The last presidential election was only three years ago, but that looks like a generation in the age of social media. Just think, then Twitter is new in return. Facebook is popular but spent the first half of the year is the social network of second behind MySpace. U.S. to the United States smartphone penetration was just 20% at the end of 2008 vs 50% expected this year. The largest innovator of political marketing in 2008 was Barack Obama, which employed Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to great effect and took the idea of micro-Don line of Howard Dean to the next level.
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Obviously, 2012 will be a different landscape for several reasons, but the most important is the rise of mobile, and in particular of LBS services. Until now, these services have been curiosity driven by early adopters who have no issues on broadcasting their comings and goings around the world. In a nation of 310 million people, it is still a niche market. The largest of the services, have firmly, approximately 8 million users, which is respectable, but not mass.
The issue is a lack of will for the activity. Admittedly, being Mayor of your kitchen Chinese local joint has limited appeal.
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Everything that might change in the coming election. In this deeply polarized nation, a good dose of care who wins in November 2012, which gives them a reason to ensure that their friends sharing the same ideas hit the polls. So far, the only way you could do that was driving them there yourself.
Imagine, however, a grass roots organization which depends, in part, on volunteers committed which were accused of having so many people in their networks of Facebook and Twitter to engage in vote. Then, when the day of the election of rollers autour, they can prove that they have obtained at least these people to go to their local polling places. Finally, a scientific method to prove the effectiveness of marketing policy.
The infrastructure is already in place for such a plan. Through a non-partisan, get-to-the-vote effort in 2010, Foursquare to check any polling of the country and broadcast stations. Of course, outright is not the only game in town. Sites Facebook allows you to check the polls and talk to all your Facebook friends.
This ability - to verify a physical location and thus fill the offline and online - world does not really exist in 2008 and could be a game changer in the coming election. The major challenge for political marketing has always get voters to actually go to the polls. In the past, get-to-the-vote campaigns included a combination of door-to-door, reminders of voice mail and snail. For part of the population - to - say those over 65 or - more - this must always be the case, but for younger voters, an email will be more a pledge-vote - must be verified with a location-based check-in.
Some politicians already see the potential of lb. At this point it is unclear if the Obama campaign is heavily lean on these services, but the campaign for the likely Republican candidate Tim Pawlenty is already awarding points and supporters of the Foursquare badges.
It will work? Don't underestimate the value of the peer pressure. November 6, 2012, everyone will know if you actually voted. Not do so effectively will disqualify you from kvetching on another party policy. At that time being an elector can carry on being a mayor.
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