The Evolution of Political Advertising from Jefferson to Trump: A Brief History

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When the U.S. presidential election is the headline act, political marketing strategies reach their all-time highs. 

Historically, interacting with the voters has been about getting your face out there: billboards, TV interviews, and Twitter and TiikTok.Let’s go briefly through this shift to see how the political ad strategies have evolved.

Looking Back: From Print to Television

Political ads are a form of political speech with a straightforward, essential task: to gain people’s confidence and influence their vote, in the case of political campaign advertising.

Going back to the 19th century, when newspapers were the preeminent medium of communication, the majority of newspapers were either run by private businesses or political organizations. The National Intelligencer was one of the first newspapers that was designed to support one specific president, and the first of its kind to publish complete transcripts of meetings held in Congress. Published in Washington, D.C., from 1800 until 1870, the newspaper was highly biased toward Republicans and Thomas Jefferson.

After that, other newsgroups with similar publishing objectives would occasionally be incorporated to broaden the range of potential clients. The Albany Regency is one example of this, as it featured several politicians and newspapers in the state of New York, all with the shared goal of supporting the presidential administration of Martin Van Buren.

Another method that shaped the political advertising scene in this period was the lithograph, which was America’s preferred method for making mass-produced images. Nathaniel Currier and James M. Ives created the most popular campaign banners, the first of which was crafted in 1844 for Democrat James K. Polk. The lithograph was meant to go on leaflets to be handed out to voters. Soon, competitors Martin Van Buren and Zachary Taylor both hired Currier to create political banners for them.

During the 1920s, radio was becoming an increasingly important campaign tool in elections. On November 2, 1920, KDKA became the first American radio station to air an 18-hour marathon on the election. “The power of radio was proven when people could hear the results of the Harding-Cox presidential race before they read about it in the newspaper,” according to PBS.

Marketing Modernization in a Political Context

In the 1960s, the first mass media campaign was launched for the John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon election. Until this point, mass media was used only for physical products and by companies.After that, political campaigns began following in the footsteps of the first one. 

As branding started becoming more critical, politicians quickly shifted their attention to working on ‘branding’ themselves. Reagan was one of the first candidates to use this strategy; his presidential campaign was built on what many consider one of the most effective political campaign ads ever due to its direct, simple, optimistic message in the ad’s opening line:”It’s morning again in America.”

The ad featured a montage of images of Americans going to work through a calm, optimistic narration that suggested improvements to the U.S. economy due to Reagan’s policies. 

Moving away from an optimistic approach, the first time negative marketing was used was in the 1988 election between George Bush, Sr. and Michael Dukakis. The Revolving Door advertisement shows men walking in and out of prison as a narrator accuses Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis of being unable to deal with crimes. In a 1988 CBS News/New York Times poll, voters picked the ad that had the most significant effect on them that election cycle.

The Rise of Digital Efforts 

As we entered the 2000s, social media was on the rise. Names and companies started considering shifting the ways of showing and maintaining their name in the market, but that wasn’t only the case in the field of physical products, as social media also called the attention of politicians and increased their options and abilities to reach a broader audience and provide interactive platforms for communication.

Obama’s campaign was marked by a change in many different aspects because of social media and the internet.. Obama’s use of social media has been compared to Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy’s adoption of the radio and television, and, for that, Obama has been known as “the first social media president.”

As Barack Obama worked his way across the US to promote his candidacy, he had a little trick up his sleeve: Facebook. Through it, he strengthened his relationship with his pre-existing audience and expanded his reach to voters.

The main return station of this social media campaign was Obama’s website. The campaign has localized its digital messaging significantly, mainly on Facebook and Twitter, by adding state-by-state content that speaks directly to the audience.

Across platforms, Obama’s campaign published more than 614 posts during the two weeks examined compared with 168 for Romney, with twice as many blog posts on his website as Romney did and more than twice as many YouTube videos. Obama’s campaign allowed people to use web tools to connect to one another and to activate themselves on behalf of the Obama campaign by sharing and retweeting and fundraising. 

On August 23, 2008, Obama’s team sent out a text to its 1 million subscribers announcing that Senator Joe Biden would be Obama’s running mate. Nielsen Mobile called it the largest mobile marketing event in the U.S. to date.

Goodstein added: “We had been using text messages very successfully through all the primaries and with the V.P. announcement, the media sort of caught onto what we had been doing all along and let the world know that we had and were going to have a serious text component to our campaign.”  

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than half the voting-age population used the internet to connect to the political process during an election cycle.

Changing the Role of the Campaign Website

After having the website as the main hero of a campaign for so long, its importance certainly has become leaner and less critical over the last decade or so.

In 2012, Obama’s campaign website offered opportunities to join 18 different groups, while visitors to Romney’s website could choose from nine different voter group pages. In 2008, both candidates offered around 20 such dedicated pages. 

