The leader of the free world visits techfest….and for good reason.
President Obama visited the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas this past week and offered some pretty powerful comments. The President pointed out that technology has made many tasks extremely simple, yet we have not implemented these changes to assist in civic duties. He said, “And it is much easier to order pizza or a trip than it is for you to exercise the single most important task in a democracy” (Ives, 2016). He did not directly mention the current fight between Apple and the FBI in regards to the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, but he did tell the audience he was there to recruit them to assist in developing technologies to make civil duties easier (i.e. tax management, voting) and also to make us all safer.
So what does this all have to do with marketing communication you ask? Simply put, President Obama’s presence is an example of a well-executed brand activation.
President Obama’s presence and keynote speaking opportunity represented the pinnacle of a successful brand activation for SXSW Interactive. This marked the first time a sitting President delivered remarks at SXSW. His presence is “built on the unmistakably marketing-tested practices of targeting the right audience with experiential content and deep brand interaction” (Weinroth, 2016).
Experiential content was delivered to the attendees of SXSW through the President’s presence at the event. It made a difference that he was there in person to deliver remarks rather than via video or teleconference. In marketing, there is “no substitute for brining the brand to life” (Weinroth, 2016). This builds excitement for the brand and also encourages and activates the audience to continue to communicate the brand’s message long after the activation occurs.
Another important marketing lesson demonstrated by President Obama’s participation at SXSW is that messages only matter if they are targeted to your intended audience. It is important for brands to not only understand who their audience is, but also what they like, dislike, what is important to them, and how they prefer to engage. “President Obama’s keynote is a perfect example of targeting the right message to the right audience at the right time” (Weinroth, 2016). This event linked Obama directly with the market he needed to reach- tech-savvy millennials. His message on the importance of technology in the 21st Century would certainly resonate with his audience.
In this case, Obama was the brand. He had a very important message for the technology experts who will lead future development in that technology can be used for good and also bad. He mentioned that he would need their assistance in developing means to keep the country safe and also allow for further participation in democracy.
Even the President of the United States utilizes fundamental marketing techniques to communicate with his audience. Remember: the right message to the right audience at the right time!
References
Ives, N. (2016, March 11). Obama wants SXSW to help solve America’s problems, including Apple standoff. Advertising Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/special-report-sxsw/obama-asks-sxsw-america-apple-fight/303086/
Weinroth, A. (2016, March 11). Obama: The ultimate SXSW brand activation. Advertising Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/obama-ultimate-sxsw-brand-activation/303072/