Would George Washington Advertise on the Olympics?
I was struck by the news last week that Barack Obama’s campaign plans to spend $5 million for advertising on the Olympics.
A dramatic ploy to be sure, and it garnered widespread media attention, so the value of the buy was magnified by the free media coverage. But are the Olympics the right venue for a presidential candidate?
Are a few ads sandwiched between swimming and diving going to sway undecided voters?
In the late 1990s, PRWeek ran a contest asking what sort of public relations program could be put together for a company using what it cost the same company to buy one Super Bowl ad (around $1.2 million at the time, last year it was $2.6 million). I’d like to ask readers of this blog a similar question tied to the Obama ad buy.
If you were giving marketing advice to the Obama campaign, or the McCain campaign for that matter, what would you advise doing with $5 million rather than advertising on the Olympics? How would you use that money more effectively to sway more voters? Or if you think the Olympic buy is a smart one, why?
Comments
This poses some great (challenging) questions for thought - but there's many variables in place that need to be considered:
(*) When will the ads air? During peak events like swimming, gymnastics?
(*) Does his campaign team team understand the DMU/DMP of his target market?
(*) Of course, the question...is this the best use of their funds or should he hit the road and go after more voter confidence?
Actually, George Washington didn't want to be the 1st president of the new nation if my history serves me correctly. That being said, I doubt he'd have grounded himself in Google either... :)
Thanks - great discussion topic for the blog.
Posted by: Jonathan | August 4, 2008 8:49 AM
George Washington was so poor when elected president, he had to borrow money to travel to NYC to begin his presidency. He had spent so much of his money during the Revolutionary War feeding and supporting his own troops (Congressional money was promised, rarely delivered)...
As for Senator Obama, why not use the money for an experimental energy effort in a small U.S. town? How can we begin to have an energy policy in the nation if we can't even demonstrate it in one town?
Posted by: Richard | August 5, 2008 10:36 AM
Today news hit that the McCain campaign plans to spend $6 million on the Olympics, topping Obama. What could be done with an $11 million budget instead of these Olympic efforts?
Posted by: John Frank | August 5, 2008 10:54 AM
I think the his popularity gives him grace no matter where he advertises so this $5million will probably get him good results. On the other hand he could spend it in other areas more effectively but I think ego plays a big part on this buy.
Posted by: David Madrid | August 5, 2008 12:00 PM
When I see that our presidential canidates are going to be spending a combined amount of $11 MILLION dollars on advertising, it makes me sick to think what a waste! When I think of what that money could to do transform the lives of the people in this country. Health care benefits senior care or school lunch programs or cancer or aids or any disease research. I think it is a disgrace that we allow our canidates to spend millions of dollars to get elected in this country. I think that each canidate should be given the same amount of case say 1 or 2 million each to spend on whatever or however they way. I bet the negative ads and mud slinging would stop and they would then have to focus on the issues at hand.
Posted by: Cindy | August 8, 2008 9:10 AM