. I don't think they change voters' minds, but I do believe endorsements can create and accelerate momentum, especially early in campaigns and in the hectic last weeks as undecided voters make their choices.

Online Politics Offers Opportunities, Pitfalls

Smart Use of the Web Could Pay the Ultimate Dividend

Posted by Joe Erwin on 12.10.07 @ 01:18 PM

One of the most fascinating aspects of the current presidential campaign will be how candidates utilize the Internet to get their messages out -- and how their strategies work for and against them.

Eyes Turn to South Carolina

Diverse Electorate Provides More Accurate Picture Than N.H., Iowa

Posted by Joe Erwin on 11.12.07 @ 10:52 AM

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- We're now less than two months away from the Iowa Caucuses, and interest in the 2008 Presidential Election is heating up across the country. While much of the focus will be on the traditional king-maker states of Iowa and New Hampshire, there's a new harbinger state of special significance this primary season: South Carolina.