Rob Underwood, a senior manager with Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Customer and Market Strategy practice, sat down to discuss how business should be taking a close look at the use of new media in political campaigns. Historically, the innovations made during election season quickly become “lessons learned” for the corporate world.
What was the big moment in this election season as far as the use of new media?
The YouTube debates on CNN represented a major milestone in this campaign and the development of new media. They demonstrated a shift in political coverage where viewers were not limited by location or invite to participate in the debate with their candidates.
The struggle for control of the Barack Obama myspace.com site was also a major event, as it showed just how much of a “wild west” we’re still in when it comes to ownership and control of brands on Social Networking sites.
Finally, the use of Facebook, Twitter and other sites has become a standard strategy to mobilize voters and share information. That’s a trend companies should be watching closely for tactics and approaches that both work and don’t work.
What is so different about the use of these new media strategies?
It’s a shift in allowing voters or consumers to participate in brand management. They are now part of brand manipulation. It’s the decentralization of a brand.
Can you explain that concept further?
Politicians and companies are being forced to give up some control over their brand. Their brand is no longer their own exclusively. The new media world requires companies to view their customers as shapers of their most important asset. Really, this has always been the case – customers have always been able to influence brand image. But now the speed and reach of a single voice is exponentially greater. A determined negative voice can cause tremendous harm overnight.
This presents challenges and opportunities. If a candidate or company can successfully engage their intended audience, they can gain a better relationship and greater loyalty. On the flip side, if they fail to manage this relationship, they can lose control of their brand, since anyone with a PC and access to Facebook or YouTube can engage in this new form of brand terrorism
Are there any new media tools that you think candidates are underutilizing?
I’d say mobile communications. It’s more standard in other parts of the world. Asia does more, for example, and is way ahead. For many in Asia, the cell phone, not the PC, is their primary interface to the Internet. The United States isn’t quite there yet.
This represents a huge opportunity for a candidate to take advantage of over the next few months. Howard Dean began using mobile communications in 2004 to organize MeetUp gatherings, but now a lot of attempts at mobile communication are lost in the clutter. It will be interesting to see how candidates can utilize this technology to deliver messages and mobilize voters. It’s especially worth watching to see if the use of mobile communication manifests itself though the mobile versions of sites such as Facebook.
What lessons can companies take from this election?
Companies need to establish a new media strategy and work on how they can engage and collaborate with consumers and other key stakeholders on their brand. It can start with setting standards for utilizing new media tools and technologies. Companies should also engage their Generation Y and millennial employees to better understand emerging trends in the use of social networking and new media.
The risk in not establishing a new media strategy is pretty clear – your supporters and consumers may take over your brand for themselves and not include you for the ride.
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