By 2016, social media had become central to candidates’ outreach to the public, while the website served as a hub for information and organization. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have become the new way not only to market political campaigns, but also for candidates and voters to interact. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center 2016 about half 51% of social networking users learned about the presidential election from social media.

During his campaign, Trump communicated an offering “value” of delivering change. His communication plan used the campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” to reach groups of people he wanted to reach, voters sharing similar lifestyles, world perceptions, and concerns about employment opportunities, as well as groups of voters who felt their basic need for public safety had been compromised.

Trump and Hillary Clinton used ads and public relations to build brand awareness. However, Trump used social media, particularly Twitter, to build relationships with voters and create buzz for his campaign.

Voting Gone Viral

In 2020, social media was used extensively in the presidential election, and TikTok got pulled into the game. Unlike Facebook and Google, TikTok doesn’t allow political ads, but it offers a different way to engage, as users can voice support their candidate. Moreover, TikTok can reveal which campaign messages resonate with its youthful audience.

A group account for a number of right-wing content creators called The Conservative Hype House started posting videos featuring an identifying code assigned by the official Trump campaign – “CHH” – that allows users to join its text-alert service.

In the meantime, Biden’s campaign “BidenHQ” joined TikTok, posting its first-ever TikTok during the Super Bowl, with the caption “lol hey guys.”The campaign explained to reporters that joining TikTok was important to get its message on every platform possible.

Before the election, TikTok developed a page in conjunction with Democracy Works, Elections Center, which is a landing page that users can visit when they search for election, and it’s a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps voters find accurate information online. It also includes links to voting resources and video explanations of how voting systems work.

The Harris-Trump Contest

Aiming toward the same political end goal, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump released campaign ads with completely different strategies.

Trump’s strategy for 2024 is to reach voters through videos that highlight the difference between his administration and other administrations, trying to create a narrative that his leadership is what Americans need for a better future. Whether you are or aren’t a Trump supporter, the video does evoke strong emotions and shows a solution for a better future. The other slide of Trump’s campaign is using audiovisuals to criticize his opponent.

Kamala Harris also has some strategies up her sleeve, focusing on what she sees as the issues that matter to her supporters, such as climate change and healthcare.

We Choose Freedom” was her first political ad, which usesBeyoncé’s hit song “Freedom.” In it, she showcases her ideal America, featuring powerful imagery of her interactions with people.

“Fearless” is Harris’ second ad. She talks about herself, highlighting her time as a prosecutor who doubled down on drug companies and criminals.

Feeling inspired?

The evolution of political advertising is a reflection of broader societal and technological evolution. From humble beginnings in print media to the many ways one can reach their audience,  political advertising continues to evolve enriching the dynamic between politics, technology, and culture.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, what we can learn from these campaign strategies could be the simple messaging and its effectiveness in reaching the target audience. In other words, brand names can be very important, but the value a product or an idea creates and offers to consumers, in the case here voters, is the center of effective marketing.

This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.us

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8 Beautiful Marketing Disasters of Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.

8 Beautiful Marketing Disasters of Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.

Missing the world’s favorite “People Person’s Paper People?” Well, The Office fans can go down under for The Office Australia starting Oct. 19 on Amazon Prime. While Michael Scott won’t be in this reboot, we can still reminisce about the good ‘ole heydays of Dunder Mifflin … or the dog days, I suppose. Michael and the overlords of Dunder Mifflin didn’t always make the best decisions, as any diehard fan knows. So, let’s take a look at some of our favorite Dunder disasters … and what they could’ve done instead. 

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I mean, does this need further explanation? For those who don’t remember, WUPHF.com was the ill-fated brainchild of Michael’s “brainchild,” Ryan Howard. WUPHF.com was a messaging system that sent messages through Facebook, chat, SMS, fax, Twitter, and more. However, the idea was DOA, and after getting pressure from coworker investors, he finally sold it to Washington University Public Health Fund, which only wanted the company for its name. 

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

Ah, another Ryan Howard fumble. This website was Ryan’s big project when he came on as Vice President of Northeast Sales. The site quickly became a haven for predators, identity theft, and, oh yeah, misleading shareholders. Ryan forced the salespeople to log their non-website sales into the website, pretty much asking them to commit fraud. Yeah, what a great way to get your company name out there! 

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

Even Sabre knew this was a bad idea, with Robert California planning to fire Dwight for the store’s failure. While Jim tries to sell the triangular phone tablets as “a shape that fits all other shapes inside of it,” at the end of the day, they’re really just bulky, cheap and hard to use. And Jim using his phone instead of his Pyramid phone ends in another fumble when a blogger posts it as a “failure.” 

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

OK, I know what you’re thinking: How is this a fail? It’s a great song! Well, the song never did see the light of day, even if we all loved it. And if we’re being completely honest, “people person’s paper people” is kinda confusing. While it certainly has a niche following, it’s not likely to reach mass appeal. 

