Obama has mobilised advocacy to a new level, achieving this through two basic CRM philosophies: customer (or citizen) centricity and high levels of engagement, with data the key driver.
That data strategy was as visionary as Obama's policies: in recruiting people to his cause, he asked what their priorities were and ensured that communications and requests were highly relevant.
The rigour applied to Obama's digital and field marketing activities was groundbreaking - ensuring that voter details were captured at every point of engagement, and slickly followed through with appropriate dialogue to move them on to the next level of support. Register at www.myobama.com to see what I mean.
Obama raised an unprecedented $639m, and won not only hearts and minds, but support, too - 2.5 million people became campaign ambassadors.
Overall, the Obama campaign put into practice core direct principles that many organisations make excuses for not applying. It recognised that every customer and connection counts, and that success is best measured over time, through a customer (i.e. voter) journey. Why is it that so many organisations, and arguably our own political parties, can't comprehend that the old model of simple activity response/non-response is no longer valid?
We must learn to ask for information - something our British reserve makes us shy away from; it's not American brashness, it's being bold. If it is relevant, keenly nurtured and acted upon, it will become your most precious asset, an owned and vital channel to market. Second, devise ongoing and integrated contact strategies.
Now, that would be change I could believe in.
- Janet Snedden is managing director of Tangible Data.