Politicians makes strange bedfellows

Politicians have come a long way from their counterparts of yesteryear. One can hardly imagine Abraham Lincoln engaging with rock stars and celebrities the way PR savvy politicians like Barack Obama do.



The Obama campaign has become the gold standard in the political arena, and his foray into new media has swept other parts of the world. Elections held in South Africa in 2009 saw many similarities to the Obama campaign. Branding and using new media platforms like Facebook were incorporated into the African National Congresses (ANC) campaign efforts.

Obama has managed to perfect a few other PR techniques, including his ability to speak in sound bites. His ability to tap into this and other PR techniques has undoubtedly made a difference in his quest to lead one of the world's super powers.

References:

http://www.thestar.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20090315064208463C258434