The Marketing Revolution in Politics

"If you are in business, you should read this book. If you are in political campaign management, you should read this book. If you are in nonprofit management you should read this book. It illuminates new marketing strategies that can be used in all three arenas." -- Rick Ridder, political consultant and professor, University of Denver "For decades political campaigns have tried to emulate the marketing principles and techniques of forward-thinking commercial enterprises. And for decades, campaigns have always been slow to catch up and implement these ideas. But that all changed with the Obama campaigns of 2008 and 2012. In an incisive, illuminating study, Bruce Newman, the dean of political marketing academicians, writes about the paradigm shift in marketing, with the Obama Model offering both commercial and political enterprises valuable lessons on waging a successful campaign. A timely read; highly recommended. -- Dennis W. Johnson, professor emeritus, George Washington University and author of 'Political Consultants and American Elections' "Many have addressed 'what happened' when analyzing American Presidential campaigns but Newman takes it further to explain the 'why' and 'how.' He reveals the innovations and strategies that have propelled political marketing to a sophisticated level that has Madison Avenues struggling to emulate." -- Tom Edmonds, past president of the American Association of Political Consultants and the International Association of Political Consultants

A must-read for managers, students of marketing and political marketing, and anyone interested in learning more about how presidential campaigns operate.

In 2008, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign used an innovative combination of social media, big data, and micro-targeting to win the White House. In 2012, the campaign did it again, further honing those marketing tools and demonstrating that political marketing is on the cutting edge when it comes to effective branding, advertising, and relationship-building.

The challenges facing a presidential campaign may be unique to the political arena, but the creative solutions are not. The Marketing Revolution in Politics shows how recent US presidential campaigns have adopted the latest marketing techniques and how organizations in the for-profit and non-profit sectors can benefit from their example. Distilling the marketing practices of successful political campaigns down into seven key lessons, Bruce I. Newman shows how organizations of any size can apply the same innovative, creative, and cost-effective marketing tactics as today’s presidential hopefuls.

A compelling study of marketing in the make-or-break world of American politics, this book should be a must-read for managers, students of marketing and political marketing, and anyone interested in learning more about how presidential campaigns operate.

Winner of the 2016 International Book Award in the "Business: Marketing & Advertising" category.