I've been working from home recently and have never been more annoyed.  You see, for the past several days I have been the recipient of numerous phone calls.  Unfortunately the calls were not from anyone I was interested in speaking to as few people have my home number and I am unlisted.  No, the calls were from a new group of friends - Politicians.  Yes, it was bound to happen.  As you may recall, political solicitations are exempt from the Do Not Call registry, since they are not included in its definition of "Telemarketing".  Really?  What is it called when you are asking me for my vote?  What it is - is annoying and a double standard.  Can Caroline count on your vote - maybe not now that you woke up my 3 year old.  Michael, Senator Hannon has been working hard for you - really?  Wait is this a recording?  Folks if there is no better example of push, not even permission marketing gone wrong I don't know what is.

It is time politicians re-think their approaches and, like the example set by the Obama campaign, wake up to the fact that great marketing is about participation.  Not to say that the Obama campaign has been perfect, but the overall success signals a new direction in marketing.  Yes we are in the midst of a paradigm shift.  The rise of the "semantic" and "social internet" is ushering in a new era in marketing defined by consumer participation and control.  I call this new era "Participatory Marketing".  Participatory Marketing is about marketing with your customers or in this case voters, not at them.  It is about getting people actively involved in promoting your brand.  It is about engaging your customers to help plot the future of your brand or product.  As I look at all the candidates running - only one comes close to exemplifying these qualities - the campaign that Barack Obama has run.  Politics aside you  have to admire the brilliance.  It is, on many fronts, Participatory Marketing at its finest.  A local grassroots effort by which politics has never seen before, record event turn out filled with active and passionate supporters whose presence can be seen and heard on facebook, YouTube and MySpace to name a few, text and email updates, and a record $600 million dollars raised for the cause from millions. 

Folks this is the power of Participatory Marketing supported by social media and the future of politics and great marketing as we know it.  This has been a historic campaign indeed and not just for the obvious reasons, but for what it has shown us about how marketing must change.  Congratulations to President elect Obama and congratulations to his team who helped show the world that marketing, creativity, innovation and the williness to change can teach us many lessons.  

Until Next Time