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

Yet another song makes it on our list, but this one for a more obvious reason. After Sabre acquires Dunder Mifflin, Andy and Erin sing this little jingle for Gabe, a Sabre representative who films them singing the song. But moments before the performance, they realize they’ve been saying Sabre wrong this entire time and continue to mispronounce it the entire time. Needless to say, the video didn’t exactly become a viral sensation

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

Remember when Creed failed to do quality control that once and Dunder Mifflin ended up sending out a bunch of papers with, uh, lewd, content? Well, Michael, in his infinite wisdom, decides to hold a press conference where he apologizes to one of their clients and gives her a giant check. When the client refuses the apology, Michael goes off the rails, with the one member of the press there catching every word of his meltdown. Not the best face to put forward after a major misstep, huh?

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

After Iris Black cancels an interview with Dunder Mifflin for her show Biz Whiz, Jim, Pam and Ellie decide to prank Dwight with a fake interview anyway. They make fake accusations about the paper being highly toxic and even say that CFO David Wallace is surrounded by police at his home. Sure, it’s all fake, but imagine if Dwight’s stunts had actually made it to air. 

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

This is another slogan that never made it out of Scranton. But this company catchphrase appeared in Micahel Scott’s version of an ad for the Scranton branch. It’s probably not the best idea to remind your audience that you’re trying to sell them something that’s going obsolete. But to each their own? 

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

Rude, but fine, I call your bluff! Viral marketing, cool commercials, snazzy new websites, press events: These are all fun and we love to watch these disasters unfold before us, but that won’t help you grow your business. What will? Thanks for asking! 

Have you heard the good news about brand publishing? Michael Scott and Dunder Mifflin sure didn’t. Maybe they wouldn’t have to join forces with Sabre to sell cheap printers that catch on fire if they had. But who’s to say? As this really intelligent and astute author explains in this super entertaining but thought-provoking piece explaining the difference between brand publishing and branded content using the hit Emmy-nominated show The Bear, brand publishing is “self-created content a brand distributes, usually focusing on informative or educational content, such as thought leadership in its industry.” So basically, it means that the brand itself is making and distributing its own content. 

That other term, branded content, refers to content created by a third party that usually puts a brand’s message into a story or article relevant to the third party’s audience. Or, more simply put, sharing content with other partners or sites. 

And these strategies are the big fixes that could’ve saved Dunder Mifflin from having a lot of egg on its face, in my humblest of opinions. How? Well, let’s let the “turn tables” and take a looksie:

Media Credit: NBC / IMdb

So I’m sure it couldn’t hold a candle to the thought-provoking and innovative content of  www.creedthoughts.gov.wwwcreedthoughts, but a Dunder Mifflin Blog is literally the least the company could’ve made. It’s a super simple brand publishing concept: Salvage the disastrous Dunder Mifflin Infinity 2.0 site with some simple company updates and thought leadership pieces – you know, something perhaps like the geniuses at this company’s site put together. 

DepositPhotos.com

Business-to-business (B2B) content syndication makes a whole bunch of sense to specialized industries and has been going on since the existence of paper (probably). This branded content strategy is, again, pretty tried and true: like-minded companies in the same industries partner up to create these highly circulated industry publications that help get useful information out to other companies – and, as a huge plus, your company’s name. 

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Social media was in its infancy for most of Dunder Mifflin, sure, but Facebook was around at least, and it was a hot market. Posts, polls, videos – all of these were types of branded content that companies could pull off on social media even in its early days. Yet the only mention of any social component to the brand we hear about is a chatroom on Dunder Mifflin Infinity that got infiltrated by … well, let’s just say, predators. 

DepositPhotos.com

Newsletters have ebbed and flowed over the years, but they have stayed afloat in content relevance for a rather long time. And the best part for companies? This brand publishing strategy is pretty cost-effective since it only costs you time – unless you buy software to automate your email blasts, of course. Even then, most software are pretty cheap. 

Pixabay.com

But why just send out emailed newsletters? Dunder Mifflin is a paper company, after all! Introducing … The Paper Paper: a monthly newsletter focusing on all of Dunder Mifflin’s and the paper industry’s happenings and news. This is great because the company could even change up the type of paper used every month and make a note of which type it was in the newsletter … and maybe even offer a discount exclusive to the newsletter for that paper type. Pretty brilliant: brand publishing that is so product-focused that it actually involves using your product!

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Yeah, me too. But the good news now is that you know the good news. So, while it’s fun to watch memes of business fails, maybe stick to watching fictional ones on The Office (and new fictional ones on The Office Australia) and keep them out of your actual workplaces. I may not have been named salesperson of the month 13 times in the last 12 months, but at least I’m a real person, right?

This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.us.

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