Finally its countdown time for one of the most influential and esteemed positions in the World, President of United States. All presidential polls are best examples of marketing with each side’s mudslinging & bringing out new tactics to outwit the competitor. Let’s look at a new marketing tactic employed by them for 2016
Social media engagement has been a large influence in the results of presidential races. In 2008, Barack Obama campaign heavily tapped his younger audience via this medium, while his opponent, McCain, stuck to the traditional methods. The victory was won by a huge gap which was an indicator for the effective reach that social media provided.
Coming to today, with Hillary Clinton & Trump both using social media from one of the best advertising agencies in America, both sides have seen the effective reach that digital has to offer. They are using an algorithm based approach to measuring the engagement behaviors of social users (commenting, photo posting and retweeting )candidates can see which brands, movies, TV shows, and celebrities engage their social bases. Affinity measurement is a perpetual polling mechanism, constantly monitoring millions of preferences and passions. In contrast to social listening tools, measuring affinities identifies which entities will be most receptive by gauging the intensity of engagement between candidates and their potential voters.
Hillary Clinton:Brand Affinity
Starbucks :
As Younger demography is becoming a major decision factor in the elections Starbucks becomes a major brand for Hillary. Around 40 % of Starbucks customers are below 40 years. Hence Starbucks is a brand that Hillary will count upon to push to her target segment.
Toyota:-
The Japanese manufacturer is widely known for safety & reliability. People who look for this car want something that will help them to drive comfortably, with no real major issues. People look for safety feature & something that is long lasting. These are 2 major attributes that Hillary wants to associate with
Beyonce:
Beyonce is one of the leading icons for both African-Americans and women. These two factors are very highly correlated to Hillary Clinton. Hillary is of the leading female representatives in US politics, and to reach out to the African-American community for votes, Hillary Clinton needs Beyoncé’s empowerment of a strong image
Saturday Night Live:
Many jabs in the Saturday Night Live show that have been made in politics have been primarily focused on the conservative side. The satirical comedy of the show reaches out heavily to the left. On top of that, Saturday Night Live has been always accused of pushing a liberal agenda. For Hillary Clinton, this is an excellent place to put a 20-second campaign ad.
Donald Trump: Brand Affinity
McDonalds:
McDonalds is today one of the largest fast food chains in the world. They are an excellent definition of how capitalism can shine in a free market and democratic economy. This goes along with trump campaign that the American dream is not dead and can still thrive. McDonalds created during a major prosperity, is a reflection of the America that Donald Trump wants to make great again.
West Coast Choppers:
West Coast Choppers is a brand founded by Jesse James as a teenager in high school. Out of his love for the motorcycle industry, he created one of the most iconic emblems in automotive history. West Coast Choppers is an ideal brand for the Trump Campaign to associate with. It’s hard, rugged outlook relates to many who may feel Trump is the best candidate for the presidency.
Kanye West:
Kanye West is an African American who grew to be the largest icon in music today. His self-righteous lyrics and confidence in himself are the main factors in his success. He is political right to Beyonce’s left, Kanye fans support him for him. There is no separation between the art and the artist. Kanye sells himself in the same way Trump sells America in his campaign.
Sports center:
The great thing about associating with sports is the excitement that victory brings about .Discussions about the strengths of that team and how they can win are crucial in keeping the spirit of believers. Hence this becomes an important part of trump campaign in giving his supporters the confidence to roll through this election.
Campaign managers can layer affinity data to determine if overall engagement is increasing or decreasing. As with polls, candidates can trend positively or negatively with various brand audiences identified by affinities.Hillary Clinton has gained traction with fans of MTV drama Teen Wolf since clinching the Democratic nomination.
By noticing the active declarations of engaged social TG, candidates can get new supporters from a variety of new and sometimes unexpected bases by thoughtfully and strategically aligning themselves with these audiences.
So in a presidential poll where both parties are trying to align themselves to the affinity & reach of these brands, there are chances that Hillary Clinton or trump ads are going to hit you if are looking at any of these brands in social media.