I was listening to Bill Bennett’s Morning in America http://www.billbennett.com and the level of call-ins that included self-flagellation and dissection over election results.  Clearly there is a segment of our population that is not happy this morning.  This blog has nothing to do with content or principles of the GOP or Republican/Conservative party that runs the gamut of extreme right through to moderates, independents and even includes just-left-of-centers like me.

The question is what didn’t work, what wasn’t said, who didn’t hear us, why didn’t we win?  WHAT WENT WRONG?

More than six months ago, when the conservative talk radio was asking “what does the Republican Party need to do to be successful.  I said the Republican Party needs to control the message.  They need to use social media and all medias to engage the population.  There is a “lesson learned” here, and I hope someone of influence reads this and takes it forward.

I am not going to say what the GOP did wrong.  I am going to say what the Obama Campaign did RIGHT.  THEY CONTROLLED THE CONVERSATION.

They used every source of medium available.  They took their *candidate* and made him a *Personality* that many in the right of center felt was un-Presidential.  On the other hand, conservative talk radio would continue to ask “what is missing… what is that *thing* that isn’t being communicated?”

PERSONALITY.

Empty chair, empty suit?  Yeah – but he wasn’t selling anything other than his re-election.  He was selling his personality, his likability, his appeal.  The campaign used the corresponding medias that would reach the targeted audiences.  This isn’t rocket science… this is marketing 101.

They put Obama on the late night circuit so it would be a positive image the last thing at night, since many people use Letterman, Leno, etc., to fall asleep.
Then also had him on the early morning talk circuit to be one of the first positive images and conversation as people got ready for work.  These weren’t interviews, guys.  These were stumps.  They controlled the imagery, the packaging, the delivery, the content, the depth and the conversation.  The segment they were talking are not cable news sycophants of CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc.  They use late shows to drift off, and the morning shows to get local coverage, weather and a touch of world news as they ready for work.

There are countless examples of what can be used for *lessons learned* … but if the GOP and future candidates want to excel and succeed — they need to control the conversation – and they need to get better at understanding the new rules of marketing.  Until they do…