The Brand Called Obama

Barack Obama | Photo by Marc Nozell used under a Creative Commons license

Fast Company has in in-depth examination of how the Obama candidacy is establishing and using Obama as a "brand", partly by embracing the grassroots, viral, nature of social networking ot communicate with and organize his supporters. In doing so He has managed to get many of the "Web 2.0" players excited about the political process.

Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, has long considered himself a political independent. An Obama encounter at a campaign event inspired him to take up arms for the Democratic candidate. But he can't quite explain why. "I'm still struggling to articulate what it is about him beyond the issues that I care about," he says. Newmark then fumbles his way to this realization: "I see him as a leader rather than a boss." A leader, he notes, gets people to do things on their own, through inspiration, respect, and trust. "A boss can order you to do things, sure, but you do them because it's part of the contract."
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"Obama and Clinton make an interesting contrast in brands," says Professor John Quelch, senior associate dean at Harvard Business School and coauthor of Greater Good: How Good Marketing Makes for Better Democracy. "Obama communicates that he loves people, and Clinton communicates that she loves policy." Consider Starbucks, Quelch says. "People love it for the experience, not for the specifications of the coffee." Obama, through his inclusive Web site and, yes, his lofty rhetoric, reinforces the notion that everyone is included and that this movement is actually a conversation to which everyone is invited.

The Brand Called Obama -- 2008 Presidential Campaign -- Barack Obama and Business | Fast Company